hear Me.

TNT Traysikel is a mobile sculpture and site for joyous singing (TNT SideCaraoke). It collects narratives for the purpose of archiving, uplifting and broadcasting the Filipinx American contributions and achievements through a forthcoming documentary series (TNT in America). It is a collaborative project by Michael Arcega and Paolo Asuncion, hand painted by Michelle “Meng” Nguyen.

TNT SideCaraoke is a social practice artwork where participants perform karaoke through the built-in karaoke system in the traysikel. These events become a celebration of community through the act of singing.

TNT in America tells a story of immigration, cultural production and noteworthy achievements by Filipinos and Filipinx Americans in the United States.

Michael Arcega is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in sculpture and installation. His research-based work is informed by Historic narratives, material significance, and geography with subject matter that deals with circumstances where power relations are unbalanced. Michael has degrees from the San Francisco Art Institute and Stanford University. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. He was awarded a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship in Fine Arts. Born in Manila, Philippines, he currently lives and works in San Francisco, California where he is an Associate Professor of Art at San Francisco State University.

Paolo Asuncion grew up in Manila and, as the son of a popular actor, was immersed in the film industry from a very early age. This initiated early work with corporate films and eventually documentaries that make up part of his visual arts career. As an avid motorcyclist, Asunción’s work uses the motorcycle subculture as a springboard to explore subjects like religion, craft, family legacy, sex trafficking and death. His films have garnered awards in motorcycle film festivals in New York, Lisbon, French Riviera, Toronto, and Tokyo. Asuncion lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently working on his first feature film.

The Autonomous Region presents both classic standards and modern arrangements of jazz favorites. Led by vocalist Caroline Cabading, this Chinatown-based ensemble performs regularly at the International Hotel Manilatown Center in San Francisco and enjoys a variety of public and private engagements throughout the Bay Area.