Staff
Ammar Mahimwalla
Director of Public Projects
Since 2013 Ammar has been working as the Director of Public Projects at the Vancouver Biennale. Prior to this he worked as a program consultant for the BMW Guggenheim Lab in Mumbai from 2011-2013, as part of an international interdisciplinary team. He was also the Education Officer at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai, where he developed visitor outreach programming. Ammar studied Anthropology & History at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Zarina Laalo
Curator of Ancillary Project | Coordinator of International Residencies
Zarina Laalo is the Vancouver Biennale’s Curator of Ancillary Projects and Coordinator of International Residencies, responsible for the organization’s public programming and community outreach. Zarina received her Masters of Arts in Art History from the University of Toronto, and has had worked for various federal and academic institutions in addition to contemporary commercial galleries, including Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, the University of Toronto, and the Portrait Gallery of Canada.
Rachel Anne Farquharson
Director of BIG IDEAS Education | Transnational Student Biennale
Rachel Anne Farquharson is an essayist, curator, teacher, and former professional ballerina. Having moved from Toronto with a brief stop in Vancouver where she studied architecture at the University of British Columbia, she now resides in Squamish, BC. Appointed Director of BIG IDEAS for the Vancouver Biennale in the fall of 2017, her pursuits include enhancing the K-12 Education program through inclusive and inter-disciplinary learning as well as piloting a transnational student biennale, to be launched in the fall of 2018.
In addition to her architectural studies and teaching practice in universities and K-12 schools, Farquharson also holds a Masters of Modern and Contemporary Art from Christie’s Education/University of Glasgow in London, U.K. and an Honours B.A./B.Sc. from the University of Toronto. Her research focus has been on the phenomenological perception of art and its psychological architecture.
Joella Cabalu
Director of CineFest LIVE
Joella Cabalu is an award-winning documentary director and an advocate for independent filmmakers. As the Director of CineFest LIVE, she brings her experience in the film and arts industry (CBC Arts, Vancouver Mural Festival), non-profit administration (Rick Hansen Institute), and professional development programming through her Board position at the Documentary Organization of Canada BC Chapter. She holds an Art History degree from the University of British Columbia and is a graduate of the Documentary Film Production Program at Langara College.
Niki Dun
Digital Communications and Social Media Coordinator
Building community and improving quality of life through collaboration exemplifies Niki Dun’s work. Recipient of a BC Creative Achievement Award, Niki’s work in social design began at Emily Carr University of Art and Design with a bicycle ambulance designed for developing communities. In recent years, Niki has developed an interest in facilitating the sharing of creative and innovative ideas at local and global levels – with the goal of fostering deeper understanding of the world, of changing attitudes, of sparking collaboration. Co-founder of TEDxEastVan and active in the TED community, her new role at Vancouver Biennale allows her to do just that.
Linda Purcell
Fundraising and Grant Manager
Linda Purcell is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing (CPA, CGA, BA) . She has a wealth of experience that includes writing in numerous genres, working as an owner/manager at Top Producer Systems, creating a book review blog, and finalizing her book publication.