Markham opens photography exhibition to mark 100th anniversary of Chinese Exclusion Act

Yorkreigon.com
May 17, 2023

A photography and storytelling exhibition, titled “Longing Belonging, 100 Years 100 Stories”, has been launched at the Varley Art Gallery of Markham, curated by the non-profit ad hoc group, Long Time No See (LTNS) artists and educators.

The exhibition opens on May 13 through to Sept. 4, 2023, which marks the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned virtually all immigration from China to Canada for a generation, causing tremendous hardship.

This year also marks the centenary of the signing of The Williams Treaties, legislation signed by the Government of Canada and seven First Nations, resulting in the surrender of the final portion of southern Ontario territory to the Canadian government, including the land that the Varley Art Gallery sits on today.

LTNS members engaged with local Markham communities, interviewing and photographing people in spaces that evoke sentiments of belonging, gathering numerous images and stories to present in the gallery.

With this exhibition, LTNS asks us to reflect on the questions: What is our place on this land? What is remembered? What is forgotten? What is our role in reconciliation? How do we all belong?

“I am delighted that this important exhibition is being held at the Varley Art Gallery,” Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said. “It is vital that we do not forget the darker events in our nation’s history to ensure that they do not happen again. This important exhibition demonstrates this commitment.”

“LTNS originally came together during the COVID-19 pandemic and began their work in Toronto’s downtown Chinatown located around the Spadina -- Dundas neighbourhood,” said Niamh O’Laoghaire, director of Varley Art Gallery.

“In recent decades, Chinese immigration to Toronto’s older Chinatowns has decreased. Instead, communities have expanded in suburban areas around the GTA. LTNS chose to focus on the Chinese diaspora in Markham in order to expand their knowledge of Chinese communities and, specifically, to understand suburban Chinese experiences and stories.”

Ultimately, the goal of LTNS is to bring people together. Brenda Joy Lem is an artist, a member of LTNS, and a co-organizer of the exhibition. She explains, “the sharing of stories not only builds connection but also gives people practical examples of how to survive during times of hardship and brings to the surface unconscious feelings, which allow a process of conscious community-building to begin.”

The exhibit features an array of associated programs designed to augment the experience. Visit VarleyArtGallery.ca for more information and to register.