Columbia Branch Art
Photographs of neighborhood residents are part of the artwork. The 42 photographs -- taken by Vancouver, B.C., artist Gu Xiong -- are accompanied by messages written in English and the residents' native languages that evoke a sense of joy and belonging.
Forty of the photographs and accompanying messages are installed in large displays on top of the bookshelves. Another two are mounted on a wall.
About the artwork
Gu Xiong, a Chinese immigrant and survivor of a Cultural Revolution work camp, uses his work to explore cross-cultural issues and questions of identity. He draws on his experience as an immigrant to examine universal issues of belonging and understanding.