STR.DST.MRKT Mobile Art Studio Exhibition
About the artist
Tania L. Balan-Gaubert is an interdisciplinary conceptual artist, curator, and writer who explores race, transnational identity, culture, and belonging through mixed media, installation, photography, and video. Born on Council of the Three Fires and Miami lands (Ilinois) to Haitian parents, Balan-Gaubert was raised between Chicago’s southside and the Flatlands neighborhood of Brooklyn on Lenapehoking land (New York). Guided by Haitian, African, and Indigenous-based cultural traditions, Balan-Gaubert creates works that are caught between several realms. She combines personal stories, history, lore, images, found and ready-made objects, and spirituality with craft materials to construct hybrid works.
STR.DST.MRKT Exhibition
Rooted in the Haitian concept of the Lakou system, this exhibition honors the interconnectedness of community, creativity, and commerce that defines the Haitian experience both in Haiti and in the diaspora. The Lakou, historically a communal living space centered around shared land, labor, and cultural practices, serves as a powerful blueprint for how Haitian immigrants have navigated and thrived in new landscapes, particularly in Brooklyn, New York.
Drawing inspiration from the vibrant Haitian marketplace, where artisans, farmers, and entrepreneurs gather to trade goods and stories, and the iconic Tap Tap vehicles, adorned with bold colors and spiritual iconography, that transport people and culture through bustling streets, this exhibition transforms these symbols into a living, mobile art experience.
STR.DST.MRKT. (pronounced "Stardust Market") reflects the dreams and resilience of our foremothers and forefathers who migrated to the United States with the hope of forging a better future for their children. Through the lens of Haitian artistry and craftsmanship, this project reimagines the traditions of the marketplace and the Tap Tap as tools for creative expression and community building.
In Brooklyn—a borough with one of the largest Haitian populations outside of Haiti—this exhibition seeks to create a space for dialogue, connection, and collective memory. By showcasing works from Canarsie artists, makers, and cultural practitioners, STR.DST.MRKT. becomes a mobile hub for artistic exchange and cultural preservation. It is a tribute to those who laid the foundation for future generations, blending heritage with innovation to shape new narratives in the ever-evolving landscape of the diaspora.
As the truck moves through different neighborhoods, it becomes a living archive of stories, struggles, and triumphs, echoing the Lakou’s spirit of solidarity and self-sufficiency. In honoring the past, we create new pathways for creativity and economic empowerment in the present while envisioning a future where the dreams of our ancestors continue to flourish.
