MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER

Our team designed this exhibition as the new entryway to the history of Vancouver at the Museum of Vancouver. The project is called “c̓əsnaʔəm—The City Before the City,” and it’s centred around historical belongings and contemporary culture of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), who are among the traditional stewards of the unceded territory on which Vancouver was built.

The exhibit examined ways to “right history,” tracing the timeline of settlement of the land and the imposition of Euro-centric values and laws upon the “people of the grass.” As a design team, we supported the vision of Elders and of the museum curators in developing a warm, contemporary and respectful space.

One large wall features an enormous animated mythical creature, essential to the origin story of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm. Complimented by the delicate belongings, hovering in softly lit cases, the wall comes alive in textured black and white motion.

Client: Museum of Vancouver and Musqueam Indian Band
Location: Vancouver, BC
Scope: Exhibition design

Recognition:

  • Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Museums

  • Western Museums Association, Charles Redd Center for Western Studies Award for Exhibition Excellence

  • Canadian Museum Association Michael M. Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology

  • Canadian Historical Association Public History Prize

    Awarded to the entire project team, which included Musqueam Indian Band, Museum of Vancouver (MOV), Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC, and Dr. Susan Roy, University of Waterloo.

musqueam alphabet and typography
exhibit design installation
exhibit design installation
musqueam typography on glass
indigenous artifacts in museum cases
musqueam alphabet and typography
exhibit design installation
musqueam typography on glass
1401 Musqueam MOV20150306_0011.JPG
indigenous artifacts in museum cases
exhibit design installation
exhibit design installation

Because language is so critical to identity, and comes from relationships to the land, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language text is foregrounded. Beginning with the title and a traditional welcome that is translated into english and french, the graphic elements reinforce this hierarchy of communication. A direct printed wood panel features a map of the city of Vancouver overlaid with place names which have been known to the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm for generations. This graphic, however, is a starting point to a new world view for most others who see the area through a colonizing lens.

Our team was engaged in the process from concept design through completion, generating thematic diagrams for informational flow, concepts for the spatial arrangement and approach to materials, lighting, graphics, cases, and integration of AV elements prepared by the Museum staff.

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