Anna Colin

Dr. Anna Colin is Programme Director of the MFA Curating program at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Art. With over twenty years of experience as a curator working both freelance and institutionally, her practice spans curatorial, pedagogical, social, and ecological fields. She has held significant positions including associate curator at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris (2014-2020), associate director of Bétonsalon – Centre for art and research in Paris (2011-2012), and curator at Gasworks, London (2007-2010). She co-curated British Art Show 8 (2015-2016) and has worked with numerous international institutions including CA2M in Madrid, Whitechapel Gallery in London, and Contemporary Image Collective in Cairo.

• PhD, School of Geography, University of Nottingham (2022)
• Permaculture Design Certificate, Permaculture Association UK (2024)
• Level 2 Practical Horticulture Certificate, Royal Horticultural Society (2022)
• MA Curating Contemporary Art, Royal College of Art (2005)
• BA Arts Management, London Southbank University (2003)

Dr. Colin's research interests focus on the intersection of art, ecology, and alternative educational models. Her work explores how cultural practitioners can engage with human and non-human ecosystems, examining holistic and intersectional organizational models that resist chrononormativity. She investigates sustainability as a dynamic, cyclical process rather than a product-oriented goal, drawing inspiration from ecology, agroecology, and arboriculture to reconceptualize art institutions' relationship to waiting, slowness, rest, and longevity. Her current research examines regenerative artistic, curatorial, and institutional practices that serve ecosystems, with particular attention to the Black Atlantic, agricultural and digital commons, and colonialism's impact on the natural environment.

Analysis of Dr. Colin's recent publications reveals a consistent thematic focus on ecological approaches to art and institutions, with increasing emphasis on practical applications of ecological principles. Her work demonstrates a clear trajectory from examining alternative educational spaces (as in her PhD research on multi-public educational and cultural spaces) toward developing concrete ecological frameworks for cultural institutions. The publications show growing integration of horticultural knowledge with curatorial practice, particularly evident in projects like 'Chaleur Humaine' and 'ĝardeno paradizo' which combine energy studies with landscape design and community engagement.

Dr. Colin welcomes doctoral applicants seeking to work in cultural production at the service of ecosystems, regenerative artistic practices, alternative institutional models, and critical pedagogies. She has supervised numerous curatorial projects and community-based initiatives through Open School East, which she co-founded in 2013 as an alternative art school and community space in London and later Margate. Her collaborative approach extends to working with artists, horticulturalists, and community groups on projects that integrate art with practical ecological interventions.

Dr. Colin has established several significant collaborative spaces and research groups, most notably Open School East which operated for eight years under her directorship. Her work with the Centre for Art and Ecology at Goldsmiths demonstrates her commitment to developing institutional frameworks that support ecological thinking in the arts. Current projects include 'The Ecosystemic Clock' research initiative exploring non-linear time in ecological contexts and 'ĝardeno paradizo,' a pedagogical and landscaping project in Sète, France that rehabilitates outdoor spaces to accommodate biodiversity and community needs.