How can cross-cultural storytelling expand artistic discourse and challenge dominant narratives? What strategies amplify underrepresented voices and foster new platforms for engagement?
esea contemporary presents Amplified Margins: Cross-Cultural Narratives, a discussion on the role of cross-cultural storytelling in arts writing and criticism. Hosted by Xiaowen Zhu, Director of esea contemporary, the event brings together Vivienne Chow, award-winning journalist and writer, and Chloe Stead, associate editor of frieze, to examine the complexities of making marginalised narratives visible, impactful, and present.
Taking inspiration from Voicing the Archive – a project reimagining erased histories of early Chinese migration through historical research and speculative storytelling by artists including Clare Chun-yu Liu, Hester Yang, Musquiqui Chihying, Lawrence Lek, and Chris Zhongtian Yuan – this conversation explores how artists and writers navigate silences, reclaim agency, and reshape collective memory.
Vivienne Chow, Artnet’s London Correspondent and co-founder of The Asia Pivot newsletter, brings extensive experience in arts journalism and cultural critique. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, BBC Culture, and Variety. She has taught arts and cultural journalism at universities and founded Cultural Journalism Campus, which has nurtured a new generation of critical voices in arts writing.
Chloe Stead, a Berlin-based editor and critic, has contributed to numerous art magazines and artist monographs. She has led writing workshops in universities throughout Germany and the UK and oversaw the expansion of Frieze New Writers, a free-to-attend programme for emerging critics, into Continental Europe.
The event opens with presentations by Vivienne and Chloe, followed by a moderated discussion on broadening readerships, engaging communities, and developing strategies for visibility. A concluding audience Q&A invites further dialogue.
Amplified Margins: Cross-Cultural Narratives offers an opportunity to engage with two leading voices in arts criticism, reflecting on how cross-cultural narratives shape artistic practice, public discourse, and cultural futures.
Vivienne Chow is an award-winning art journalist based in London. She is deeply engaged in the intersection of East and West and the evolving dynamics of the global art market. Through her reporting and analysis, she aims to break down cultural barriers, uncover untold stories, and foster dialogue among art-world players from diverse backgrounds. At Artnet News, she covers the European and Asian art markets in addition to writing international news and feature stories. She also co-founded The Asia Pivot, Artnet Pro’s exclusive biweekly newsletter which offers in-depth analysis and insights on the Asian art world and its markets while spotlighting artists from the region and its diaspora.
Before joining Artnet News in London, Chow was based in Hong Kong. Her work has appeared in the Financial Times, BBC Culture, Variety, and the South China Morning Post. Most recently, she was the editor of A New Reality, the monograph of Hong Kong artist Stephen Wong Chun Hei, which launched in March 2025. She has also taught arts and cultural journalism at universities and founded Cultural Journalism Campus, a programme dedicated to nurturing a new generation of critical voices in arts writing.
Chloe Stead, a Berlin-based editor and critic, has contributed to numerous art magazines and artist monographs. She has led writing workshops in universities throughout Germany and the UK and oversaw the expansion of Frieze New Writers, a free-to-attend programme for emerging critics, into Continental Europe.
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