Sally Lai

Sally Lai’s career has been underpinned by a commitment to international collaboration and supporting the learning that comes from cross-cultural encounters.

She is currently working as an independent visual arts curator, consultant, facilitator and occasional writer in both UK and Asia.

Recent projects include; managing a series of 13 interdisciplinary artist residencies with partners across the farming, research and gallery sectors, facilitating on a training programme for producer’s in Moscow and Hong Kong, helping found an arts and music initiative for children in Iraq, undertaking a residency at the Tambopata Research Centre, the remotest lodge in the Amazon rainforest.

In 2013 she co-founded Feral Studio (SW), an initiative that explores the role that the arts can play in addressing rural challenges. Prior to this she was the Director of the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (2008-2014). Other organisations she has worked for include firstsite, Arts Council of England, London, the Culture Team of London 2012, Future Generation Art Prize, Samsung Art Prize, The Collection and the Wellcome Collection.

Sally has worked with numerous artists including; Chen Man, Xu Bing, Ming Wong, Patty Chang, Pak Sheung-Chuen, Semiconductor, The Owl Project, He An, Foreign Investment, Yuchen Wang. Together with Biljana Ciric she co-edited Institution for the Future.

Previously, she was on the board of Attenborough Arts Centre, University of Leicester, Atlantic Project (a new biennial in Plymouth), Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, Black Artists and Modernism (AHRC funded research project led by Sonia Boyce).

She was a fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme in 2005/6 and is an alumni of the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders – Arts at Stanford University Graduate Business School. She has an MA in curating from Goldsmiths College, University of London.