Chantal Meng
I’m a visual artist, researcher, and visiting assistant professor at Pratt, specializing in urban and visual culture, media ecology, and architectural atmospheres. My work focuses on the urban night, exploring practice-based research methods related to urban lighting and the contemporary perception of darkness.
I hold a PhD (Media, Communication, + Cultural Studies) and an MA in Photography + Urban Cultures (Sociology), both from Goldsmiths, University of London.
My research takes a practice-based approach, working with
photography and drawing. My current project, ‘Building Shadows,’ revisits our understanding of shadow and shade in urban settings. For details of my dissertation, ‘Light at Night: What is the Matter with Darkness,’ click here.
I’m the founder of Night Drawing, a participatory project where people sketch together to explore the interplay of darkness
and light in the city at night.
I’ve been honored with the Stuart Hall PhD Scholarship,
a Doc.Mobility Fellowship from the Swiss National Science
Foundation (SNSF), and a Fulbright award. Prior to my
academic journey, I co-founded the studio POL and the art
space Grand Palais in Bern, Switzerland.