Ho Tam

Born in Hong Kong, Ho Tam is a media/visual artist who has worked in advertising and community psychiatry. He received a BA from McMaster University and a MFA from Bard College (NY). From 1996 to 1997, he was a participant at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. Tam has exhibited in public galleries and alternative spaces across Canada, including A Space (Toronto) and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (Ottawa). Over 15 of his experimental film/video works are in circulation including screenings at Centre Pompidou, Paris, Toronto International Film Festival, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and the travelling exhibition Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, organized by Walker Art Center, Minnesota. Tam is a recipient of various grants and awards, including the Grand Marnier Video Fellowship from the Film Society of Lincoln Center (New York). He is represented by Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto.

Solo Exhibitions
2004
2003
  • VU Photo, Centre de diffusion et de production de la photographie, Quebec City
2002
  • Photo Passage at the Harbourfront Centre, Toronto
  • Centre A, Vancouver
2001
  • Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
  • Gallery TPW, Toronto
1999
  • Hamilton Artists Inc., Hamilton
1997
  • Galerie 101 Gallery, Ottawa
  • Plug In, Inc., Winnipeg
  • Gallery 44, Toronto (two-person exhibition with Brenda Joy Lem)
1996
  • Garnet Press Gallery, Toronto
  • Neutral Ground, Regina
1995
  • Galerie Articule, Montreal
  • Floating Gallery (Light Year Photo Festival), Winnipeg
  • University of California at Berkeley Extension, San Francisco
  • White Water Gallery, North Bay
  • YYZ Artists' Outlet, Toronto
1994
  • Observatoire 4, Montreal
  • Art Starts Neighbourhood Cultural Centre, Toronto
Selected Group Exhibitions
2002
  • Legion, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
  • In Case of Rapture, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, Whatshan, Taipei
2001
  • Others Henry Street Settlement, Abrons Arts Center, New York
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, Art Gallery of Hamilton
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Ottawa
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, The Power Plant, Toronto
  • Group Show, West Wing Art Space, Toronto
2000
  • Being On Time, Public Access at Central Technical High School, Toronto
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
1999
  • In the Marketplace of Private Life, Photographic Resource Center, Boston
  • Line Up, Henry Street Settlement, Abrons Art Center, New York
1998
  • A Skowhegan Decade, David Beitzel Gallery, New York
  • Troubling Customs, Ontario College of Art, Toronto
  • Troubling Customs, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
1997
  • The Carriage House - Project 97, Islip Art Museum, Islip (New York)
  • Uncommon Traits, CEPA Gallery, Buffalo
  • Home Is Where The Heart Is, White Columns, New York
  • Video Postcards, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
  • MusÈe Feminique, San Francisco State University, San Francisco
  • Snappy Title, YYZ Artists' Outlet, Toronto
1996
  • Consumption, Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco
  • Snow, Garnet Press Gallery, Toronto
  • Rebecca Baird/Ho Tam, Open Studio Gallery, Toronto
  • Asian Heritage Month Festival, Galerie SAW Video, Ottawa
1995
  • Group Show, Garnet Press Gallery, Toronto
  • Celebrity-hood, Longwood Art Project, Bronx (New York)
  • Under Siege, ABC No Rio, New York
  • AutoFocus Presents, Robarts Library, University of Toronto
1994
  • Stonewall 25, White Columns, New York
  • Contested Spaces, Public Access at Union Station, Toronto
  • Book Ends, Artspeak Gallery, Vancouver
  • Snapshots From Daily Life, Photographers Gallery, Saskatoon
1993
  • Dismantling Invisibility, A Space, Toronto
  • Bookworks, AKA Artists' Centre, Saskatoon
  • Inside/Outside: New Chinese Art, Galerie SAW Video, Ottawa
  • Inside/Outside: New Chinese Art, Artspace, Peterborough
1992
  • Artists At the “Y”, West End YMCA, Toronto
  • Roundup ë92, Artistís Studio, Toronto
Videography
  • Books of James 16:30 colour/sound DV 2002
  • My Memories of Me 3:00 colour/sound DV 2001
  • Bus No. 7 3:00 colour/sound DV 2001
  • Miracles on 163rd 25:00 colour/sound DV 2001
  • The Loop 18:00 colour/sound DV 2001
  • Fine China 8:00 colour/sound DV 2000
  • Ave Maria 7:30 colour/sound Umatic 2000
  • dos cartas / two letters 4:30 colour/sound Umatic 1999
  • Matinee Idols 16:30 b&w/sound BetaCam 1999
  • Cop Strings 6:00 colour/sound Umatic 1999
  • Hair Cuts 8:00 colour/sound Umatic 1999
  • Washington Heights 3:30 colour/sound Super 8 1998
  • La Salle Primary 5:00 colour/sound Umatic 1998
  • Pocahontas: TransWorld Remix 4:30 colour/sound Umatic 1998
  • 99 Men 3:00 b&w/sound Umatic 1998
  • Dear Sis: 4:30 colour/sound Umatic 1998
  • Season of the Boys 3:30 colour/sound Umatic 1997
  • The Yellow Pages 8:00 colour/sound BetaCam 1994
Selected Video Screenings
2000/02
  • Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video. Travelling exhibition organized by Walker Art Center and Plug In Inc.
2002
  • Inside Out Toronto Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
  • San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2001
  • Video Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
  • Video Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
  • Contemporary Art Forum, Kitchener City Hall, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
  • Blue Print: Moving Images for the 21st Century, Pleasure Dome, Toronto
  • San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
2000
  • Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
  • Muestra Internacional de Video Independent. Espacio Cultual el Tanque, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
  • 2000 MIX: 2000 New York Film/Video Festival
  • Hummadruz Global Sounds Film Festival, Los Angeles
  • Mostra de Video Independent. Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Spain
  • IMAGES: Toronto Independent Film & Video Festival
1999
  • Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan
  • The 11th New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
  • Media Art Biennale, Wroclaw, Poland
  • Architecture (curated by Laurie Brown). Hope 57 Gallery , Brooklyn & Knitting Factory, New York
  • Mostra de Video Independent. Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Spain
1998
  • The 3rd Hong Kong Queer Film & Video Festival
  • MIX: 1998 New York Film/Video Festival
  • LA Freewaves: A Celebration of Independent Video, Los Angeles
  • SCHULZ, Cologne, Germany
  • New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
  • The 22nd San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
  • The 1998 Video Room Video Festival. Video Room, New York
  • Desire & Memories: Re/Locating Asia. Cepa Gallery, Buffalo
  • Chinese Film Showcase. Asian Media Access, Minneapolis/St. Paul
  • The 1998 San Francisco Asian American Film Festival
  • The 12th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
1996
  • Microwave Festival. Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
  • MIX: 1996 New York Film/Video Festival
  • IMAGES: Toronto Independent Film & Video Festival
  • The 14th San Francisco Annual Asian American Film/Video Festival
1995
  • Vancouver Gay & Lesbian Film/Video Festival. Video In
Selected Bibliography
  • Robin Laurence, ìEastern Outpost,î The Georgia Straight, May 2-9, 2002
  • Thomas Hirschmann, ìContact High,î Now Magazine, May 2-8, 2002
  • Artistís Project, C Magazine, Spring 2001
  • Gary Michael Dault, ìA lesson waiting to be learned,î The Globe and Mail, January 20, 2001
  • Deirdre Hanna, ìVisual Arts,î Now Magazine, January 18-24, 2001
  • John Terauds, ìA remembrance of time present,î The Toronto Star, January 11, 2001
  • Joyce Mason, ìWhat was Cín,î C Magazine, Winter 2000-2001
  • Jenny Lion (ed.), Magnetic North: Canadian Experimental Video, University of Minnesota Press, 2000
  • Anya Wassenberg, ìHo Tamís exhibition us,î Lola Magazine, No. 5, Winter 1999-2000
  • Elizabeth Fearon, ìHo Tam, us,î Art Focus, Fall 1999
  • Deborah Bright, ìFractured Mirrors, Broken Windows: In the Marketplace of Private Life,î The Photography Resource Center at Boston University Catalogue, 1999
  • Cale McQuaid, ìBlack-holed visions, interrupted yoga, and anger,î The Boston Globe, October 7, 1999
  • Asahi Daily News (Yamagata, Japan), October 23, 1999
  • Wayne Baerwauldt, ìHo Tam: Untitled, Nonspecific,î Tea & Sympathy: Plug In Cahier, 1998-99
  • Erica Rand, "Speak Easy: Troubling Customs," New Art Examiner, June 1998
  • Alison Gilmor, "Sexy Po-Mo," Border Crossings, Spring 1997
  • Deirdre Hanna, "Photo-Based Works Dig Roots of Racism," Now Magazine, May 8-14, 1997
  • Larrissa Lai, "Ho Tam: The Yellow Pages," Gallery 44 Catalogue, 1997
  • Garth Buchholz, "Engaging, Colourful and All Sewn Up," Winnipeg Free Press, March 1, 1997
  • Robert Atkins (ed.), TalkBack! A Forum for Critical Discoure (online publication). Issue No. 2, 1996
  • Andy Fabo, "Provocative Pleasure: The Art of Ho Tam," Garnet Press Gallery Catalogue, 1996
  • Stephen Horne, "Reviews/Commentaries," Parachute, no. 82, 1996
  • Greg Beatty, "Toronto Artist Looks At Male Identity," The Leader Post, Regina, January 20, 1996
  • Bill Arning, "Stonewall 25: Imaginings of the Gay Past - Celebrating the Gay Present," White Columns Update 1995 (Catalogue)
  • Lucinda Catchlove, "Consuming Culture," Hour Magazine, MontrÈal, November 30, 1995
  • Larrissa Lai, "Ho Tam: The Yellow Pages," Light Year, Floating Gallery Catalogue, Winnipeg, 1995
  • Earl Miller, "The Contested Spaces," Fuse Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1995
Selected Curatorial/Community Projects
  • 2001/02 Board of Directors, Open Studio, Toronto
  • Chairperson for Gallery Committee, Open Studio, Toronto
  • 2000 Programmer, Verzaubert International Queer Film Festival, Germany
  • 1998 Curator, "GONE AWRY," MIX '98: New York Gay & Lesbian Experimental Film & Video Festival
  • 1996 Co-curator, Video Programme for '"Arts Communities/AIDS Communitites: Realizing The Archive Project" Institute of the Contemporary Art, Boston. (February 21, 1996)
  • 1995/96 Board of Directors, Mercer Union, Toronto
  • 1994/95 Exhibition Coordinator, Art Starts Neighbourhood Cultural Centre, Toronto
  • 1994 Programming Committee, A Space Gallery, Toronto
Grants & Awards
2002
  • Scholarship, Bard College
2001
  • Visual Arts Grants, Ontario Arts Council
  • Scholarship, Bard College
1999
  • Video Production Grants, Canada Council for the Arts
1998
  • Fellowship, MacDowell Colony
1997
  • Visual Arts Grants, Arts Council for the Arts
1996
  • Visual Arts Grants, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council & Toronto Arts Council.
  • Fellowship, Whitney Museum Independent Study Program
1995
  • Visual Arts Grants, Ontario Arts Council. Fellowship, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture
1994
  • Visual Arts Grants, Toronto Arts Council.
  • Exhibition Assistance Grants, Ontario Arts Council.
  • Financial Award, Banff Centre for the Arts
1993
  • Diversi Film & Video Fund
Education & Residencies
  • Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. MFA Program (Film & Video), 2001-2002
  • Charles Street Video, Toronto. Video Residency, 1999
  • Henry Street Settlement, New York. Artist-In-Residency Program, 1998-99
  • The MacDowell Colony, New Hamphsire. Art Residency, 1997
  • Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Independent Study Program, 1996/97
  • Open Studio Printmaker's Co-op, Toronto. Visiting Artists Program, 1996
  • Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Maine. Summer Studio Residency, 1995
  • The Banff Centre For the Arts, Alberta. Art Studio, 1994
  • McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. Bachelor of Arts, 1985