Asep Topan adalah kurator seni, dosen, dan kandidat doktor Sejarah Seni di Universitas Sydney, Australia. Praktiknya mencakup kerja kuratorial, pengajaran, dan penelitian, dengan fokus pada seni Indonesia dan Asia Tenggara. Ia merupakan peserta de Appel Curatorial Programme di Amsterdam (2015–2016) dan telah mengajar sejarah seni Indonesia, praktik pembuatan pameran, serta aktivisme seni selama lebih dari satu dekade di Fakultas Seni Rupa, Institut Kesenian Jakarta.

Pengalaman kuratorialnya mencakup keterlibatan dalam Jakarta Biennale 2015, yang kemudian dilanjutkan dengan perannya sebagai Wakil Direktur Jakarta Biennale pada periode 2016–2018. Ia juga pernah menjabat sebagai Kepala Departemen Kuratorial dan Koleksi di Museum MACAN pada periode 2018–2021. Selain itu, ia terlibat dalam Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest), termasuk pada edisi Revival (2022) dan Generation (2023) sebagai salah satu kuratornya. Saat ini, ia juga tergabung dalam Postgraduate Representative for the Australasian Network for Asian Art (AN4AA), sebuah jaringan yang mendukung pertukaran pengetahuan dan memperkuat komunitas penelitian seni Asia di Australia dan Aotearoa Selandia Baru.

Baginya, praktik kuratorial menempatkan publik sebagai pusat praktik artistik. Kurasi melampaui sekadar penyajian karya seni, dan beroperasi melalui proses pertimbangan, antisipasi, serta adaptasi yang menyeimbangkan refleksi kritis dengan pelaksanaan praktis. Pendekatannya berlandaskan pada perspektif sejarah seni, teori, dan perkembangan seni kontemporer. Pengalaman profesionalnya menegaskan pentingnya membangun hubungan yang dilandasi kepercayaan antara seniman, audiens, dan institusi, sekaligus tetap peka dan responsif terhadap berbagai kemungkinan serta perubahan kondisi dalam praktik seni kontemporer.

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Asep Topan is an art curator, lecturer, and PhD candidate in Art History at The University of Sydney. His work spans curatorial practice, teaching, and research, with a particular focus on Indonesian and Southeast Asian art. He was a participant in the de Appel Curatorial Programme (2015–2016) and has taught Indonesian art history, exhibition-making, and art activism for more than a decade at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

His curatorial experience includes work with the Jakarta Biennale, where he later served as Deputy Director (2016–2018), as well as his role as Head of Curatorial and Collections at Museum MACAN (2018–2021). He has also contributed to the Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest), including the Revival (2022) and Generation (2023) editions. In addition, he serves as a Postgraduate Representative for the Australasian Network for Asian Art, supporting scholarly exchange and community-building within the field of Asian art in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

For him, curating places the public at the centre of artistic practice. It extends beyond the presentation of artworks, operating through processes of deliberation, anticipation, and adaptation that balance critical reflection with practical execution. His approach is grounded in art-historical, theoretical, and contemporary perspectives, and emphasises the cultivation of trust among artists, audiences, and institutions. His professional experience underscores the importance of remaining attentive and responsive to the contingencies and evolving conditions of contemporary artistic practice.