sari-sari

sari-sari is an invitation to join in the practice of community and rituals of communication. Situated in a traditional Filipino pop-up shop, Ursula Handleigh, Rajee Paña Jejishergill, and Marlene Flores Ramos will come together as the Barkada (collective friendship) to sell, barter and trade forms of communication that are and were prevalent in the Philippines. Exploring what it means to be Filipina in Canada, the Barkada will share in these practices of how they stay connected to family while living in the diaspora.

The sari-sari pop-up will provide an interactive exchange where each participant is given a physical piece of paper that can initiate a form of connection. The offerings will consist of a phone card, a balikbayan box or a manila luggage tag. Through these ephemera of communication, the participant is provided a moment to reflect on their communities and place to record a connection they wish to maintain.

Along the waterfront, the ocean background of this temporary shop is a reminder of the distance between cultures. Seeking a sense of home and finding a sense of belonging in the diaspora, the three artists engage in cultural rituals, shared labour and adapted practices of comfort.