Tania Balan-Gaubert | CANARSIE

Tania L. Balan-Gaubert is a Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary conceptual artist, curator, and writer whose work examines race, transnational identity, and history through mixed media, photography, installation, and video. 

Born on Council of the Three Fires and Miami lands (Illinois) to Haitian parents, Balan-Gaubert was raised between Chicago’s southside and the Flatlands neighborhood of Brooklyn on Lenapehoking land (New York). Guided by Haitian, African, and Indigenous-based cultural traditions, Balan-Gaubert creates works that are caught between several realms. She combines personal archive(s), history, lore, images, found and ready-made objects, and spirituality with craft materials to construct hybrid works. Balan-Gaubert earned her MFA in Fine Arts from California College of the Arts and her MA in African American Studies from Columbia University.

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“My Lakou NOU residency in Canarsie began with a dive into the neighborhood’s cultural landscape, guided by listening sessions, site visits, and informal conversations with residents, artists, and small business owners. Drawing from my background in mixed media, installation, and conceptual art, I wanted to create a project that was both rooted in Haitian diasporic traditions and responsive to the rhythms of the local community.

STR.DST.MRKT. evolved from my reflections on the Haitian marketplace and the tap-tap to envision vibrant sites of commerce, creativity, and collective storytelling. The idea of transforming a dollar van into a mobile studio and concept shop emerged as I recognized the connections between Brooklyn’s commuter culture and Haiti’s public transportation system. Both serve as mobile spaces of exchange, where histories, music, and everyday survival strategies circulate.

In the early phases of the residency, I engaged the community through site visits and listening sessions. These encounters reinforced the importance of public art and creative access points that exist beyond traditional galleries. 

STR.DST.MRKT. is an evolving response to these interactions. Looking at creativity as a vehicle, an open call brought Canarsie artists and community members to join in this conceptual art project for shared creativity and commerce. It is both a nomadic gathering space and a reflection of the layered, transnational identities that shape Canarsie. By centering oral histories, collective memory, and artistic exchange, the project honors Haitian cultural continuity while making space for new modes of engagement.”

– Tania Balan-Gaubert

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STR.DST.MRKT. (pronounced Stardust Market) is an innovative mobile creative platform inspired by the vibrancy of the Haitian marketplace and the dynamic spirit of tap-tap vehicles. Combining elements of a hands-on studio, gallery, and concept shop, this project reimagines public spaces as hubs for creativity, cultural exchange, and community engagement.

This conceptual art project envisioned a community-based experimental mobile market where art is a shared, lived experience that strengthens community bonds, sparks dialogue, and reflects the transformative power of creativity in Canarsie. As a collaborative, maker-driven initiative, STR.DST.MRKT. invited local artists, artisans, and community members through an open call to co-create a hybrid space where art, commerce, and social dialogue intersect. By transforming a mobile structure—such as a retrofitted box truck—into a traveling cultural market, STR.DST.MRKT. activated the southeastern Brooklyn neighborhood/lakou of Canarsie, cultivating innovation, and celebrating the diverse voices of its collaborators and partnerships.

This nomadic marketplace showcased artwork and crafts, an exhibition, and hosted pop-up workshops that amplified the talents and stories of Rasin Okan, Natou Ma’at, Christopher Leveille, and Tania Balan-Gaubert. Rooted in the principles of accessibility, equity, and cultural resilience, STR.DST.MRKT. aligns with broader movements for social and economic empowerment, offering a tangible model for creative engagement that transcends traditional gallery walls.