Liv Sydney, Reclamation, 2023, acrylic paint on canvas, 121.92 x 91.44 cm. Photo by Susan Blight. Courtesy of the artist.
Reclamation is the process of claiming something back or reasserting a right. Inuvik’s iconic “Smartie box” houses were built in 1955 and painted the vibrant colours of purple, red, yellow, and green to contrast the dark winter days. The first inhabitants of these buildings included government workers and RCMP officers, while the Indigenous residents were restricted from living in them. Today, anyone can live in these brightly coloured row houses. Because these vintage homes were built with toxic materials—asbestos, for example—the cost of tearing them down makes the project unfeasible. Through my piece, I have imagined what Inuvik would look like if left untouched, with the homes becoming uninhabitable and the flora overgrown. What if nature was left to reclaim what colonization leaves behind? Something that was held over our heads as a symbol of oppression ultimately turns into garbage.
