Heidi Tan

Dr. Heidi Tan is a Lecturer in Curating and Museology at the Department of History of Art and Archaeology, School of Arts, SOAS University of London. With extensive experience in museum curation, particularly focusing on Southeast Asian art and Buddhist heritage, she contributes significantly to academic and professional discourse in museology. Her work bridges academic research with practical curatorial experience gained from nearly two decades at Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum.

Dr. Tan's educational background includes:

• BA from Bath
• MA from SOAS
• MBA from Durham
• PhD from SOAS (2020)

Dr. Tan's research spans museums and museology, curating and collecting practices, and the exhibition of Buddhist art in Southeast Asia. Her work particularly focuses on Buddhist pagoda museums in Myanmar, where she examines local curating practices, ritual traditions, and the process of museumization within sacred spaces. She actively collaborates with community and professional curators across the region, bringing practical insights into her academic work. Her research addresses critical questions about cultural heritage preservation, religious practices, and the evolving role of museums in Southeast Asian societies experiencing significant social change.

Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Southeast Asian art history, Buddhist heritage, and innovative museum practices. Over the past two decades, her work has evolved from documenting specific collections and exhibitions to more theoretical explorations of curatorial practices within religious contexts, particularly in Myanmar. Recent publications show increasing attention to the intersection of sacred space and museum practice, with significant contributions to understanding pagoda museums as unique cultural institutions that blend religious practice with heritage preservation.

Dr. Tan currently supervises PhD student Pim Fitzpayne who is researching 'Constructing 'authentic Khmer art': the fake and the Khmer art market (19th century - present).' Her teaching includes courses such as 'Curating Cultures,' 'Collecting and Curating Buddhist Art in the Museum,' and 'Curating Global Arts,' reflecting her expertise in both theoretical and practical aspects of museology. She is involved in significant research projects including a survey of Burmese collections focusing on religious objects from the colonial period and the 'Meritorious Curating. Pagoda Museums in Myanmar' project with the SOAS Digital Archive.