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The exhibition Unlikeness, curated by Makiko Hara, was installed at Simon Fraser University's Teck Gallery (Vancouver) from September 2020 until April 2021.

The world and how we move within changed drastically since this project’s inception and presentation. The pandemic and its accompanying health protocols required us to reconsider every aspect of our lives, including exhibition planning. Most of the time the exhibition was unavailable for viewing. For short periods, that fluctuated over the course of the exhibition, visitors were able to book an appointment, but required to arrive in limited numbers, wear face masks and practice physical distancing.

With or without face masks, our human inclination to read another person’s face and presume their age, gender, race, and personality is almost instantaneous. We focus on what we think we understand, and what matches our idea of how other people look and behave. When we encounter a face that’s unlike our own or not easy to categorize, we may respond with confusion, interest or displeasure. The images in Unlikeness are predicated on this kind of uncertainty and ambiguity.

The practice of representing faces, both real and imagined, requires me to consider both the harm and potential benefits of encountering other, unknown faces. Like French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas (1906 – 1995) I'm convinced that the face represents the mortal and vulnerable other toward whom we have a social responsibility. Any encounter with a another's face should prompt a spontaneous, ethical response. By recognizing the face of another we are invited to be in relation to that person. Rather than recoiling from an unknown other, recognition should activate a sense of responsibility and obligation towards that person.

Interview between myself and curator Makiko Hara.

Described tour of the exhibition, designed and delivered by Stephanie Bokenfohr, an independent producer focused on performance and access. Opening music and sound editing by Jean Brazeau.

Video tour produced by Samwick Productions.