Lost & Found: TNT in America

Presented by TNT Traysikel

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Lost & Found: TNT in America tells a story of immigration, cultural production and noteworthy achievements by Filipinos and Filipinx Americans in the United States. It is told through the lens of an immigrant-object, TNT Traysikel, a Pinoy motorcycle-sidecar that gives rides and hosts karaoke sessions in and around SOMA Pilipinas District in San Francisco, CA. The traysikel is a wandering site that’s emblazoned with symbols and markers of Filipino-ness. It navigates the streets of San Francisco to understand itself through its community as that community tries to define itself to the rest of the world. 

Broadcasting the presence of a marginalized community under pressure from a history of policies that continue to displace communities of color, the project creates a self-defined narrative of community achievements and contribution to the United States. Some of the topics the film explores are food, comedy, history, visual art, and music.  

This panel is a discussion moderated by Trisha Lagaso Goldberg with TNT Traysikel creators Mike Arcega and Paolo Asuncion, joined with collaborator Rachel Lastimosa. An abridged version of the film will be screened prior to the discussion.  

TNT Traysikel is a public artwork that engages the streets of San Francisco. Traysikels are ubiquitous transport vehicles in the Philippines but a rare sight in the United States; we are aware of 5 Philippine-made sidecar rigs in the US. For many, its existence in America contributes to a sense of belonging and comfort. This is amplified through karaoke activations called TNT SideCaraoke, where people come together to sing and celebrate in community. TNT Traysikel is also the protagonist in a forthcoming film that explores notions of home and a cultural awakening.  

This SFAC funded project is a collaboration between Michael Arcega and Paolo Asuncion. They have performed activations at SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Exploratorium, Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, Kapwa Gardens, Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICASF), and the Chinatown Media Arts Collaborative (CMAC) among other venues. It was featured at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as part of the exhibition, Carlos Villa: Worlds in Collision (June 2022). 

Michael Arcega is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in sculpture and installation. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. He has degrees from the SFAI and Stanford University and is currently an Associate Professor of Art at San Francisco State University. 

Paolo Asuncion is an art director, graphic designer and an independent film maker. His films have garnered awards in the New York, Lisbon, French Riviera, Toronto, and Tokyo motorcycle film festivals. 

Unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory; SF, CA – Rachel Lastimosa is a second generation Ilokana with ancestry from Kalinga Apayao, Ilocos Sur and Ifugao. She is an interdisciplinary artist, producer and performer, scoring for theater and film and has toured nationally and internationally.  She has worked in the Bay Area as a community organizer, arts administrator and artist since the early aughts with public arts programming and performance. Recent projects include Kularts’ Lakbai Diwa (2020-2021), SF Urban Film Fest documentary Sa Amin, and Bituin Worlds with the support of SF Art Commission and the Asian Art Museum.  In 2018, she founded AGASAN, a project that utilizes the arts to provide access to wellness spaces for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Rachel’s focus on the intersection of arts, culture, equity and wellness continues to be the foundation for her creative pursuits and community service. She’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapy. www.agasan.org,  IG:@ibilin_music, @agasan_project 

Trisha Lagaso Goldberg is an artist and independent curator. She recently served as director of Curatorial Affairs for the FOR-SITE Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, understanding, and presentation of art about place through exhibitions and commissions, artist residencies and educational programs. Born and raised on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu, Lagaso Goldberg spent 15 years in the Bay Area (1991-2005). As executive director of Southern Exposure, the acclaimed San Francisco Mission District artist-centered organization and gallery, she stewarded over 100 exhibitions and events and worked with hundreds of artists from around the globe. In 2005, Lagaso Goldberg returned to Hawai‘i where she led the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ commissioned works branch of its public art program. As the founding gallery director and curator of the Honolulu Chinatown art space thirtyninehotel, Lagaso Goldberg launched an artist residency program that invited artists from outside of the archipelago to create site-specific installations. Through this initiative, she commissioned works by artists such as Carolyn Castaño, Eamon Ore-Giron, Julio Morales, and Stephanie Syjuco. Her curatorial projects include Sino Ka? Ano Ka? San Francisco Babaylan (1998), which she co-curated with Carlos Villa for the Museo ng Maynila; and Lands End (2022), which featured the work of 27 international artists addressing climate crisis at the historic Cliff House in San Francisco. Lagaso Goldberg served as co-curator of the 2022 Carlos Villa: Worlds in Collision retrospective exhibition, presented at the Newark Museum of Art (Newark, NJ), San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery and Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. She currently lives and works in San Francisco and on the island of Oahu.