About
Christine Lai is a British-born Chinese cultural producer/curator. Her independent practice is founded upon interrogating the processes within knowledge production and exploring social-cultural histories through participatory art projects. Currently, she is Public Programme Curator at London Borough of Waltham Forest and works as a freelance Public Programme Producer at Somerset House.
Christine has curated programmes at a wide range of cultural institutions including Serpentine, Tate, and Kakilang (formerly Chinese Arts Now). Her work has been featured in various media outlets including BBC, Bricks Magazine, and Gal-Dem. She is also part of Baesianz, a London-based collective and platform dedicated to celebrating artists of Asian heritage.
Education:
MA Heritage Studies: Museum Studies
University of Amsterdam 2017 - 2020
MA(Hons) History of Art, First Class
University of Glasgow 2013 - 2017
Costume Construction
National Youth Theatre 2012 - 2013
Exhibitions/Commissions:
Wild Wired!, HERVISIONS, London (2023)
Baesianz presents ME2U: A Collective Manifesto, Bow Arts, London (2022)
Baesianz X Grubber: Roots, Arthub, London (2021)
Input - Bauhaus - Output, Tate Britain, London (2019)
Capturing Class Struggle, Tate Britain, London (2019)
Rebel Girls: Illustrating Identity, Bijzondere Collecties, Amsterdam (2018)
For the Welfare of My Children: Stories of a Jewish Mosaic in Syria, Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam (2018)
Public Programming:
Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies, Somerset House, London (2025-2026)
SOIL, Somerset House, London (2024-25)
Radical Landscapes, William Morris Gallery/ LBWF, London (2023-24)
Baesianz X TAPE Collective presents Lingua Franca, Prince Charles Cinema, London (2022)
Baesianz X SET Artist Residency, SET Woolwich, London (2022)
Breaking News, Peckham24, London (2021)
Baesianz x Grubber presents FujiFlow, Art Hub, London (2021)
Baesianz x Grubber presents Speaking in Elements, Art Hub, London (2021)
Baesianz x Grubber presents Petit Oiseau, Art Hub, London (2021)
Late at Tate Britain: From Tomorrow, Tate Britain, London (2020)
Philanthrobeats: The Landfills Have Eyes, Berkeley Suite, Glasgow (2016)
END FGM NOW, Proud Mary, Glasgow (2016)
BP Loud Tate, Tate Britain, London (2016)
Philanthrobeats: Dante's Inferno, Berkeley Suite, Glasgow (2015)
Leave Your Vote at the Door, Subclub, Glasgow (2014)
Mother Care India, La Cheetah, Glasgow (2014)
Talks:
The Artist as Storyteller, London College of Fashion, London (2023)
Pondering the loos at the Met Gala – Photography and its role in rendering counter-narratives in the bathroom, Network for Developing Photographic Research, online (2021)
Futures in Reality, Tate Britain, London (2020)
Publications:
How We Hold: Rehearsals for Art and Social Change, Serpentine Galleries, London (2023)
Assistant Editor
Young Londoners’ Perspectives on Steve McQueen Year 3, A New Direction, London (2021)
Co-author
Work Experience:
Public Programme Producer (Freelance)
Somerset House, Oct 2023 - Present
Public Programme Curator
William Morris Gallery/London Borough of Waltham Forest, Nov 2022 - Present
Assistant Curator, Education
Serpentine Galleries, Nov 2021 - May 2022
Production Assistant (Freelance), Public Programmes
Tate, Sept 2021 - Nov 2021
Assistant Producer (Freelance)
JUMP festival, July 2021 - Sept 2021
Assistant Producer (Freelance), Kakilang (fka Chinese Arts Now) Feb 2021 - July 2021
Programme Co-ordinator
Troy House Art Foundation July 2020 - Feb 2021
Project Curator, Late at Tate Britain: From Tomorrow (Freelance)
Tate Dec 2019 - Feb 2020