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1995 World Trade Centre, Taiwan
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"O...Canada?!" is an exploration of Canadian identity as seen through a map of Canada.
Amanta Scott was commissioned by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei to create a sound sculpture on the theme of Canada for exhibition at the World Trade Centre in Taipei, Taiwan during the Canadian Education Fair. A series of soundsculptures created entirely from garbage found strewn along the streets of Taipei, were created to represent Canada's various geographic regions.
Ottawa, for example, was represented by a stainless steel bowl attached to a mannequin's hand. This was a pun on the Chinese translation of the word Canada, pronounced Dja Na Da, which also translated as "big hand in pot" and jokingly referred to Canada's rather dubiously world-renowned welfare system.
"Ottawa" was situated near a ballot box topped with a chess board with ornately carved chess pieces depicting cowboys and indians. At this time Canada was also going through a sovereignty referendum and the question on everyone's lips was whether or not Canada would remain a unified country.
Newfoundland was represented by a dream catcher/ fishing net filled with kettles and punned visually on the phrase "a fine kettle of fish" and referred to the fishing crisis then facing the region.
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