Through the banal act of unpacking a bag, I wanted to explore the relationship between the notions of container and content – an intricate and interconnected web between place, the body and things. Publicizing this personal and contemplative act of unpacking, this work is a reflection on the interiority of objects as a representation of the consuming body.

The performance involved a structured procedure of unveiling, naming and interacting with each item in question, a marker of Asian-Canadian identity. Each artifact occupies not a single cultural space, but holds a doubled relationship or dual loyalty to the idea of places and autobiography.

This literal gesture of unpacking a bag was influenced by Peggy McIntosh’s 1988 essay “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.”

My suitcase packed in Vancouver, BC and not to be opened until the performance in St. Catharines, ON.