If you’re looking for a good book and a mean cup of tea, look no further than inside the office of curator Yan Zhou, Western’s inaugural curator-in-residence.
Zhou calls her office a “Diaspora Climate bookshelf,” which acts as a small library. Students and colleagues are invited to borrow the books, donated by artists, curators, activists and scholars, reflecting the community-oriented approach she brings to her one-year residency in the department of visual arts.
For Zhou, who has worked extensively in both academic and professional curatorial contexts, this residency offered something special. Originally from Xi’an, China, she immigrated to Canada in 2009. She’s now based in Toronto.
“As far as I know, the curator-in-residence role in universities is still something new in Canada,” she said. “I find this program very engaging and exciting.”
The curator-in-residence role has a focus on environmental and social justice in the arts. Zhou explained she was drawn to Western because of the department’s strong foundation in art history and studio art, along with its innovative programs focused on sustainability, diaspora studies and social justice.
The department of visual arts in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is comprised of three streams: art history, studio art and museum and curatorial studies.
“The idea of curator-in-residence was inspired by these areas along with the idea that art is a tool for activism,” said Alena Robin, chair of visual arts. “It’s something we want to emphasize with our students – they can do art and still be active in society. We also want our students to be conscious of the environmental impact beyond creating art, through curating and mounting exhibitions.”
Engaging, creating with the Western arts community
As part of her residency, Zhou delivers guest lectures across multiple disciplines, sharing insights on curatorial practice and current issues, such as the impact of AI image-making in photography and representation of diverse groups.
“In academic life, your work is often research-based and in professional curatorial practice you organize one project after another,” said Zhou.
“As a curator-in-residence, I want to engage with the community from the beginning, and develop ideas together. This is one of my best experiences in Canada, the department is very supportive and students across campus are incredibly engaged.” – Yan Zhou, Western’s inaugural curator-in-residence
The curator-in-residence position was designed to mirror the Indigenous artist-in-residence program in the same department.
Each curator will work to develop an exhibit for Western’s own gallery, another location in London, Ont. or around the world, including the foundational research conducted during their residency.
Zhou’s curatorial project, which will be presented in the exhibition Diaspora Climate, opens Feb. 12 at Western’s ArtLab Gallery. The exhibition brings together artists whose work responds to relationships with particular places, cultures, histories, climates and environments, while also addressing ongoing afflictions of social and environmental violence.
“Although it’s a small exhibition, it’s quite rich,” said Zhou. “I hope the audience can engage with these ideas of ‘diaspora’ and ‘climate’, find their own ways to relate to them and explore what the relationship means.”
The exhibition ‘Diaspora Climate,’ curated by Yan Zhou, runs Feb. 12 to March 5 in Western University’s ArtLab Gallery.
Diaspora Climate features a range of artistic approaches, such as images of landscape and vegetation to link the culture and history of Italy and Canada. The exhibit will also feature videos and participatory elements.
“Yan’s project is a very good example that we can address important issues of our society through art,” said Robin. “Her curatorial work is also a strong example of research creation; she was able to activate this small but flexible space through art.”
Running concurrently with her exhibition is Being, Traced, a student-driven response to Diaspora Climate. It’s one facet of a broader dialogue emerging from the collaborative work Zhou is leading in the department. Visitors can view paintings, sculptural pieces and digital media mapping exploring how identity is continually shaped by what we carry, what we learn and what we leave behind, in the Cohen Commons.
Both exhibitions will run until March 5, and the opening reception on Feb. 12 will feature artist talks and a curatorial tour.
Learn more about how Western is navigating new realities.
