You Are a Drifter, Don’t Dock
Backlit print in foam casted light box, transparent print mounted on foam box, ultra violet spotlight, etc,
17.5×23×8 inch×2 (43×60×20cm×2),
edition 5+1AP
2012-2022-2026

Originally part of the Non-Linear series (2005–2015), this work originated as a black-and-white photograph captured at Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf in 2012, marking my first encounter with Vancouver. In 2017, the piece was acquired by the artist Zhang Wei and relocated to his studio in Guangzhou. Following a year-long studio abandonment due to the 2022 pandemic lockdowns, a water leak caused the photograph to succumb to moisture and mold.

Upon documenting the damage, I recognized that the organic decay had introduced a temporal dimension and a “migrant” identity to the image. The mottled chemical reaction between the mold and the silver halide print served as a metaphor for cultural transplantation. I subsequently reclaimed the image, transforming the digital scan into an “image sculpture.”

The work is housed within a foam insulation box—a utilitarian object common to fishmongers in both Richmond and the seafood markets of Guangzhou. This material choice highlights the slippage of memory between two coastal hubs, while the title, borrowed from the Hong Kong band My Little Airport, underscores a sense of perpetual displacement.

(Detail)