One of Topical Cream’s marquee initiatives to support new modalities for art criticism, the Editor-in-Residence program was developed in 2021 in response to the urgent need for institutional support for criticism and experimental journalism. The organization’s commitment to this cause has never been stronger. Nominations for the residency were solicited from Topical Cream’s Board of Directors and advisors. 

Lumi Tan is the fifth high-profile Editor-in-Residence at Topical Cream, succeeding 52 Walker Director Ebony L. Haynes (2024); MoMA PS1 Director of Curatorial Affairs Ruba Katrib (2023); and Swiss Institute’s Laura McLean-Ferris (2022). 

“Topical Cream is not only a platform, but a resilient network of writers, artists, curators—and others who eschew labels—who support each other to offer uncompromising and nuanced perspectives on contemporary art. Its mission aligns completely with my curatorial practice, working closely with women-identified and non-binary artists to do away with genres, boundaries, and expectations set up by the dominant art world,” said Lumi Tan, Topical Cream’s 2025 Editor-in-Residence. “In a moment when hot takes and click bait, reductive formalism, and nostalgia for a more opaque and less equitable art industry take up too much attention in the field of art criticism, I am thrilled to invite in contributors who can provide much needed counterpoints.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Lumi Tan as Topical Cream’s 2025 Editor-in-Residence,” said Lyndsy Welgos, Topical Cream Executive Director. “Now more than ever, we remain committed to supporting expansive fields of thought in contemporary art—as our bodies and ways of life are under threat, I know Lumi will work tirelessly to meet this moment by foregrounding our shared values and publishing critical works of experimental journalism to light the dark path ahead.”

ABOUT LUMI TAN  

Lumi Tan is a curator and writer based in New York City. She is the curator for the Focus section of Frieze New York, and the curator for the 2026 Converge45 city-wide exhibition in Portland, Oregon. She recently served as the Curatorial Director of Luna Luna, a revival of the world’s first art amusement park created by André Heller in 1987 and exhibited in Los Angeles in 2024. Previously, she was Senior Curator at The Kitchen, New York, where over a twelve-year tenure, she organized exhibitions and produced performances with artists including Kevin Beasley, Meriem Bennani, Gretchen Bender, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Autumn Knight, Moor Mother, Sondra Perry, The Racial Imaginary Institute, Tina Satter, Kenneth Tam, Danh Vo, and Anicka Yi. Tan has also held positions at the Fonds Régional d’Art Contemporain Nord Pas-de-Calais, France; Zach Feuer Gallery, New York; and MoMA/P.S.1, New York. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Artforum, Frieze, Mousse, Cura, Art in America, and numerous exhibition catalogues and artist monographs. She was the recipient of 2020 VIA Art Fund Curatorial Fellowship, and has been visiting faculty at the School of Visual Arts, Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, and Yale School of Art. 

ABOUT TOPICAL CREAM 

Founded in New York in 2013, Topical Cream is a pioneering arts organization dedicated to providing equitable media representation for women and non-binary contemporary artists. Originally launched as an online magazine challenging art media’s portrayal of female-identifying artists, it has since grown into an internationally recognized organization offering art criticism, a residency program, youth initiatives, public programming, and mentorship.

Collaboration is at the core of Topical Cream’s mission. Over the years, the organization has partnered with leading institutions such as Swiss Institute, Artists Space, MoMA PS1, Eyebeam, and Sotheby’s to present high-impact public events and performances.