Submitted by N. Hassan, Curatorial Assistant, a behind-the-scenes look at the installation of The Suitcase Project travelling exhibition, with a connection to Steveston’s Japanese Canadian history. Part three of a three-part series.
The Suitcase Project, a travelling exhibition by Vancouver-based artist Kayla Isomura, is now on display at the Steveston Museum and Post Office, on loan from the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre. Read Part One and Two of this three-part series to learn more about this exhibit and the version on display in the Japanese Fishermen’s Benevolent Society building in Steveston, BC.
To add the Steveston stories element to this exhibition, the curatorial team also consulted oral histories collected and digitized through the Landscapes of Injustice Project. Oral history interviews from descendants of families uprooted from Steveston in 1942 revealed the difficult circumstances that they faced when deciding what to pack, given the government confiscation of certain property in 1942, baggage restrictions, and uncertainty around the conditions they would face at the internment sites – or what would happen to their belongings left behind. Interviewees shared about the conflict between prioritizing practical items such as food, clothing, and kitchen utensils, or sentimental items such as photographs, dolls, and gifts.
To place visitors in this moment, the team chose to display a selection of excerpts from interviews with descendants Mark Sakamoto, Robert Oye, and Ken Nishibata, alongside artifacts and props representing the types of items their families had to choose between.
Visitors end their experience in the interactive area, with a modern luggage display along with the question: “If you were forced to leave your home in 24 hours, what belongings would you choose to pack?” This final space provides an opportunity to reflect on the experiences of displaced Japanese Canadians, the impacts on their descendants, and the challenging circumstances of displaced communities today.
The Suitcase Project is on display until September 1, 2024, in the Japanese Fishermen’s Benevolent Society building at Steveston Museum and Post Office. Operating hours are 9:30am-5pm Mondays-Saturdays, and 12-4pm Sundays. Admission is free.
Read Part One and Part Two of Nadin’s The Suitcase Project: Steveston Stories series to learn about the oral histories and photographs featured in the exhibit.
