Curating “Chinese Canadianness”: Relational Technologies of Meaning-Making in Museums

Abstract

Community-centred curating, which is concerned with the interconnectedness between people, museum objects, and social contexts, activates the museum as a participatory space. When examined through the lens of relational curating, a concept borrowed from art curating, it sheds light on how we can better take on community engagement and representation work in civic museums as it relates to identity making for racialized communities. This article analyzes exhibition team members’ meaning-making experiences through their encounters with museum objects based on a dissertation research project conducted by the author. The case study examines a single multi-sited temporary exhibition A Seat at the Table: Chinese Immigration and British Columbia, which was presented at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) and the Chinese Canadian Museum of British Columbia (CCM) from 2020 to 2023. The exhibition, one of the largest on Chinese Canadian history to date, presented the stories of Chinese Canadians over the past century through the lens of food, racism, and activism. Perspectives on object experiences and Chinese Canadian representation were central to the interpretation of data. A greater understanding of the relationalities within curatorial practice can help museums develop more culturally informed and socially just forms of engagement and representation that will resonate with and attract racialized audiences.