Learning to Land

The past assumes multiple shapes. Some take the form of memories, whilst others are concretized into objects. American poet Tan Lin writes, “The history of a family is the history of persistence, and the history of persistence is the history of stuff.” The term ‘stuff’ in Lin’s quote refers to household objects that hold both practical value and symbolic significance in our daily lives. We can discern meaningful points of contact, interaction and exchange between people through their encounter with and utilization of these objects. Moreover, their emblematic nature often carries the stories and histories of one’s cultural heritage, social connections, community, and kinship.

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The exhibition, Learning to Land: A Story of Crossing Paths and Intergenerational Histories examines the relationships, networks and stories that emerge by way of daily experiences and interactions within San Francisco Chinatown. Artworks in the form of a conceptual shop, site-specific installations, sound and video projection, sculpture, and photography by artists Benjamen Chinn, Gao Ling, Lenore Chinn, Sasinun Kladpetch and Sherwin Rio contemplate these moments of engagement and interconnectivity. 

For instance, Gao Ling’s interactive installation and conceptual shop Lily! reflects on the ways in which Chinatown serves as a touchpoint for diverse communities, transmitting stories of personal journeys and shared experiences via trade, distribution and consumption of objects. The work’s title also pays tribute to 800 Grant Ave building’s former occupants — the Wee Lee Louie family and their role in AAPI history as a place of community — providing the neighborhood with foodstuffs, other objects like lilies, and most notably securing a safe return for scores of business partners during the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Gao asks within the context of today’s unpredictable and unstable world, ‘Where should we go? Where do we come from? Where are you going? How does it taste?’ Neighbors, collaborators and visitors are invited to present their personal reflections of and experiences within Chinatown in tangible or intangible forms ranging from keepsakes to sounds, impressions, or stories in exchange for an item in the conceptual shop. All of the ‘objects’ in the shop are free, to be traded, exchanged, or gifted and will continue to evolve with each visitor’s contribution throughout the exhibition’s duration.

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Whether it is a fragment of memory, a song, a dish, or a sentence, a leftover, a gift, a scene, an act, or a movie - these offerings and objects enfold fragmented memories that constitute a precious part of the broader human experience and our interconnectedness. 

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Curated By Candace Huey