MIXING RICE is an Artist in Community project was undertaken in the Riversdale Business Improvement District Saskatoon from October 2021 to March 2022 with the curatorial objective to link local Asian and artist communities in Saskatoon through a visual art exhibition. By partnering local artists with Chinese-Canadian restaurant owners based in the Riversdale neighborhood in Saskatoon, this project aimed to introduce Chinese-Canadian restaurant culture to a broader public by immersing both restaurant patrons and interested arts viewers in a physical and visual feast of Chinese culinary excellency. Furthermore, this project aimed to increase visibility for the Asian communities in Saskatoon. The project took the form of a physical exhibition presented in the selected Chinese restaurants in Saskatoon, in addition to an online website that documented the exhibition to disseminate the work more broadly.
This support paper examines my research process that led to my exhibition centered onAsian cuisine. I reflect upon the community engagement generated through the exhibition with local artists, restaurant owners, and the audiences. Additionally, the paper is my vehicle to scrutinize how community-based curatorial practice can open dialogue through exhibitions and establish frameworks for future decolonial practices in the curatorial field.