Chinese Canadian Museum of B.C. opens first exhibit in Vancouver’s Chinatown
VANCOUVER — A giant, intricate dragon mask and a hand-painted wok greet visitors to the first-ever exhibition of the Chinese Canadian Museum of British Columbia in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
The exhibition, called A Seat at the Table, explores historical and contemporary experiences of Chinese Canadians, particularly through the lens of food and restaurants.
“A close look at the food industry reveals the impact of racial discrimination on Chinese Canadians, but it also tells us much about their ability to resist, organize, seek justice and thrive,” reads the museum’s description of the exhibition that opens Saturday.
In one installation, the story of a campaign to save barbecue meat stores in Chinatown in the mid-1970s is told through delicate, miniature paper cut-outs of the storefronts and their supporters, as a spotlight casts their shadows high up on the wall.