NADA House 2021

“Landing for Lolo” examines the layered links between Governors Island, Hoffman’s Indigenous seafaring family history, and her grandfather Gil Palabrica’s lived experience serving as a Petty Officer aboard an American naval ship during WWII—the highest rank Filipino men were afforded which involved assisting higher ranking white officers with domestic duties. Governors Island was the historic command headquarters of the US Army during American occupation of the Philippines. Exploring themes of domestication, foreign occupation, and cultural resuscitation, the immersive installation subverts the neocolonial affect of contemporary American kitsch to carve out a space to honor her grandfather. Hoffman reimagines the colonel’s dining room as the ancient landing of Mother Boat, a monumental 1000-year-old balangay vessel recently discovered near her grandfather’s home island. Mother Boat is the largest sailing vessel of its kind ever found, and preceded European explorers by centuries.