If you know, you know, 2025-2026
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If you know, you know by Tyra Maria Trono
VU centre de diffusion et de production de la photographie
1 May – 14 Jun 2026
In Manila, the nights are coloured by a thousand neon lights from the businesses and bars that enliven them. The flow of traffic, the heat, and the sounds of the city form a familiar ambience that Tyra Maria Trono rediscovers after long hours travelling from Montréal. While urban environments are often dedicated to consumerism, they also evoke powerful emotions when memories are stirred, especially for those who live far away from the places they love. This experience forms the basis of the artist’s exploration of the textures of diasporic life, when that link is often maintained by a nostalgic relationship to souvenirs gathered over time.
Tightly grouped photographs show countless moments and trinkets collected during Trono’s trips to the Philippine capital and in her Montréal neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges, which is home to a large Filipino community. While these consumer items reflect the socio-economic conditions that underlie their mass production, here they mainly serve as emotionally charged mementos and markers of cultural identity. In a time when the threat of destruction and loss looms over the Philippine archipelago—an area highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change—Trono’s installation speaks to the urgent need to preserve traces of what it feels like to be there by capturing entire worlds within tiny things.
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I want to thank everyone who made this exhibition possible. Thank you to my mother, and to both sides of my family, the Hufancias and the Tronos, for their love and support. Thank you to Phil for always being there. Thank you to my professors, Marisa Portolese, Geneviève Cadieux, and Jaret Vadera, for their guidance throughout this journey. Thank you to Victoria Carrasco for her curatorial support, and to John Mendoza for the beautiful design work. Thank you to Zana Chiminian, Pushkar Seewooruttun, Melinda Prince, and Cassandra Dufour for always showing up, and to Alain Zedrick Camiling and Mark Louie Lugue for their generosity, guidance, and support. A special thank you to the team at Centre VU, especially Jacynthe, for your trust and support throughout this exhibition, and to Mag for the technical support. Finally, thank you to everyone who visited the exhibition and spent time with the work.
Photo documentation by Vincent Drouin & Débora Flor
VU centre de diffusion et de production de la photographie
1 May – 14 Jun 2026
In Manila, the nights are coloured by a thousand neon lights from the businesses and bars that enliven them. The flow of traffic, the heat, and the sounds of the city form a familiar ambience that Tyra Maria Trono rediscovers after long hours travelling from Montréal. While urban environments are often dedicated to consumerism, they also evoke powerful emotions when memories are stirred, especially for those who live far away from the places they love. This experience forms the basis of the artist’s exploration of the textures of diasporic life, when that link is often maintained by a nostalgic relationship to souvenirs gathered over time.
Tightly grouped photographs show countless moments and trinkets collected during Trono’s trips to the Philippine capital and in her Montréal neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges, which is home to a large Filipino community. While these consumer items reflect the socio-economic conditions that underlie their mass production, here they mainly serve as emotionally charged mementos and markers of cultural identity. In a time when the threat of destruction and loss looms over the Philippine archipelago—an area highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change—Trono’s installation speaks to the urgent need to preserve traces of what it feels like to be there by capturing entire worlds within tiny things.
-
I want to thank everyone who made this exhibition possible. Thank you to my mother, and to both sides of my family, the Hufancias and the Tronos, for their love and support. Thank you to Phil for always being there. Thank you to my professors, Marisa Portolese, Geneviève Cadieux, and Jaret Vadera, for their guidance throughout this journey. Thank you to Victoria Carrasco for her curatorial support, and to John Mendoza for the beautiful design work. Thank you to Zana Chiminian, Pushkar Seewooruttun, Melinda Prince, and Cassandra Dufour for always showing up, and to Alain Zedrick Camiling and Mark Louie Lugue for their generosity, guidance, and support. A special thank you to the team at Centre VU, especially Jacynthe, for your trust and support throughout this exhibition, and to Mag for the technical support. Finally, thank you to everyone who visited the exhibition and spent time with the work.
Photo documentation by Vincent Drouin & Débora Flor