Stephanie Comilang's US Solo Debut at CARA Explores Diaspora Through Pineapples, Migrant Workers, and Pearls

Berlin-based Filipina Canadian artist Stephanie Comilang presented her first US solo exhibition at New York's Center for Art, Research and Alliances from May 31 to August 10, 2025. Curated by Rahul Gudipudi, the show featured three sci-fi documentary installations examining diasporic lives across continents. Piña, Why is the Sky Blue? (2022), created with Simon Speiser, traced pineapple histories through Ecuador and the Philippines using film, VR, and 3D-printed fabrics. Lumapit Sa Akin, Paraiso (2018) documented Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong through drone footage and cardboard-covered galleries. Search for Life II (2025) explored pearl trade networks across Asia and Emirati identity through layered projections. Previously shown at Tai Kwun (2019), Tate Modern (2022), and Sharjah Biennale (2024), these works united for the first time at CARA's West Village space. Comilang's narratives connected colonial histories with contemporary migrant experiences, from Spanish pineapple transfers to Hong Kong's cardboard shelters and UAE pearl divers. The exhibition highlighted how global trade routes—from 17th-century Portuguese pineapple introductions to Taiwan to modern Gulf labor migrations—shape Philippine diaspora realities.