Faculty of ArtA Seat at the Table will be opening at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) on Thursday, November 19th. We are excited to share a sneak peek of the new multimedia exhibits that are unique to the MOV location. These installations were created in partnership with the University of British Columbia, the MOV, Hammer & Tong, and the Centre for Digital Media (CDM).
The multimedia installations showcase Chinese Canadian history using digital media tools such as augmented reality, 360 video, and interactive maps.
Interactive Maps
Our Roots
Our Roots and the Migration Maps are projected animations that show the movement of Chinese migrants across the Pacific and around the world. The Migration Maps are high level representations of overseas migration from China to British Columbia, and around the world. This installation displays statistics and general migration trends, as well as reasons for migration during different time periods.
Our Roots is a map anchored in British Columbia, following the journeys of four Chinese Canadian individuals — C.D. Hoy, Dr. Victoria Chung, Bill Hong, and Emily Tsang — ranging from the 1890s to present day. The chosen stories emphasize the dynamic nature of migration and illustrate the movement of people within BC, Canada, and to different destinations around the world.
The “Have you Eaten Yet?” Dialects Map is an interactive map that visitors can access on a tablet. The application maps out different regional Chinese dialects and highlights the common Chinese greeting: “Have you eaten yet?” in each dialect. Additionally, the regions are accompanied by a local specialty dish. These dialects and dishes were crowd-sourced by UBC and CDM students.
Character Evolution
Character Evolution
Character Evolution is a tablet application that showcases five Chinese characters related to food and their pictographic evolution. Each character has a corresponding animation that shows its transformation over time from oracle bone origins to the contemporary Chinese writing system.
Augmented Reality
AR Book
The AR book is a tablet experience that tells the story of Chinese Canadian veteran, Wee Tan Louie. During the First World War, Louie attempted to join the Canadian army but was turned down in British Columbia due to his ethnicity. Unrelenting, Louie rode his horse to Calgary, Alberta to enlist there. Eventually, he returned to Canada as a decorated soldier and settled in Vancouver, BC.
Artifact 360
Artifact 360 is another application accessed via tablet. The installation features a 360-degree scan of artifacts from the Museum of Vancouver’s Chinese Canadian collection. Visitors can interact with these digitized materials by zooming in-and-out and looking at it from different angles. The application also displays background information on the artifacts including the materials they were made from, time period, and where they were used.
Additional Information
These installations will be available for public viewing starting on November 19th as part of A Seat at the Table, Museum of Vancouver location. To find out more about the exhibit and how to visit, follow the link here.
Written by Rose Wu