Born in Montréal to Chinese
immigrant parents, Karen Tam explores the way her mother culture is perceived
in North America, where innumerable “Chinese” restaurants supposedly open a
door to Asian culture. In actual fact, they have little in common with the real
thing. By replicating the Americanized versions, Tam’s installations aim to
reveal these establishments as fabrications designed to please a clientele
steeped in Hollywood’s vision of the Orient. Her work is infused with a
political dimension and a quest for cultural identity; it also addresses
notions of otherness and human connection. As an artist in residence at ORANGE, she is
producing a replica of a Westernized Chinese restaurant in the heart of
downtown Saint-Hyacinthe.