Sea of Clouds (2024)
As installed at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts (Calgary, Canada)
6.14 x 23.54 x 17.52 m / 20.16 x 77.25 x 57.5 feet
Material: Installation with wood structures (gate, pleasure boat, pavilion, bridge), mural, curtains, video, felt rhododendrons, papier-mâché sculptures, piñata horses and camels, cyanotypes, wallpaper, chairs, bench, embroidered satin banners, aluminium sculptures, cutout plywood panels, ABS plastic sculptures, soap sculptures, bamboo, ornamental MDF panels, fans, Chinatown souvenirs, scroll paintings, hand-tufted wool rug, sequined sculpture, dragon prop, wood pagodas borrowed from the Musée de la civilisation (Québec), architectural blueprints by Bing Tom borrowed from the University of Calgary, 1936 Vancouver Golden Jubilee trophy borrowed from the Museum of Vancouver
This exhibition explores how China was represented at World’s Fairs and Expositions—from its unofficial participation in London (1851) to Shanghai (2010)—and their connections to the Chinese diaspora in North America. Early representations were shaped by the Chinese Customs Service under British direction, reinforcing exclusionary policies and imperial narratives. Later, as in the 1893 Chicago Fair (which China boycotted due to the Chinese Exclusion Act), Chinese Americans funded and operated their own pavilions to foster cultural understanding.
Through this immersive installation, which includes sculptures, cyanotypes, textiles, sound, architectural models, archival objects and photographic reproductions, I investigate the politics of display and the construction of national/cultural identity through the architecture, objects, and material culture exhibited at these Fairs. How did these experiences shape perceptions, and what impact did they have on the cultural exchanges between communities? How do we address these colonial legacies in such cultural perceptions as we move forward as a society?
Photo credits: Katy Whitt
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