This exhibition brings together the work of 22 artists from around the world, all of whom participated in a series of artist residencies that took place on each side of the once-united cultural/linguistic region of Punjab, now divided by the international boundary between India and Pakistan. During their participation in these residencies, these diverse artists were encouraged to reflect on the impact and experience of the division of Punjab, and to imagine the possible legacies of that once-undivided culture today. While the artworks created for this exhibition were produced in South Asia, the project is also deeply connected to Canada. The massive violence associated with the Partition in 1947, and the geographic displacements it entailed, have shaped the lives of Punjabis all over the world. This is particularly true in the Fraser Valley, which has the largest per capita population of Punjabi-Canadians in the country. We hope that this exhibition will foster critical consideration of this global history and its local resonances, encouraging visitors to reflect on Partition, on its impacts, and on the experience of border-crossing more broadly.
