Event

17 Jul 2025

6 - 9PM

Contemporary Calgary,
Morris & Ann Dancyger Observatory Gallery,
701 11 St SW,
Calgary, AB

Kenneth Tam - Silent Spikes Opening

Two men dressed as cowboys are illuminated by dramatic blue and purple lighting. One, in a white hat and red bandana, sits atop a furry saddle, while the other stands behind him, partially obscured. Black text reads: “Kenneth Tam Silent Spikes, Exhibition Opening July 17.
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Visit Contemporary Calgary on Thursday, July 17, from 6–9 PM for the opening of Silent Spikes, a solo exhibition by Kenneth Tam that reflects on the entangled histories of Westward expansion and Chinese immigration.

Exhibition Opening 
Kenneth Tam: Silent Spikes

You're Invited! 
Please join us on Thursday, July 17th, from 6-9 PM for the opening of Kenneth Tam: Silent Spikes at Contemporary Calgary.

Through a two-channel video installation and photographs, Tam explores how masculinity is constructed, codified, and mythologized, particularly through iconic figures like the cowboy. Rooted in the legacy of Chinese railroad workers, Silent Spikes evokes these histories through interpretive narration and filmed sequences, centring collaboration, vulnerability, and emotional complexity.

  • Doors
    6:00 PM
  • Remarks
    6:45 PM | Atrium
  • Artist Talk with Kenneth Tam
    7-8 PM | Heather Edwards Theatre
  • Galleries Close
    9:00 PM

FREE to the public. No registration is required.

This special evening is not only a celebration of the opening of Silent Spikes, a solo exhibition by Kenneth Tam, but also a moment to recognize the incredible contributions of our AUArts WIL student, Tea. Over the past few months, Tea has brought creativity, insight, and dedication to the Contemporary Calgary team and is thrilled to showcase the results of her hard work.
 
We’d be delighted to welcome you to the event and to celebrate this wonderful collaboration between Contemporary Calgary and AUArts.
 
If your organization is interested in hosting a WIL student for the September cohort, we encourage you to connect with AUArts to learn more about this impactful program.
Two men dressed as cowboys are illuminated by dramatic blue and purple lighting. One, in a white hat and red bandana, sits atop a furry saddle, while the other stands behind him, partially obscured. Black text reads: “Kenneth Tam Silent Spikes, Exhibition Opening July 17.

Related exhibition

A young man in a cowboy hat, pink shirt, and neckerchief stands with his eyes closed, arm raised in a gesture of expression, against a blue-lit backdrop. White bold text reads: “Kenneth Tam Silent Spikes, July 17—November 16, 2025.

17 Jul 2025 - 16 Nov 2025

Kenneth Tam - Silent Spikes

Silent Spikes uses movement, theatrical staging and historical narrative to question existing ideas about the performance of masculinity, and the way those normative performances become mythologized in figures like the cowboy.