There is no Chinatown

Since the wave of immigrants from the gold rush in the last century until the rising of real estate nowadays, in the face of new and exotic outsiders, to whom this golden mountain belong? As an identity for the language, There is no Chinatown seems to be a title with no suitable translation. The exhibition departs from the narrative of New Zealand's real estate operation. With Chinese speaking audio guides and installation, the audience is invited to step in a journey of New Zealand immigrant. By guiding, the bodies and visions will be wandering in scenes with soft furnishings and nature surrounding to touch the dreams of the gold rush that away from reality, such as the phantom. The exhibition There is no Chinatown is the extended project of the residency in New Zealand in 2018. During the three months, we were in residence at a Kiwi parents' house and built up a close and family-like relationship with each other. Magnified the subtle local life and learned to be a kiwi, the time we spent there without any residency procedures, artist timetables, or even engaged in non-art. In the suburb of Auckland, almost every house is equipped with a beautiful garden where a camper (or boat) parked in. While the moment of holiday, people crowd into the beautiful bays, jungles, hot springs or beaches with unlimited fresh air. Everything is perfect. After all, in the land of long white cloud, no matter who would not seize any opportunities to enjoy such a wonderful life. During the Lunar New Year, we met the local Chinese immigrants who settled on the north shore of Auckland. They welcomed us like how the locals do and showed their grace of meeting us as if the folk group meeting in a foreign land after a long time no see. It seems that there is still a strong connection with the homeland of Taiwan. The umbilical cord. By touring us with sightseeing, they kindly handed over their analysis, understanding and opinions on New Zealand to us, with a solid concrete shaped by personal life experience and memory. Ultimately, they make an effort to adjust their lifestyle fitting in the local as the immigrant strategy of "settle down". Following the immigrants' footsteps and visions, we seem to realize that such living conditions and thresholds don't belong to anyone. Especially when we were in a country with a new immigrant community of multi-ethnicity where Western culture structured as the main body. To experience a pan-Asian or Chinese culture that seems familiar but strange, we suddenly felt powerless and emotional with suffering cultural shocks in the cultural landscape that we identify with. Since left there for a year-long, we attempt to collect the keywords by reconfirming our identities and imaginations as though a frustrated anthropologist in self-exploration. Indeed, how do we face the future settlers in our own country?