Becoming Home: Stories of Chinese-Australians

BackgroundThe research was informed by Maura Reilly’s 'Curatorial Activism' (2017) focusing on curating as a platform for diverse intersectional discourse to promote social change. ‘Becoming Home’ focused on the voices of six Chinese-Australians in Maroondah Fiona Wu, Jenny Zhuang, Jiawen Lin, Leo Ren, Lesley Lowe (nee Cheong) and Paul Cheong who collaborated with Tammy Wong Hulbert (curator), Siying Zhou (artist) and Ai Yamamoto (sound artist) to present an exhibition exploring intergenerational perspectives of Chinese-Australians in Maroondah. The project highlighted the legacy of the Cheong Family, an influential Chinese-Australian family who donated land (in 1952) to form ‘Cheong Park’ and ‘Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary’ with an aim to more publicly recognise Chinese-Australian voices, who make up 20% Maroondah’s population (Australian Census, 2016).ContributionThe outcome was an exhibition at ArtSpace centred on the theme 安家 ('an jia' - an ideal home) informing the curatorial framework. The exhibition featured five video portraits filmed in local public parks, an installation of photographic prints of wildflowers suspended from the ceiling and a soundscape reflecting local natural and urban sounds. The two central showcases focused on the archival materials of the Cheong Family, showing their participation in local sports, social life and Chinese-Australian activism. The exhibition presented the diverse perspectives of Chinese-Australians in the community to open up and challenge cultural prejudices often presented in the media.SignificanceThe project generated further awareness about the contributions of the Chinese-Australian community in Maroondah, Melbourne and Victoria. The research of the project will inform the future development of new Cheong Park Pavilion and was featured in a double podcast by ‘SBS Mandarin Radio’. Partners include The Chinese Museum and Chinese Community Social Services.本研究的灵感源自莫拉·赖利（Maura Reilly）2017年出版的《策展行动主义（Curatorial Activism）》，该书将策展工作视作承载多元交叉话语、推动社会变革的核心平台。“安家（Becoming Home）”项目聚焦马龙达（Maroondah）地区六位澳大利亚华裔的心声，分别为菲奥娜·吴（Fiona Wu）、庄珍妮（Jenny Zhuang）、林家文（Jiawen Lin）、里奥·任（Leo Ren）、莱斯利·洛（原姓张，Lesley Lowe (nee Cheong)）与保罗·张（Paul Cheong）。他们与塔米·王·赫尔伯特（Tammy Wong Hulbert，策展人）、周思颖（Siying Zhou，艺术家）及山本爱（Ai Yamamoto，声音艺术家）通力合作，举办了一场旨在探讨马龙达地区澳大利亚华裔代际视角的展览。本项目着重彰显了张氏家族（Cheong Family）的历史遗产——这是一支颇具影响力的澳大利亚华裔家族，于1952年捐赠土地兴建“张园（Cheong Park）”与“张野花保护区（Cheong Wildflower Sanctuary）”，以期更广泛地让公众知晓占马龙达总人口20%（2016年澳大利亚人口普查数据）的澳大利亚华裔群体的声音。 本次项目的最终成果是在艺术空间（ArtSpace）举办的主题展览，展览以“安家（'ān jiā'——理想家园）”为核心主题，以此搭建本次策展的整体框架。展览内容涵盖五部于当地公共公园摄制的视频肖像作品、一组悬挂于展厅天花板的野花摄影装置，以及一幅还原当地自然与城市声响的音景作品。两大核心展区围绕张氏家族的档案资料展开，呈现了该家族参与当地体育活动、社会生活及澳大利亚华裔维权行动的历程。本次展览展现了社区内澳大利亚华裔的多元视角，旨在打破并挑战主流媒体中常见的文化偏见。 本项目提升了公众对墨尔本马龙达地区、维多利亚州乃至全澳澳大利亚华裔社区所做贡献的认知。本项目的研究成果将为未来“张园展馆”的新建工作提供决策参考，相关内容曾在“SBS普通话广播（SBS Mandarin Radio）”的一期双人播客中得到报道。本次项目的合作伙伴包括华人博物馆（The Chinese Museum）与华人社区社会服务机构（Chinese Community Social Services）。