Jamie Wyld: Thanks for being part of the Vital Capacities residency programme! Can you say a little about yourself and your work, perhaps in relation to what you’re thinking about doing during the residency? 

Angela Su: I am an artist who wears many hats. I make drawings, videos and I’ve also worked on a couple of publication projects. Science, the history of science, the impact of technology and the transformative body are the recurring themes in my work. As gaming and activism collide in recent years, I’ve become interested in the world of gaming and the idea of how coding can change not only the laws of the virtual world, but people’s behaviours in the physical world. On the other hand, as gamers provide entertainment and content for video games, the boundary of work and play has thus been blurred, these game labourers are often unpaid because the owners of the game often gain economic benefits from players’ contributions. I am fascinated by all these different aspects of gaming. It’s a huge topic.

JW: One of the aims of Vital Capacities is to create an accessible site (so more people can use it) – how do you think this will be an opportunity to develop your way of working? 

Angela Su: It will certainly make the process of art-making more transparent. Audience might be exposed to my incoherent thoughts but that’s actually how it works for an artist. I envision the platform to be like a journal or diary where I can go back to my own notes and pick up the different strands within my thoughts.

JW: What would you like to achieve through the residency? Is there a particular project you’ll be focusing on?

Angela Su: As VIDEOTAGE in Hong Kong has recreated the physical space of Cattle Depot Artist Village in Minecraft, I will take this opportunity to navigate and create in this virtual space. Simply getting lost there and see how the space can be intervened, or how my virtual self can perform in this space.

JW: How do you see the next few weeks unfolding? Where would you like it to take you? 

Angela Su: I really have no idea for now. I am sure it’s going to be intense because gaming is a whole new territory for me, which means there will be a lot of research and exploration. Simply navigating the virtual space of Minecraft would probably be challenging for me. I certainly want to produce a new work, or at least continue with the research after the residency.

Visit Angela Su’s studio to see what she’s working on: https://vitalcapacities.com/artists/angela-su/studio/