Karen Tam’s installation deconstructs and reconstructs different ‘ethnic spaces’ to see which elements signify meaning for the public and thus play a role in influencing Western perception of the Chinese, or the Other. In Terra dos chinês curio shop, Tam recreates spaces such as the Chinese restaurants, karaoke lounges, opium dens, Chinatown curio shops and other sites of cultural encounters to look at how the corporeal experience of space allows one to understand its history and community. Using a cultural studies framework, Tam invites a critical view of contemporary chinoiserie, of the impact of the Chinese export trade, and of goods produced for the ‘Western’ taste.

Karen Tam is an artist whose research focuses on the various forms of constructions and imaginations of cultures and communities. She has exhibited her work in Canada, Europe, and the US since 2000. She lives and works in Montreal and London, and holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths (University of London). She is represented by Galerie Hugues Charbonneau.

Exhibitions  

Participating Artists: Karen Tam (Montréal)
Curator(s):
Credits: Image : Karen Tam, Terra dos chinês curio shop (2015)