‘Object Translations’ was organized by the collective Towards An Immigrant Architecture and took place as a special session during the 112th Annual Meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA). The exhibition brought together diverse objects intertwined with immigrant cultures through acts of translation: transforming and reinventing each object through multi-media collages, video installations, and three-dimensional constructs. Each contribution was accompanied by narratives discussing the author’s cultural heritage and how their work enacts a material or formal translation through the design process.

A workshop conducted with members of the local Japanese and Chinese Canadian community formed an essential part of the exhibition. Participants were asked to bring an object to the gallery that reflects their cultural identity and immigrant journey. After a communal meal, each participant shared personal stories that were documented through video recordings, written narratives, and a series of cyanotypes using custom armatures designed and built specifically for the workshop.