A note before I start: please consider sharing your personal experiences on culture here! If you have thoughts on the intersection between culture, politics, and identity, I'd love to hear from you :) 

The second week of my LiA was a chaotic sprint between Hart House and the printing house near me, but also an exercise in patience and planning. After coordinating with the Hart House Art Committee regarding the set-up date and exhibition statement for a few days, I had to pick up my prints. On Thursday morning, I woke up early to head to the printing shop; however, after loitering for a few minutes, I realised my prints weren’t ready. I therefore went back home, waited for a pick-up email, and ventured back out—feeling a mix of frustration and jittery impatience. 

I arrived at Hart House to meet Sophie from the Hart House Art Committee later that day, prints in hand. After retrieving supplies from the 3rd floor storage room and coming across a packet of juice boxes, we headed to the Reading Room on the 1st floor. There, I laid out my prints: seeing them in their entirety for the first time, fully physically, made me a little nervous for others’ reactions. I decided on which frames—either black or silver—I wanted per piece, and worked with Sophie to frame and attach hooks to the backs of each. We ended up taking about 2 hours and a bit to fully set up the exhibit, which was moved to the second floor.

As we were putting up the photos on the second floor, a graduate school event was also going on at the same time. I could see students glancing at my work—some seemed interested, while others likely saw it as more of a blockage of the hallway (fair enough!). I think this project has forced me to witness others’ reactions to my creative work—not something I’m used to seeing in real time. I’m often scared of the judgment I might encounter from a stranger who doesn’t understand the purpose of my project, or how to interpret it, or who simply might not care enough about art to give it a second glance. At the print house, the receptionist told me she thought the photos were beautiful—but the strangers who walked into the Reading Room, curious to see what we were working on, may have thought otherwise.  As my exhibit remains at Hart House for the next month, I hope to pay closer attention to how audiences may be reacting to my pieces. 

Throughout this setup process, I learned how crucial communication and good teamwork is. Sophie knew the ins and outs of exhibiting at Hart House, and therefore shared her experience so I could help as the artist. Taking a step back from the direct leadership role, listening to instructions, and following precedence for how things are usually done helped build trust within our two-person team.

PS: The exhibit is currently being featured on the Hart House website too! https://harthouse.ca/talking-walls/hong-kong-beyond-then-and-now