Michael Lin, Archipelago (MOCA)
Michael Lin, Archipelago
Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Toronto
October 2020–March 2021
Throughout a 6 week period in October and early November, I was able to have the great opportunity to work on this installation piece by Taiwan-based artist, Michael Lin, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto.
The installation references archipelago islands, a response to current distancing requirements, as well as providing an optimistic and energetic visual impact for the museum. Each platform consists of painted surfaces that can be walked and sat on, adorned with patterned motifs taken from Taiwanese, Indonesian and quasi Hawaiian textiles.
Working with 11 other local Toronto artists, we worked to produce this major site-specific spatial painting for the museum’s entrance floor. The total area covers approximately 780 square feet of the museum’s floor. Transforming the institutional architecture of the public museum, Michael Lin’s unconventional paintings invite visitors to reconsider their usual perception of those spaces, and to become an integral part of the work, giving meaning to the museum’s potential as an area for interaction, encounter, and re-creation.
Archipelago is produced onsite by:
Vanessa Maltese (lead)
Val Sears (co-lead)
https://moca.ca/michael-lin-in-progress-2020/
Process Work
The process started with a discussion with Michael Lin and his studio about the aspects and intentions of the work. Looking at his previous large scale murals as an example for the production style and how to apply the paint. I especially enjoyed working with other local artists in my community throughout this process. We all had experience working in murals and worked collaboratively to paint the work in the style that Michael Lin envisioned and is known for.
Throughout the 6 week production period, we diligently hand painted the floral elements distinct to each Archipelago platform. Michael Lin’s studio provided us with a translucent print of each platform which we had to align and transfer onto each platform. Each platform required at least 3 coats of paint in each colour to ensure an opaque and vibrant application.
The performative aspect of live painting, open to visitors, allows for a behind-the-scenes look into the arts, which we don’t typically find in a museum. I was very interested in the process of making connections between us as artists, also with the visitors, as well as Michael Lin's studio, while working with all these multifaceted aspects to create a final installation piece
The artist team at MOCA!
