For his residency at Marginal Utility Brandon Straus created a multichannel video installation: Coconut Palace and a Bamboo Mansion. It is the result of long distance research and free association about the Philippines’ visual culture from his Filipino-American second generation perspective. The videos explore cultural performativity, economy, and ecosystems within Philadelphia and Hawaii. Store bought coconuts and invasive bamboo in Philadelphia alongside Hawaiian bamboo groves and coconut trees highlight the connection between immigration, international commerce and American Imperialism. This project was also shown in an immersive screening at Icebox Project Space. [2021]
