Mirage: Disused Public Property in Taiwan is a new exhibition with Taiwanese artist Yao Jui-Chung on the role of photography in activism. On June 1st, 2024 join Yao for for a special photo walk featuring abandoned spaces in Vancouver. 

During the walk, registrants will be taken to three locations in the Kitsilano neighbourhood. Artist Yao and local photographer, Christian Zane Clado, will share photography tips while MOV staff will share the history of each location as well as the political controversies surrounding them. All photography devices (including smartphones) and skill levels are welcome! 

The photo walk will take up to three hours, including a short break.  

After the walk, participants are invited to stay behind for a conversation with the artist and each other to talk about photography, public spaces, and community.  

Technical aspects of photography will be shared on this walk, but we will also be asked to reflect on how we can be more mindful of how our photographs tell a story—and  even enact change.  

This event is generously funded by UBC’s Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC) for the Critical Image Forum (CIF) with UBC’s Department of History.  

Date: June 1, 2024

Time: 2:00 - 5:00pm 

Tickets: Includes admission to the Museum during opening hours that day

  • $30 Student/Seniors/Members 

  • $40 General 

(plus fees and taxes) 

Meeting Point: Museum of Vancouver Lobby (please arrive 10-15 minutes early to register, use the washrooms and/or pay for parking). Registrants are encouraged to come to the Museum early to check out the exhibition.  

End Point: Granville Island 

What To Bring: 

  • Comfortable Walking Shoes 

  • Water 

  • Dress for the weather! Bring sun protection, umbrellas or jackets as needed. 

  • Snacks 

  • Something to take photos with (eg, good quality cellphone camera; SLR; DSLR; any and most cameras are fine)  

About the exhibition

Mirage: Disused Public Property in Taiwan covers 10 years of artist Yao Jui-Chung and his students’ use of photography to expose Taiwan’s “mosquito halls.” Starting in the 1970s, Taiwan invested in convention centres, sports facilities, schools and other public structures, only to abandon them. The term “mosquito halls” comes from the stagnant water that gathers and breeds mosquitoes in these structures and spaces.  

“In this age of transparency, covering up only causes more harm. The mission of this project is to examine the condition of public space usage from the perspective of the peoples. The whole world is facing the same problem, but Taiwan is willing to face it, deal with it, and let go, which can set an example for the international community.” —Yao Jui-Chung, Artist 

For general inquiries regarding this event, please contact the Programming Department here.

Meet your Guide

Yao Jui-Chung 

Yao Jui-Chung is an award-winning artist and professor in the Department of Fine Arts at the National Taiwan Normal University. He graduated from the Taipei National University of the Arts and specializes in photography, installation art and painting. While the themes of his works are varied, they all examine the absurdity of the human condition.  

His work has been widely exhibited around the world, including the Venice Biennale (1997) where he represented Taiwan, the International Triennale of Contemporary Art Yokohama (2005), Shanghai Biennale (2012), Asian Art Biennale (2015), 14th Curitiba International Biennial of Contemporary Art (2019), Jakarta Biennale (2021), Mediations Biennale Polska (2022), Macao Biennale (2023) and the Venice Biennale (2024).   

He has also received numerous accolades, including the Hong Kong Multitude Art Prize in 2013, Singapore Asia Pacific Art Prize in 2014, Taiwan Taishin Arts Award in 2018 and the Taiwan Arts and Business Award in 2019.    

Yao Jui-Chung lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan. 

 

Christian Zane Clado 

Christian is a self-taught filmmaker and photographer based in Vancouver, BC. He started his photography career as a hobby by photographing street/urban scenes around the city and by photographing landscapes to document his passion for hiking and camping around BC with his wife. His passion for photography has also sparked his interest in pursuing filmmaking. He transitioned to commercial filmmaking and has worked with companies such as Netflix Canada, Duer and organizations such as Tourism New West, MOA, MOV and more. His next goal is to pursue documentary filmmaking and has a few projects in the works.  

 

MOV Team 

Alyssa Sy de Jesus (Program Manager), Denise Fong (Curator of Urban Cultures), and Debby Reis (Communications and Marketing Manager) have worked in various roles in and projects on arts, history and culture. All three “MOVers” are excited to team up on their shared passion and dedication for local stories, topics and issues for this photo walk.  

Denise has curated award-winning exhibitions like A Seat at the Table: Chinese Migration to BC and Across the Pacific -  橫跨太平洋. Alyssa is a consultant on the “Kuwentong Pamamahay: Stories of Filipino Canadian Home-Making” Heritage BC funded project. Her writing has been published in Living Hyphen and Chinatown Stories. Debby has worked in arts and community for more than a decade including time with the Vancouver Fringe Festival, Discorder Magazine and the Vancouver Farmers Market, and currently sits on the board for Geist Magazine.  

This program is supported by