Remittance is a traveling exhibition that explores the multifaceted impacts of remittances through artistic practice. A remittance is the transfer of money or goods by a foreign worker to an individual—usually a family member—in their home country. These transfers are a global phenomenon and a vital part of many nations' economies, sustaining millions of families worldwide. They provide essential income for households to cover basic needs like food, education, and healthcare and, beyond their financial dimension, embody profound acts of care and devotion.
The artists featured in Remittance each examine the experience of leaving home in pursuit of better wages, safety, or education, and the true costs of these transitions. The exhibition provides a platform for these specific topics—from Filipino domestic and healthcare workers seeking opportunities abroad, to the complexities of Indigenous nationhood within North America—that, together, map the legacies of global power structures shaping remittance economies. It examines economic necessity through the lens of familial debt and devotion, and in doing so weaves in critical issues related to migration, labor, gender, and socio-political histories.
Through installations and multimedia works, Remittance invites viewers to grapple with the forces that are driving labor migration and the realities faced by migrant workers. It explores themes of resilience, displacement, and interdependence, encouraging audiences to consider global implications and the enduring ties of family and community. In doing so, Remittance offers a poignant meditation on the bonds that connect us across time, borders, and generations.
Remittance is a traveling exhibition curated by Trisha Lagaso Goldberg. It is produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York and The Fine Arts Gallery at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Remittance is made possible with the generous support of ICI’s Board of Trustees and International Forum.
