Sampan, August 2023
This reporter attended the opening reception of the exhibit called “At Home in Chinatown: A Residence Lab Retrospective” and the accompanying workshop “Remembering and Remaking Chinatown” at the Pao Arts Center on July 27th. The exhibit featured work and photographs of the processes of six local artists who participated in the Residence Lab and completed site-specific projects during the last four years of the program.
There were 4 key themes on display in the show, including art as cultural belonging, public play, art of protest, and art as world-building. During the workshop, Ponnapa Prakkamakul, Maria Fong, and Dianyvet Serrano spoke about their time in the program. Hearing them speak about their projects really served to bring the photographs and accompanying art in the gallery to life. The exhibit paints such a vivid picture of the history and the exciting future of Chinatown.
