Cultural Diplomacy
Take Your Seat, together
With our Take Your Seat, together series, our chair becomes a bridge between countries.
Unifying photographs and human stories bring life to diplomatic anniversaries, bilateral talks, and trade conferences, as visual evidence that we’re not so different after all.
Take Your Seat is becoming the new art of diplomacy. One chair unites us all!
"Take Your Seat, together is a visual statement that evokes a deep and wide interconnectedness between our people.
Their crisp and colourful photography captures the beauty of Korea and Canada, with a camera and a chair as channels of our connection. We are different, but as these artists found, we are not so different after all."
- H.E. Lim Woongsoon
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Canada
Excerpts from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Korea opening remarks
"Take Your Seat, together is a vivid illustration of the strength of the Canada-Korea relationship.
It beautifully captures the diversity and the distinctiveness of our two countries. At the same time, through clever and sensitive juxtapositions, it also highlights all that Canadians and Koreans have in common."
- H.E. Tamara Mawhinney
Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Korea
Jeju Island and Kamloops
"Twin forests on Jeju Island and Kamloops welcome us in a shared voice that speaks softly to our camera. Thousands of kilometres apart, our chair transcends geography. Nature embraces us alike on both continents."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Korea
"Aren’t we told 'an image is worth a thousand words'?
Therefore, Take Your Seat, together is certainly a proper and wise way to invite people to view and listen to all the rich and unique stories that photographs of people, cities, landscapes, and daily life scenes from both our countries can and would tell us!
In addition to their beauty, the pictures teach us how six decades of precious friendship and remarkable cooperation in a various range of sectors continue to strengthen our shared values and true aspirations [...]"
- H.E. Souriya Otmani
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Canada
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Morocco, opening remarks
Casablanca and Montreal
"With equal reverence, Montreal’s Mile End Cathedral and Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque remind us that we share a belief in something greater than ourselves."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Morocco
"We can all imagine ourselves sitting in the iconic red chair, and being transported to other places and other experiences...
In a world with many complexities, we may often tend to focus on our differences. But these remarkable and touching images draw attention to our underlying similarities."
- H.E. Dr. Sarah Taylor
Ambassador of Canada to Thailand
Excerpt from opening speech at our Take Your Seat, together exhibition in Bangkok
Read more about the Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Thailand exhibitions hosted in Bangkok and Ottawa
Bangkok and Toronto
"Our chair surfs a human wave that floods the streets of Bangkok and Toronto to usher in the new year. In this moment, the past is washed away. Happy New Year! Sawasdee pi mai! Bonne année! In any language, sheer joy speaks ever so loudly!"
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Thailand
"As the Ambassador of Thailand to Canada, this visual journey allows me to pause, reflect, and think about our future ties [...]
Take Your Seat, together in many ways captures the spirit of this special connection and takes us all on a meaningful visual journey through photographs and stories of our diverse landscapes, cities, and people."
- H.E. Kallayana Vipattipumiprates
Ambassador of Thailand to Canada
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Thailand, opening remarks
Amb. Taylor shares the Canadian version of our Together book with the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs at a reception in Bangkok
Amb. Vipattipumiprates shares the Thai version of our Together book with Canada’s Global Affairs representative at a reception in Ottawa
A virtual gallery, available on computer, tablet, and mobile, was created by Take Your Seat to extend the celebrations to a global audience.
Enjoy the gallery here: TakeYourSeatTogether.com
Marrakech and Acadia
"A universal love of music strikes a common chord between a fiddler in New Brunswick and a Moroccan qanun musician. Harmony transcends geography once again."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Morocco
Take Your Seat represents Canada at Expo2020 in Dubai.
Diplomat & International Canada shares stories and photographs of our diplomatic efforts around the world. Read the article here (p.90).
Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Türkiye is attended by 700 guests of the Embassy of Türkiye in Ottawa for Republic Day.
Kaçkar Mountains and Vancouver Island
"We live in an incredible world if we but choose to see it. The verdant beauty of a rainforest deep in the Kaçkar Mountains and its match on Vancouver Island, makes ‘seeing’ an easy choice, and 'protecting' a shared responsibility."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Türkiye
Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Japan debuts at the Prince Takamado Gallery at the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo.
Take Your Seat receives an award from the Antalya Journalist's Association for "creating a bridge between Türkiye and Canada".
Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Hong Kong debuts in Central, generating > $70M in new investments in Canada.
Read more about our diplomatic and trade events in Hong Kong
Merzouga and Ontario
"Indigenous Peoples of both countries remind us of a history that transcends the past. To both Berber and First Nations, what once was remains the present as each celebrates a living history in dance and song."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Morocco
Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs shares his support at a
Take Your Seat, together event hosted by the Embassy of Canada.
Canadian Ethnic Media Association presents Take Your Seat with awards for “Excellence in Journalism Innovation" and "Photo Journalists of the Year" for connecting Canada to the world.
During a series of university lectures and community events, Randy shares a pair of photos from Canada and Hong Kong.
To see more of our photographic pairs, please click here.
To see our diplomatic books, please click here.
To see our global events and exhibitions, please click here.
To enjoy our TYS Together virtual galleries, please click here.
Ulsan and Nova Scotia
"Ships passing by Ulsan and Briar Island’s lighthouses today rely on modern technology to guide them. That said, the reassurance that a light remains to lead the way still provides a comfort illuminated by a shared history and tradition."
Excerpt from Take Your Seat, together: Canada & Korea
