Project by Michael K Chan
Flushing, Queens, is often described as merely ‘another Chinatown.’ However, this label frequently overlooks the complex political and social tensions existing between diverse Chinese communities. This project captures the linguistic landscape and streetscape temporalities of the site: Flushing Main Street.
Through on-site fieldwork, 11 distinct audio recordings are integrated into a physical model to index the tensions between different Chinese dialects. Accompanying physical artifacts visualize the dialogue content, providing a narrative backdrop for non-Chinese speakers. Finally, a series of drawings complements the model by illustrating the site’s changing temporalities, rendering the fluidity of these spaces.
