Wong Winsome Dumalagan is the inaugural recipient of the Fog & Mist Residency, presented in partnership between Fogo Island Arts, Para Site and MOCA Toronto. The residency, generously supported by Eleanor & Francis Shen, aims to foster cross-cultural exchange, provide a platform for emerging artists from Hong Kong, and cultivate connections between Asia and North America.
Read more about this partnership.
Wong’s videos—Vi de O ver. 2 and Their Temporary Night Views and On-screen Homelands—were being shown here as a debut introduction of Wong’s work to Toronto’s arts and culture community. These two videos were exclusively available through MOCA’s website from October 3 to October 20, 2024.
Vi de O ver. 2
Having volunteered in the same school in Cambodia a few times during 2014-2018, Wong handed toy cameras to some of her students to capture their daily lives from their own perspectives. The playful videos, vibrant colours, and animation effects all came from the children and the toy cameras themselves. At the time, smartphones were not widely used in Cambodia. Through these images taken by the children, Wong was able to visit places and moments she might never have seen otherwise.
Although she spent time with the children visiting their homes and neighbourhoods, Wong felt her understanding of their lives remained limited. In her words, “despite our different culture and language, it’s inevitable that I’m from a more privileged place, I often feel inadequate in sharing about them. The children did not keep copies of the footage, and it could feel strange that these moments may be forgotten by them but stayed with me as I edit and revisit them. I am deeply grateful for their openness, allowing me to glimpse their world through their eyes. These captured moments are not meant to make grand statements but simply attempting to record their everyday lives, as they wanted to capture.”
Their Temporary Night Views and On-Screen Homelands
This video features images and footage shared by four Filipino migrant workers, all of whom are friends of Wong’s Filipina mother. These workers are based in Mid-Levels, a district known for housing wealthier residents, offering clear views of the city’s skyline and fireworks.
Despite spending much of their time in these affluent households, the night views they witness are fleeting and tied to the duration of their employment. During the pandemic, social media and video calls became their primary way to visit their homelands, with phones serving as a sole connection to family. Their stories about home and family also highlight the broader mobility of Filipinos working as migrants across different countries.
About the Artist
Wong Winsome Dumalagan’s practice revolves around videography, images, and installations, often rooted in the cultural contexts she traverses. Wong aims to understand places, roots, and mobility, exploring how everyday narratives construct knowledge, through both planned and serendipitous encounters. With imagery she captured or collected from those she encountered, she sculpts and layers visuals. Wong often incorporates discarded household items—inexpensive and sometimes flawed materials—to create temporary spaces that are continuously reconfigurable, probing the boundaries of representation. Wong is a member of the Floating Projects Collective.
Wong Winsome Dumalagan (all videos and images are taken by students Wong encountered through volunteering in Cambodia), Vi de O ver. 2 (still), 2016. © the artist. Courtesy the artist. / Wong Winsome Dumalagan (with Criz, Arlyn, Alice, Tommy, Lorna and their families) Their Temporary Night Views and On-Screen Homelands,2023-2024. © the artist. Courtesy the artist.