Mga Kuwento Sa Pagitan (Stories In Between) Brings Filipino Stories Of Migration, Identity, And Belonging To Ōtepoti

This October, Denise Narciso, Filipino New Zealand designer, educator, and Principal Lecturer of Design at Otago Polytechnic, will bring her Master’s project, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan (Stories In Between), to 125 George Street.

Running from 10–17 October, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan is an immersive, story-led exhibition exploring migration, identity, and belonging through Denise’s own experience of moving from the Philippines to Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside the lived experiences of eight Filipino New Zealand (Kiwinoy) creatives.

Inspired by the dramatic and interconnected storytelling structure of the Filipino teleserye, the exhibition follows a migrant journey drawn from Denise’s own experience. Rather than presenting migration as a straightforward success story, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan explores the vulnerability, uncertainty, mistakes, connections, and growth that can shape the experience of building a life between cultures.

“Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan is a story of what it means to live between worlds — between cultures, between places, and between who we were and who we are becoming. Through my own journey and the stories of eight Filipino New Zealand creatives, the exhibition explores the uncertainty, connection, memory, and belonging found in the spaces in between.”

At its heart, the exhibition brings together personal storytelling and collective experience. Through kwentuhan - a Filipino practice of storytelling through conversation - Denise gathered the stories and reflections of eight Filipino New Zealand creatives. Their voices sit alongside her own, offering different perspectives on life sa pagitan - between cultures, identities, places, and ideas of home.

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Through large-scale illustration, moving image, sound, text, and layered works, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan creates an immersive environment where personal and collective stories intersect. Drawing on anikismo - a contemporary Filipino design approach embracing layering, hybridity, and cultural abundance - the exhibition reflects the complexity of living between worlds.

Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan will also become a space for community, conversation, and cultural exchange throughout its week-long duration.

The exhibition opens on Saturday 10 October with a salu-salo, a shared Filipino gathering of food, live music and conversation, from 5pm.

Throughout the exhibition, Denise will also host a series of Tambayan sessions. Tambayan is Tagalog for a place or time to hang out, and the sessions will offer relaxed opportunities to gather, connect, and take part in Filipino-inspired activities and shared experiences. Developed in collaboration with the Otago Filipino Students Association (OFSA), the programme is currently taking shape, with further details to be announced.

At the heart of these gatherings is kwentuhan - the sharing of stories through conversation - alongside the Filipino concept of kapwa, or shared humanity. Together, these ideas invite visitors to connect through conversation, storytelling, and shared experience.

While rooted in Filipino experiences of migration and identity, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan asks questions that reach beyond one cultural experience: What does home mean? Where do we belong? And how do our experiences shape who we are?

“Projects like this are exactly why creating opportunities for artists to share their work with the wider Ōtepoti community is so important. Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan is such a special project, bringing Filipino storytelling, traditions and cultural practices into our community while creating space for people to connect, share and learn from one another. It’s been wonderful to play a part in supporting Denise to bring this work to the public.” says Broker Jessica Covell

By bringing together storytelling, oral histories, illustration, research, and community participation, Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan offers Ōtepoti audiences an opportunity not simply to witness stories of migration, but to reflect on their own experiences of identity, change, and belonging.

Event Details
Exhibition: Mga Kuwento sa Pagitan (Stories In Between)
Designer and Researcher: Denise Narciso
Dates: 10–17 October 2026
Opening: Saturday 10 October, 5pm–8pm
Location: 125 George Street, Ōtepoti Dunedin
Admission: Free

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