Best Irene Chen Podcasts (2025)

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The Celluloid Specimen — with Joe Clark and Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa 43:18

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20d ago43:18

43:18

This episode of Below the Radar B-Sides is guest hosted by Joe Clark, term assistant professor at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. He is joined by Benjamín Schultz-Figueroa, Assistant Professor in Film Studies at Seattle University, and author of The Celluloid Specimen: Moving Image Research into Animal Life. Together, they chat about their …

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Story Sovereignty — with Dorothy Christian 41:15

20d ago41:15

41:15

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Dorothy Christian, the Associate Director of Indigenous Policy & Pedagogy in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Simon Fraser University. Dorothy talks about her work as a storyteller and academic, as well as her activism with the Oka crisis and the Gustafsen Lake standoff. Resources…

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Re-enactments, Theatre, and Cantonese Opera — with Ming Wong 49:35

20d ago49:35

49:35

On this episode of Below the Radar B-Sides, our host Am Johal is joined by Ming Wong, Singapore-born and Berlin-based contemporary artist. Together, they chat about Ming’s artistic practice, his research into Cantonese Opera cinema, approach to pedagogy, and the advantages of being at the fringe looking in.You can see Ming’s installation “Vast Ocea…

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The Community of Those Who Have Nothing in Common — with Alphonso Lingis 34:27

20d ago34:27

34:27

On this episode of the Below the Radar B-Sides, our host Am Johal was joined by Alphonso Lingis, who was a renowned philosopher, writer, and professor at Pennsylvania State University. Alphonso passed away in May 2025, and we’re pleased to share this conversation where he discussed his recent writing, some of the thinkers who were important to his …

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Irene Gammel and Jason Wang 39:29

4M ago39:29

39:29

In this episode, we are joined by Irene Gammel and Jason Wang from Toronto Metropolitan University. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Irene and Jason held webinar series at the Modern Literature & Culture Research Centre. In this episode Irene and Jason share personal anecdotes and insights on how the pandemic has affected their lives, research, and cu…

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Viola Tian 46:28

4M ago46:28

46:28

In this episode we are joined by Viola Tian, where she shares her journey from arriving in Canada at the age of 19 as a student in Queen's University, to becoming a leading advocate for anti-racism and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She discusses her work with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the U.S., highlighting bureaucrat…

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Kevin Huang and Kimberley Wong 53:50

5M ago53:50

53:50

In this episode we are joined by Kevin Huang and Kimberley Wong of hua foundation. The conversation centers on the rise of anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights urgent concerns around community health, public health orders, and hate crimes. Kevin and Kimberley emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing diverse e…

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Sibo Chen and Cary Wu 40:31

5M ago40:31

40:31

Julia Aoki hosts a discussion with Dr. Sibo Chen and Dr. Cary Wu on anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Chen, assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, discusses his research on media narratives, political polarization, and disinformation. Dr. Wu, an associate professor at York University, highlights the rise of anti-A…

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Introducing Common Concern: Conversations on Anti-Asian Racism and COVID-19 14:20

5M ago14:20

14:20

Welcome to Common Concern: Conversations on Anti-Asian Racism in the Wake of COVID-19. This is a special Below the Radar series produced in collaboration with Toronto Metropolitan University and SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Common Concern is a mini-series that considers the historical context, and short and long term impacts of a r…

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Becoming Anarchival — with Kate Hennessy 47:49

7M ago47:49

47:49

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Kate Hennessy, Associate Professor at SFU’s School of Interactive Arts & Technology and member of anti-patriarchal, anti-colonial folk inspired punk band, The Saltlicks. Together, they chat about Kate’s practice in anthropology and contemporary art, the experience of working collabo…

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Playlist: A Profligacy of Your Least-Expected Poems — with Michael Turner 46:23

8M ago46:23

46:23

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Michael Turner, a Vancouver-based writer and musician. Am and Michael discuss the release of his latest book Playlist: A Profligacy of Your Least-Expected Poems. They also talk about the Hard Rock Miners, as well as programming work at the Malcolm Lowry Room, the Railway Club, and t…

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Star Stories — with Lisa Jackson 43:25

8M ago43:25

43:25

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Lisa Jackson, an award-winning filmmaker, whose work spans hybrid documentary, installation, VR, and more. Am and Lisa discuss her latest work, Wilfred Buck, a portrait of Cree Elder Wilfred Buck, an Indigenous star lore expert. They also talk about her time as an undergraduate stud…

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On Dying — with Beatrice Marovich 39:04

8M ago39:04

39:04

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Beatrice Marovich, Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Hanover College and author of Sister Death: Political Theologies for Living and Dying. Together, they chat about the process of writing the book, and the theoretical and philosophical concepts of death as a relationshi…

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Racial Equity in Policy Making — with Véronique Sioufi 35:24

9M ago35:24

35:24

In this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Véronique Sioufi, the Researcher for Racial & Socio-economic Equity at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC Office, and a doctoral candidate in geography at Simon Fraser University.Am and Véronique discuss what brought her to her doctoral work and her interest in issues of…

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Art Mamas — with Damla Tamer 27:52

10M ago27:52

27:52

In this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Damla Tamer, a visual artist and sessional lecturer at UBC whose work explores the affective conditions of labour under late capitalism, and the evolution of forms of civil protest within the contemporary political history of Turkey. Damla is also a founding member of the Art Mamas …

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On Crystals, Vampires and Tennis – with Mena El Shazly 36:32

10M ago36:32

36:32

In this episode of Below the Radar, host Am Johal sits down with Mena El Shazly, a visual artist specializing in moving image creation, curation, and programming. Her practice speculates on notions of presence and transcendence in the digital world, exploring how processes of decay provide alternative forms of transformation and regeneration. They …

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Technoscience and Intersectional Justice — with Tina Sikka 29:24

10M ago29:24

29:24

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Tina Sikka, Reader in Technoscience and Intersectional Justice in the School of Arts and Culture at Newcastle University. Tina discusses her research and writing on topics such as consent, justice, and feminist science studies, as well as her work in EDI at the university. Full episode details: https://…

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Union Power — with Brett Story and Chris Smalls 25:12

11M ago25:12

25:12

Filmmaker Brett Story and labour organizer Chris Smalls join us this week on Below the Radar. Brett is the co-director of UNION, a documentary film that follows the efforts of the Amazon Labor Union and their campaign to unionize the first Amazon warehouse in American history. The movement was spearheaded by Chris, a former Amazon warehouse supervi…

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The World Accordion To Hank — with Hank Bull 51:32

11M ago51:32

51:32

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Hank Bull, an artist and curator whose administration and advocacy work has greatly contributed to artist-run culture in Canada. Hank discusses his work with the Western Front and Centre A, and he also brought along some props to give us a taste of what his past radio art sounded li…

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Theory of Water — with Leanne Simpson 24:11

12M ago24:11

24:11

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and artist, joins us on this week’s episode of Below the Radar. Am Johal and Leanne chat about her creative process, the significance of Nishnaabeg thought and practice in her work, and some upcoming projects including her newest book Theory of Water, set to be publishe…

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Infinitely Yours — with Miwa Matreyek 32:05

12M ago32:05

32:05

On this episode of Below the Radar, we’re joined by Miwa Matreyek, an animator, designer, performer and Assistant Professor in Theatre Production and Design at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Am and Miwa discuss how she got into making interdisciplinary artwork and some of her recent projects that combine animation and live performance. Ful…

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How Far Can A Marked Body Go? — with Ghinwa Yassine 57:50

1y ago57:50

57:50

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Ghinwa Yassine, a Lebanese anti-disciplinary artist whose work confronts the ideological and patriarchal systems that she grew up in, while exploring collective feelings and what it means to be a marked body. Ghinwa discusses her recent multi-media installations and ongoing artistic research into gestur…

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States of Injury — with Wendy Brown 47:02

1y ago47:02

47:02

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Wendy Brown, distinguished American political theorist and Professor Emerita of Political Science at the University of California Berkeley. Together they discuss Wendy’s writing on the emergence of and critical responses to identity politics, physical border controls as performative…

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The Politics of Art — with Ranjit Hoskote 36:03

1y ago36:03

36:03

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ranjit Hoskote, poet, translator, art critic, and curator. Together they discuss Bombay’s political and cultural milieu in the 1980s and 90s, from which Ranjit began to experiment with art making, artistic and curatorial responses to an emergent neo-colonial Indian state. They also …

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The Politics of Love — with Michael Hardt 57:50

1y ago57:50

57:50

This week on Below the Radar we’re joined by Michael Hardt, political theorist and Professor at Duke University. Am and Michael discuss the political concept of love, Michael’s research on revolutionary movements in the 1970s, as well as his past writing with the late Tony Negri, and how they continue to think together.Full episode details: https:/…

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Below the Radar: 2024 Fall Kick-Off 1:39

1y ago1:39

1:39

As the seasons change, Below the Radar is back to our regularly scheduled programming featuring a dynamic range of local and international voices. We’re thrilled to bring a host of critically acclaimed writers, theorists, and artists across disciplines to share conversations on the politics of love, the crisis of neoliberalism, and artmaking throug…

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PLACE: SCA Re-Orientation Day 2023 1:16:27

1y ago1:16:27

1:16:27

This episode of Below the Radar is a special live recording from SFU School for the Contemporary Arts’ 2023 Re-Orientation Day, an all-day event designed to welcome SCA students, faculty, and staff back to campus for the fall semester. The 2023 theme was on “Place,” and the Vancity Office of Community Engagement convened a panel of speakers across …

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Archiving Counter-Histories — with Zool Suleman 45:22

1y ago45:22

45:22

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Zool Suleman, co-founder and editor of Rungh Magazine. Zool discusses Rungh’s founding as a national South Asian focused cultural initiative in the 90s, and how the magazine has since evolved into a platform for Indigenous, Black and racialized artist conversations.Full episode details: https://www.sfu.…

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Reading Simone de Beauvoir — with Ellie Anderson 31:14

1y ago31:14

31:14

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Ellie Anderson, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Pomona College, and co-host of the Overthink podcast. Ellie joins us to discuss how she got into philosophy and contemporary readings of Simone de Beauvoir’s work.Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-e…

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Groundwork of Phenomenological Marxism — with Ian Angus 44:37

1+ y ago44:37

44:37

Our host Am Johal is joined by Ian Angus, Professor Emeritus from the Department of Global Humanities at Simon Fraser University. Together, they chat about Ian’s academic career, his engagement with the work of Husserl, and his most recent book, Groundwork of Phenomenological Marxism: Crisis, Body, World (Lexington Books, 2021).Full episode details…

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League — with Germaine Koh 38:59

1+ y ago38:59

38:59

Artist and curator Germaine Koh joins our host Am Johal on this week’s episode of Below the Radar. Together, they chat about some of Germaine’s work—including her ongoing project League—and the incorporation of sport into art. Germaine also shares stories about receiving a 2023 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts, the importance of un…

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Island School of Social Autonomy — with Srećko Horvat 35:41

1+ y ago35:41

35:41

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Srećko Horvat, a philosopher, author, and co-founder of the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025. Am and Srećko discuss the journey behind launching the Island School of Social Autonomy on the Adriatic island of Vis. ISSA is a place for imagining, experimenting with and cultivating for…

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The Politics of Climate Emergency Mobilization — with Seth Klein 43:05

1+ y ago43:05

43:05

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Seth Klein, Team Lead and Director of Strategy of the Climate Emergency Unit, a 5-year project of the David Suzuki Institute that Seth launched in early 2021. Am and Seth discuss how he and his team are working to mobilise Canada for the climate emergency, including their latest pro…

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Clowns on Acid — with Kira Nova 32:03

1+ y ago32:03

32:03

Artist and comedian Kira Nova joins us this week on Below the Radar. Alongside our host Am Johal, they chat about growing up in the circus, clowning, experimental pedagogy, and Kira’s psychedelic clown workshops.Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/240-kira-nova.htmlRead the t…

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Ass Power — with Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim 1:05:52

1+ y ago1:05:52

1:05:52

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim, co-creators of the participatory videogame performance asses.masses. The show recently wrapped up a run at Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Patrick and Milton discuss the show’s development, videogames as performance, and what they’ve discovered a…

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FCAT After School: Clowning, Failing, and Re-enchanting the Everyday with June Fukumura 36:28

1+ y ago36:28

36:28

This week, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at FCAT After School. FCAT After School is a podcast project led by student hosts from across SFU’s Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology speaking with alumni about their career journey since graduation. You’ll hear stories of and advice for traditional and unconventional career paths acro…

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The Art of Love, Hypnosis, and AI — with Ania Malinowska 49:42

1+ y ago49:42

49:42

On this episode of Below the Radar, we’re joined by Ania Malinowska, hypnotherapist, cultural theorist and Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. We discuss Ania’s scholarly practice, love, and how Ania found herself being trained in hypnosis.Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-comm…

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Community-Centred Curating — with Moroti George 43:41

1+ y ago43:41

43:41

Curator, writer, and educator Moroti George joins our host Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. Moroti is the curator at The Black Arts Centre in Surrey, BC and the Director/Curator of Gallery Gachet in downtown Vancouver. Together, they chat about how Moroti became interested in the arts, their experience working in two different art space…

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Glen Clark: Main Street vs. Howe Street — with Glen Clark 1:05:33

1+ y ago1:05:33

1:05:33

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Glen Clark, who was formerly premier of British Columbia, as well as president and chief operating officer of the Jim Pattison Group in Vancouver. Glen discusses his political career, from his time in labour movements to the legislative assembly, and further on to how he exited poli…

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Radical Futurisms — with T.J. Demos 48:55

1+ y ago48:55

48:55

This week on Below the Radar, we are joined by T.J. Demos, Professor in the Department of the History of Art and Visual Culture at University of California, Santa Cruz, and Director of its Center for Creative Ecologies. Together, they chat about TJ’s book, Radical Futurisms: Ecologies of Collapse, Chronopolitics, and Justice-to-Come. They also disc…

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Unhingedness — with Sanem Güvenç 53:23

1+ y ago53:23

53:23

This week on Below the Radar we’re joined by Sanem Güvenç, a scholar, psychoanalyst, and university professor, as well as co-president of the Vancouver-based psychoanalytic society Lacan Salon. Together they discuss friendship, authoritarianism, teaching, and how Sanem reads the works of various philosophers, with a focus on how she got into Lacan.…

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How to Live at the End of the World — with Travis Holloway 45:56

1+ y ago45:56

45:56

This week on Below the Radar, we are joined by Travis Holloway: a poet, translator, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Farmingdale, and author of the book How to Live at the End of the World: Theory, Art, and Politics for the Anthropocene (Stanford University Press, 2022). Am and Travis discuss noticing patterns in contemporary art making du…

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Fire Weather — with John Vaillant 47:52

1+ y ago47:52

47:52

On this episode of Below the Radar, we’re joined by John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast. Fire Weather is a national best selling book about the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, North America's oil industry, and our new century of fire, which has only just begun. Our host Am Johal and John discuss how John approached the subject…

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See How We Run! Learning from Fireweed — with Sarah Common and Cait Hurley 53:23

2y ago53:23

53:23

On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Hives for Humanity’s co-directors Sarah Common and Cait Hurley to talk about the history of the apicultural organization, its evolution from a supportive prevocational training program to a Community Supported Apiculture model, and the ways they are centering their relationship to the plants and so…

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See How We Run! From a Place of Care — with Asia Jong and Vitória Monteiro 55:30

2y ago55:30

55:30

On this episode of See How We Run!, we’re joined by two cultural workers: Asia Jong, an emerging curator, arts facilitator and who was one of the co-organizers of Ground Floor Art Centre, a collectively-run DIY gallery, studio and project space with a focus on supporting early emerging artists; and Vitória “veto” Monteiro, an emerging visual artist…

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See How We Run! Art as Agency, Autonomy and Community — with Demi London and Moroti George 59:00

2y ago59:00

59:00

On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Gallery Gachet’s executive Director Demi London and artistic director Moroti George to talk about the evolution of Gachet’s approach to supporting artistic creation and exhibition, in ways that are accessible to and supportive of people facing systemic barriers and social marginalization. We speak …

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See How We Run! Backstage Spaces — with Alen Dominguez and Caitlin Jones 54:36

2y ago54:36

54:36

On this episode of See How We Run! we’re joined by Neworld Theatre’s managing director Alen Dominguez and consultant Caitlin Jones to talk about Progress Lab 1422’s Backstage Spaces report. Progress Lab is a building in East Van that is a dedicated performance creation space and home to a collective of renowned theatre and dance companies, who coll…

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See How We Run! Conversations with Arts and Cultural Workers 19:41

2y ago19:41

19:41

Welcome to See How We Run! An original Below the Radar mini-series featuring conversations with arts and cultural workers in Vancouver. In this first episode, co-hosts Julia Aoki, Kathy Feng, and Samantha Walters introduce the series and what’s to come. In each episode, they’ll speak to artists, consultants, administrators, and advocates about how …

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Paramedic for the Arts — with Norman Armour 1:09:29

2y ago1:09:29

1:09:29

This week on Below the Radar, we’re joined by Vancouver legend Norman Armour, a curator, consultant, producer, director, actor and non-profit arts specialist with over 35 years of experience. Norman discusses his experience co-founding the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, his storied career in the Canadian arts scene, as well as his hea…

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Extreme Inequality in Canada — with Alex Hemingway 41:03

2y ago41:03

41:03

Alex Hemingway, Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), joins Am Johal on this episode of Below the Radar. They discuss the Canadian housing crisis, the misclassification of independent contractors in the gig economy, and the CCPA’s report promoting a wealth tax.Full…