Ken Lum Joins BUMP Urban Art Conference 2025 as Keynote Speaker
Tuesday July 22, 2025
We are beyond thrilled to announce Ken Lum as the keynote speaker for the 2025 BUMP Urban Art Conference, taking place this August in Calgary.
As one of the most influential Canadian figures in contemporary public art, Ken Lum’s work has redefined how we engage with monuments, memory, and civic space. A conceptual artist, writer, and educator, Lum’s practice spans photography, sculpture, and text-based installations that challenge dominant narratives and bring new meaning to the urban landscape.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Lum is the artist behind the East Van Cross, one of the city’s most recognizable public artworks, and Pi — a large-scale mirrored passageway in Vienna’s Karlsplatz that blends data, reflection, and public experience. As co-founder of Monument Lab and Chair of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, Lum’s work and critical writing explore the social and political dimensions of place-making, questioning who is remembered and how.
His work has been featured in prestigious institutions and biennales around the world, but his commitment to community-oriented, accessible public art remains central to his practice. At BUMP 2025, Lum will reflect on the theme of this year’s Urban Art Conference: “Monuments & Memory”, opening the conference with a keynote that speaks to the urgent and imaginative possibilities of public art in the 21st century.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
1:15 PM
Contemporary Calgary
701 11 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2C4
Free entry, RSVP required
This is a major moment for both Calgary and BUMP Festival, an opportunity to hear from one of the leading thinkers on the future of monuments, memory, and cultural space. RSVP here to reserve your spot for the keynote.
👉 RSVPs are moving quickly, click the link in our bio to register for panels and workshops.
⚠️ Please note: You’ll need to RSVP separately to attend the keynote address by Ken Lum.
🔗 Explore more of Ken Lum’s work on his website.
We’ll see you at the conference.
