N@N – Tak Pham: A Brief Introduction to Contemporary Immersive Art Practices

In this N@N talk, curator and art critic Tak Pham will introduce his ongoing research on “immersive art.” The term has gained popularity in recent years, often used casually at dinner parties, product launches, or to describe various entertainment experiences. This widespread use has served as the inspiration for Pham’s research, which aims to delve into the etymology of the term, its development within Western art history, and what creative practices we can anticipate in the future.

Bio:

Tak Pham (he/him) is a Vietnamese contemporary art curator and writer. He is currently curator of the Illingworth Kerr Gallery at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, Alberta, Treaty 7 territory. He was formerly associate curator at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory.

Pham holds an M.F.A in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University and a B.A. Hons. from Carleton University. He 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, GalleriesWest, Studio Magazine, ArtAsiaPacific and Hyperallergic.  

In 2023, Pham was awarded the Hnatyshyn Foundation-Fogo Island Arts Young Curator Residency. Pham was formerly associate curator at the Mackenzie Art Gallery in Regina (Treaty 4), Saskatchewan, and is currently curator at Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary (Treaty 7), Alberta, Canada.

Free, everyone welcome

Held in person, in the Gallery Hall, ground floor Taylor Family Digital Library (adjacent to Nickle Galleries).