By: Kelly Chia, Staff Writer
When the art world so often feels unapproachable, Henry Heng Lu and Hau Yu Wong envisioned an exhibit where visitors can feel like they’re at home. By making the space more intimate, Lu and Wong hope to “challenge the oftentimes inaccessible, highly curatorial nature of a contemporary art gallery.”
Located in Centre A in Sun Wah Centre, The Living Room is displayed alongside Revisiting the Asianadian. This is where issues of The Asianadian magazine are available for patrons to read. They are also available in Centre A’s library. Both exhibitions are free to attend.
My friend and I decided to check out the Asianadian exhibit first. From 1979–1985, this Toronto magazine featured Asian Canadian — primarily East and Southeast — cultural perspectives. It offered a “counterpoint to the predominantly stereotypical representations of them in the mainstream media.” For example, Dawn Kiyoye Ono wrote about the horrifying experience of hearing older white men discuss, with academic rhetoric, the subservience of Asian women. Her experiences, which consider how media stereotypes affect public perceptions of Asian women, resonated deeply.
Another intriguing article was written by Dr. Bach-Tuyet Dang, where he talked about being a Vietnamese doctor. Dang wrote, “If they tell me about a ghost in their bowels, I accept this belief.” These were some of the cultural beliefs of his patients, which Dang wrote about respectfully. This was the first time I saw a doctor discussing these beliefs on health in Western media without judgement and, instead, with empathy.
Asianadian felt like it provided a palpable voice to the Asian Canadian community, allowing authors a space to voice their thoughts without reservation.
Next, we headed to The Living Room. Films are set up for showings on a television in a dimly lit, but comfortable space consisting of two couches and cushions on a floor mat nudged in front of the television. The floral pattern on one of the couches and mooncake container in the room made me smile because these had been in my family’s homes.
Lu and Wong designed the space so visitors would want to sit down. The films selected for the exhibit’s first program were chosen to represent “reconnection, lineage, and exile.” These themes were shown using a variety of styles, from a silent film on East Asian immigration history (The Yellow Pages by Ho Tam) to a short about a gay Lebanese couple (Mondial 2010 by Roy Dib).
Settling into soft couch cushions, my friend and I talked through Nang by Nang by Richard Fung. This was a film centring Nang, Fung’s first cousin. We were intrigued by her courage and resilience. We watched as she discussed her life experiences, like leaving the first of five husbands when he cheated and going to university in her 40s.
Because the rest of the gallery was empty, my friend and I talked easily about our busy lives. It felt appropriate for the makeshift living room and the opportunity the organisers saw for connection “after almost two years of isolation.” I had never considered a gallery a communal space before, but this is what The Living Room aims to change. Alongside snapshots of countercultural Asian Canadian media with Asianadian, it felt like the space was made with the love of community and connection in mind.
Both exhibitions run until May 2022. Lu and Wong hope to feature movie nights, COVID-safe food events, and reading groups at Centre A. They also invite filmmakers and artists to submit their films to be considered for screenings. Collectives and other community members are also encouraged to submit their works to be considered for display. Interested parties can email [email protected] to discuss submission details.
