In-between Barangay Pavillion

Artist: Awika Samukrsaman / Parichat Tanapiwattanakul

Where are we in-between the food chain? is a research project, in cooperating with fishing communities and families involved in the fish-drying business in the villages (Barangays) located along the shoreline in Roxas City, Philippines. Concerning today’s society, our understanding of where our meals come from and the route they take to reach our plates is often limited, and exacerbated by urban expansion distancing us further from local sources. Additionally, we tend to overlook the issue of limited accessibility for individuals and how this inequality disproportionately affects minority groups who play minor roles in the broader food supply chain.

The project explores the connection between and in-between the origin and destination in the food chain, particularly concerning local sources and daily consumption. Having actively engaged fishing communities and families involved in the fish-drying business in both Barangays, we have learned about the marginalization and neglect of local livelihoods in mainstream narratives. We initially aimed to understand the local fishing industry, the fish-drying techniques and how products are delivered to consumers by tracking the movement of various fishes harvested from the bay through various chains carried out either by individual fishermen themselves or by a system practiced in the market. To visualize and document the movement, a diagram illustrates the journey of a particular fish variety from its source, mapping the route from its origin to its final destination.

Carried on with an ongoing research project in Nongpho sub-district in Ratchaburi, Thailand, In- between Barangays: Roxas city – Nongpho connects with the local dairy farmers in the Nongpho community. The initial phase of the project involves a conversation between two barangays (Dumulog – Nongpho). The exhibition features an interview video installation titled Episode.1 a conversation between land and water. In addition, on-site information, diagrams and a map illustrate the local resources and the barangay livelihood. The project aims to incorporate archive and analysis from the community regarding the following phase and continue the program until the end of April 2024. In order to create spaces for open ended questions where the audience and community can participate in the progress.