Karen Tam

Gold Mountain Restaurant (2002-2017)

Installations recreating typical Chinese-Canadian cafés and restaurants between the 1930s-1980s. Mix of fabricated, found, and borrowed items from local community and businesses, and "Food Series" (2001-2004) and "Restaurant Interviews" (2003-2008) videos.

Toronto, Canada	Walsall, UK	Saskatoon, Canada	Vancouver, Canada	Lethbridge, Canada
Windsor, Canada	London, Canada	Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada	Toronto, Canada	Brandon, Canada
Kelowna, Canada	Montréal, Canada	Halifax, Canada

Gold Mountain Restaurant Montagne d'Or (2017 version) As installed at Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, The Art Museum, University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada) 14.12 x 5.89 x 3.15 m / 46.33 x 19.33 x 10.33 ft Installation recreating the dining area and kitchen of a typical Chinese-Canadian restaurant circa 1980s. Vintage menus, match-covers, postcards, tables, chairs, plants, placemats, videos, lanterns, photos, bar counter, shelving units, crockery, knick-knacks, various items, fabricated and borrowed from local community.

Miss Chinatown Walsall (2009) As installed at The New Art Gallery Walsall (Walsall, UK) 8.83 x 6 x 4.57 m / 29 x 19.7 x 15 ft Recreating the dining area and kitchen of a typical Chinese-Canadian restaurant circa 1960s. Vintage menus, match-covers, postcards, tables, chairs, plants, placemats, videos, lanterns, photos, bar counter, fridges, shelving units, crockery, knick-knacks, various items, fabricated and borrowed from local community and businesses.

On Rock Garden (2008) As installed at AKA Gallery (Saskatoon, SK) 13.71 x 6.09 x 3.65 m / 45 x 20 x 12 ft Recreating the dining area and kitchen of a typical chop suey house in a former Chinese restaurant. Vintage signs, tables, chairs, plants, chimes, wait staff jackets, menus, placemats, videos, lanterns, photos, bar counter, stools, fish tank with koi fish, cigarette shelf, fridges, stove, swinging door, wooden shelving units, various items, fabricated and borrowed from local community and businesses.

China Doll (2007) As installed at Centre A (Vancouver, BC) 16.45 x 14.63 x 7.62 m / 54 x 48 x 25 ft Window décor, plants, hardwood flooring, menus, placemats, counter, cash register, fishtank, tables, chairs, curtains, counters, TVs, cigarette shelf, Sprite sign, lanterns, photos, videos & various items sourced from local businesses & individuals to recreate the interior dining areas of a 1950s-60s Chinese restaurant. Karaoke singing and dancing occured during the opening. During the exhibition, it was used as a film set.

Orientally Yours (2007) As installed at Southern Alberta Art Gallery (Lethbridge, AB) 15.8 x 8.2 x 3.65 m / 51.8 x 26.9 x 12 ft Hardwood flooring, stage, menus, placemats, fridge, deep fryers, stove, mah-jong tables, curtains, podium, bar counter, plants, tables, chairs, cigarette shelf, fishtank, Coke machine, high chair, lanterns, photos, video, various items, fabricated and borrowed from local community & businesses to recreate the dining and kitchen of a chop suey parlour. Pie, ice cream, tea, and pop were served. Join us for Gold Mountain Fridays!

House of Wong: A Division of Gold Mountain Restaurant (2006) As installed at Artcite Inc. (Windsor, ON) 8.2 x 11.5 x 3 m / 26.9 x 37.7 x 9.8 ft Podium, bar counter, display case, plants, nook, tables, chairs, stools, cigarette shelf, clock, embroidered pictures, fishtank, window painting, beaded curtain, coat rack, high chairs, dart board, lanterns, photos, video, various materials, fabricated and borrowed from theatre companies, local community & businesses to recreate an old-style chop suey restaurant. Various pies, tea and coffee were served.

Old Silver Moon Restaurant (2006)
As installed at Forest City Gallery (London, ON)

20 x 9.6 x 3.6 m / 65.6 x 31.5 x 11.8 ft
Display case, tables, chairs, plants, lanterns, photos, video, light ropes, candy, combs, clay figurines, clay houses, clay boats, cigarette shelf, cigarette packs, clock, podium, stool, embroidered pictures, folding fan, coat racks, nanchuks, cutlery, various materials and items found in Chinese restaurants.

Jardin Chow Chow Garden: A Division of Gold Mountain Restaurant (2006) As installed at Expression's ORANGE event "Como Como" (Saint-Hyacinthe, QC) 15 x 8.5 x 4.3 m / 49.2 x 27.9 x 14 ft Swords, embroidered images of cranes & eagles, signage, window décor, vases, menus, phone, bronze lanterns, display case, plants, booths, tables, chairs, coffee machine, photos, paintings, cutlery, dishware, clay figurines, clay bridges, clay boats, fish tank, Tiki men, mah-jong table, cash register, gumball machine, wooden divider, video, various décor, materials, fabricated, collected, and rented from prop warehouses, local community & businesses to recreate a chop suey house of the 1960s. Shrimp chips, soya drinks, coffee & 7-Up were served on during "West eats East," a day of games, movies & coffee.

Shangri-la Café: A Division of Gold Mountain Restaurant (2006) As installed at YYZ Artists' Outlet (Toronto, ON) 10 x 7.5x 3.6 m / 32.9 x 24.6 x 11.8 ft Jukebox, counter, display case, plants, booths, tables, chairs, plants, lanterns, photos, paintings, video, various materials, fabricated, collected, and rented from prop warehouses, local community & businesses to recreate a chop suey house of the 1950s. One night screening of Cheuk Kwan's Brasil episode from his documentary series, "Chinese Restaurants"

No MSG At Friendship Dinner (Nor Cats) (2006)
As installed at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (Brandon, MB)

20.5 x 19.7 x 3.6 m / 67.25 x 19.7 x 11.8 ft
A five-week residency culminated in a recreation of an old-style family Chinese restaurant circa-1950s to 1970s based on meetings with retired Chinese restaurateurs and using found, fabricated, borrowed furniture, props, equipment, photographs, videos, lanterns, décor, plants from local Brandon businesses and individuals. This installation includes the dining area, a game room, a kitchen, living quarters, and a storage area. The Game Room contains a pinball machine and karaoke. Events such as: Chinese Movie Night, Chinese Games &s; Karaoke Night, Teachers’ Professional Training workshop were held. Activities and tours were given to school and community groups, and people were encouraged to bring their lunches and snacks.

Big Wok (Big Trouble Café) (2005) As installed at Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art (Kelowna, BC) 10.77 x 12.86 x 3.05 m / 35.33 x 32.16 x 10 ft Recreating an old-style family restaurant circa-1950s to 1960s using found, fabricated, borrowed furniture, props, photographs, videos, lanterns, videos, plants. The 7-feet tall booths recalls Kelowna's City Park Café during the 1940s. In the back is the Karaoke Room, also known as the "Jasmine Room," decorated with landscape paintings, paper-cutouts, girlie posters, moose antlers, and karaoke videos. Events such as "Artist Trading Cards" sessions, "Pirated Chinese Movie Nights" were held throughout the run of the exhibition.

Gold Mountain Restaurant Montagne d'Or (2004)
As installed at MAI (Montréal arts interculturels) (Montréal, QC)

11.88 x 19.81 x 4.27 m / 3.9 x 65 x 14 ft
Various materials, fabricated, collected, and rented from local restaurants and restaurateurs to recreate the waiting, dining, and kitchen areas of a Chinese restaurant. Red silk lanterns, wooden dragon-headed bronze lanterns, bonsai, tables, chairs, bar counter, fish tank, glass fish, cash register, vases, live and fake plants and trees, curtains, menus, paper cut-outs, folding screen, Chinese paintings, paper-cutouts, signs, high chair, TV, rope light, Christmas lights, Chinese music, calendars, podium, moon-shaped doorway, menus, restaurant equipment, beaded curtains, posters, rat trap, refrigerators, deep-fryer, stove/oven, sink, dishes, plates, cutlery, tablecloths, photographs, cardboard boxes, rice bags, MSG bags, swinging doors, vacuum, aprons, waiter’s jacket, other restaurant paraphernalia. A series of videos on the preparation of hybrid North American Chinese dishes, and interviews with Montréal restaurateurs on their experiences in the business.

No MSG At Friendship Dinner (2003)
As installed at Khyber Centre for the Arts (Halifax, NS)

7.62 x 10.36 x 4.27 m / 25 x 34 x 14 ft
Videos and various materials, fabricated, collected, and rented from local Halifax restaurants and theatre companies to recreate the interior of a Chinese restaurant. Calligraphy workshops.

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