Search for Life (Maniquin 1)

Stephanie Comilang is a Filipino-Canadian artist based in Berlin. Born in Toronto in 1980, her practice spans video, sculpture, and installation, crafting narratives that explore how mobility, labor, and capital shape culture and society on a global scale.

The two sculptures, Search for Life (Mannequin 1) and Search for Life (Mannequin 2), were conceived and premiered on the occasion of Comilang’s first solo show in Spain at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in 2024. Using textiles as a medium, Comilang delves into themes of migration, memory, and cultural transformation. Clad in garments made of intricately embroidered piña fabric—a traditional material derived from the fibers of pineapple leaves—the mannequins serve as central elements in this multisensory installation.

These sculptural works extend the narratives of the video installation Search for Life (2024), also part of the TBA21 Collection, forging connections between human and nonhuman histories through material and form. The piña fabrics, adorned with motifs of butterflies and pixelated flowers, reference the Manila galleon trade routes that historically connected the Philippines, Mexico, and Spain. These textiles evoke a colonial past shaped by forced labor and cultural exchange. In Comilang’s reinterpretation, however, they are transformed into symbols of resilience and renewal. The butterflies, a recurring motif throughout the “Search for Life” series, reflect the transgenerational migration of monarchs, drawing parallels to the stories of human diaspora and survival that underpin the broader narrative of the work. 

The mannequins’ lifelike forms emphasize the body as a site of memory and identity. The piña fabric, with its translucent yet durable quality, highlights the balance between fragility and strength. The detailed embroidery connects historical and contemporary narratives, inviting reflection on the shared histories of migration and cultural transformation.