Exhibit highlights cultural impact of Filipinos in Montreal

The stories of Filipinos in Montreal are front and centre in a new interactive exhibition.

Over the last three years, the collective Pulso Ng Bayan gathered stories from the Filipino community in Montreal as part of an archival project.

The interactive exhibition “Maglala: Weaving Our Webs of Home” features articles of clothing, photos, videos, and sounds connected to a Filipino person’s experience with various parts of Montreal.

“So much of our histories are put in pieces together by the people we share our lives with,” said Andi Vicente, a member of Pulso Ng Bayan. “It would be really nice to have a set archival project where all these stories come together and everybody would have access to it.

“We wanted something that was accessible, we wanted something that was inclusive.”

The main component of the exhibition is an online map documenting stories from 1992 to 2022 submitted by Filipinos – especially those living in the Côte-des-Neiges area. The map highlights the cultural impact of the Filipino community on the neighbourhood.

“What would be interesting is seeing the connection of all the little stories,” said Vicente. “Maybe a person had a very similar experience at this park or at this particular street. Or maybe they know the person and they’re connecting with that person through this archival map.”

The collective wanted to give a platform for Filipinos to share their stories, which they say are often overlooked.

“People come with so many stories from back home and so many stories from their families,” said Vicente.

“It’s overwhelming to think about how they will be documented and where they can be. This particular website is an accessible way of being like, ‘OK, what is a small thing you can start with?’ and then build upon it.”

Another element of the installation involves garments suspended from the ceiling. The items of clothing are from a previous workshop where Filipinos wrote down the things they’ve wanted to say to someone or their hopes and dreams on the tags of the clothes.

“The reason for all the clothes is that it’s from different perspectives – from children, from daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, grandparents,” Vicente said. “They all have their particular desires and longings.”

The exhibition runs until Jan. 28 at Maison de la Culture de Côte-des-Neiges. A vernissage is scheduled for Dec. 7.