Now Open: Greater Toronto Art 2024, March 22–July 28.

honestshop21

December 15, 2021
— January 30, 2022

Do you remember the Honest Shop from 2019, a self-serve store that showcased and sold items handmade by local creators? The shop operated on a self-service basis, relying on the honesty of customers to record their sale and pay.

On December 15, for the holiday season, MOCA is launching a new iteration titled honestshop21, presented within the framework of GTA21 at MOCA is a space that sells goods by makers in the local community, with a specific focus on the Junction neighbourhood. There is no special selection process for what can be sold—provided the products are handmade. The shop is presented as an extension of Tom Chung‘s artwork 50 Shelves for MOCA, which explores democratic design and is itself an edition that is for sale.

All of the items in honestshop21 are handmade, priced and shared by local producers. This unregulated model for trading provides a unique community snapshot and an alternative to commercial mass consumerism; one that is driven by locality, individuals, enthusiasms and goodwill. The shop operates on a self-service basis. Although artists set the price of their work, the project relies on customers’ honesty to input and pay this price (or more), and record their sale in a growing inventory.

Photo Gallery

You might also be interested in...

Three windows show outside of the museum's building and two pairs of two mirrors meet perpendicularly on the floor between the windows. The mirrors sitting against the wall show various text.
September 29, 2021
— January 30, 2022
Greater Toronto Art 2021
A sign of "Honest Shop" on the left side and a few prints created by local makers
May 10, 2019
— September 8, 2019
Honest Shop