🎨 Digital Art Exposes Canada's Historic Immigration Surveillance
A new generative motion graphics artwork uses historical data from Canada's Register of Chinese Immigrants (1886-1949) to expose discriminatory immigration policies.
The piece incorporates **transcribed head tax data** from University of British Columbia research, creating randomized visuals that cascade across screens. The flashing text evokes anxiety from bureaucratic oversight, while digital waves symbolize hope and opportunity.
**Key elements include:**
- Train track imagery honoring Chinese railway workers
- Never-repeating generative output reflecting silenced voices
- Data visualization of systemic surveillance
The artwork complements a related mural project that draws on the same archival research and community conversations. Both pieces address Canada's dark immigration history, including the Chinese Head Tax and 1923 Exclusion Act.
The generative nature ensures each viewing is unique, inviting reflection on individual resilience amid oppressive systems.
[Learn more about the project](https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/corporate/about-us/strategies-initiatives/creator-residence/final-project-showcase.html)
