Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art co-presents with the School of Art, University of Manitoba and hosted by the Winnipeg Art Gallery | Artist Talk by Ken Lum

As part of our fall exhibition Days of Reading: beyond this state of affairs, Plug In ICA is fortunate to welcome Ken Lum, one of the exhibiting artists, to Winnipeg. In collaboration with the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the School of Art, University of Manitoba, Lum will be presenting a talk covering the scope of his multi-decade oeuvre.

A frequent writer, artist, and educator, Lum recently described, “it is through art that I am constantly challenged to understand the world and my place within it, even if that place is one that I am not entirely at home in.” He declared this sentiment in an essay comparing his experiences as a resident of the United States to his life growing up in Canada where he began his career as an artist. In many respects, this assertion fittingly doubles as an undergirding principle to every image, object or monument he has imagined and put out into the world. If one’s self-examination becomes heightened with a shift in a sense of place and geography, then it is with this same grasp of self in tandem with a social one that becomes the thriving pulse for Lum’s work as an artist, educator, and individual. 

With a long career like Lum’s, it feels superfluous to reiterate his immeasurable achievements but needless to say, Lum is one of Canada’s most essential artists living today. Though he is currently making home in Philadelphia as the chair of Fine Arts at University of Pennsylvania’s School of Art & Design, his resonance continues to be intertwined within contemporary art dialogue being generated in Canada. Lum’s public works across major metropolitan cities in Canada remain iconic markers not only for a cities’ cultural identity but illuminate the nation’s historical memory. His work is taught as part of art history curriculums at universities across the country and he continues to be an indispensible artist among prominent cultural institutions throughout the world. Lum is currently the chief curatorial advisor for Monument Lab; a city-wide public art and architectural exhibition in Philadelphia. In Winnipeg his work is on exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery as part of the 80s Image and at Plug In ICA as part of Days of Reading. He will be conducting a seminar at the School of Art, University of Manitoba.

Related exhibit: