Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) is pleased to welcome Tak Pham to the position of curator at the University’s on-campus Illingworth Kerr Gallery (IKG).
Pham is a Vietnamese contemporary art curator and writer, and most recently held the role of associate curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Saskatchewan. Pham holds an MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University and a BA Hons from Carleton University.
“Alberta University of the Arts and the Illingworth Kerr Gallery warmly welcome Tak Pham to this important curatorial role,” said Dr. Daniel Doz, President and CEO. “Pham’s curatorial experience and academic research are most impressive, and we are very much looking forward to his leadership in continuing to enhance the gallery’s reputation, not only here in Alberta, but nationally and beyond as an important space for contemporary critical enquiry and dissemination.”
Pham's curatorial practice is driven by mutual interests, which he shares with artists, the audience, and the space he works in. Coming from a background in architectural history, Pham understands how a curatorial experience can take up physical space and create transformative experiences that push visitors toward new emotions, experiences, and knowledge. Currently, Pham is pursuing original research on immersive experiences in contemporary art.
“I'm excited to join the AUArts community as the curator for the Illingworth Kerr Gallery. The gallery has a rich history of strong curatorial programs and innovative approaches to issues in contemporary art, design, and culture, which I find very inspiring,” said Tak Pham on the appointment. “I look forward to building on this history and leveraging the university's strengths to create an engaging and stimulating art space for students, faculty, and Calgary's art community to experience and experiment with diverse perspectives and practices.”
Pham brings to this role an extensive background in gallery curation, as well as a catalogue of scholarly writing and reviews. Pham has curated exhibitions and organized curatorial projects for the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Contemporary Calgary, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Varley Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Nuit Blanche Toronto, among others. His writings and reviews have appeared in Canadian Art, C Magazine, ESPACE art actuel, esse arts + opinions, Galleries West, Studio Magazine, ArtAsiaPacific and Hyperallergic. In 2023, Pham was awarded the Hnatyshyn Foundation-Fogo Island Arts Young Curator Residency.
Tak Pham’s faculty position as Illingworth Kerr Gallery curator begins August 1, 2023.
