Panel 7
WORLDWIDE: Emerging Currents
August 15, 2026
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Public art is changing rapidly around the world. New technologies, political movements, funding models, community expectations, and cultural shifts are reshaping how artists engage with public space. While every city faces its own challenges, many of the questions confronting public art today are increasingly global.
Bringing together artists, curators, and cultural leaders from four different countries, this conversation examines what is currently simmering across international public art ecosystems. What trends are emerging? What tensions are artists navigating? What ideas are gaining momentum? And what might the next decade of public art look like?
Speakers:
Ken Lum (USA)
Said Dokins (Mexico)
Alvin Luong (Toronto)
Ayoub Abid aka NORMAL (Morroco)
Moderator(s):
Kat Simmers (Calgary)