Artist Statement
In recent years, “Chinatowns” the world over have rapidly faded due to urban gentrification, demographic, social and political changes. Considering these transitory moments of intersection, ComposingYou_ Chinatown aspires to commemorate those who helped build the unique communities that have served generations of Chinese diaspora, and to acknowledge those whose personal memories and experiences have been impacted and enriched by these culturally rich heritage spaces. This manifestation intends to draw wide public awareness to the situation, examining the impact and effect ultilizing new media.
In capturing the life and times of Chinatown, rather than re-constructing/re-producing/re-presenting the cultural heritage in linear fashion, ComposingYou_Chinatown adopts an experiential approach, utilizing public projection, 2D/3D motion graphics and a multi-layered sound mix. The work expresses sociocultural narration, encompassing past, present and the future. The strategy to use large-scale projection through experiential engagement can impact perception, adding new meaning to human interpretation of the physical environment; as such, it draws attention to the world heritage Chinatown sites serving as a platform to provoke critical thinking about their future through a creative lens. judyjheung.wordpress.com/about/688-2/
- Judy Jheung is a Vancouver, Canada-based interdisciplinary artist. Her participatory, interactive media installations explore global issues in the context of community engagement within urban settings. She holds a BFA from University of Calgary and an MFA from Pratt Institute, New York. Between 2012 and 2014, she conducted PhD research studies on interactive “art games” at Simon Fraser University, SIAT. A recipient of numerous awards for her innovative projects, her work has appeared at the 9th Havana Biennial; Surrey Art Gallery, TechLab; Greater Victoria Art Gallery, Offsite, ParaSite Art Space, Hong Kong; Inter/Access, Toronto, Gothenburg Art Museum and recently at Batana Centre of Visual Arts in Croatia. judyjheung.wordpress.com
Supported by the British Columbia Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts