The invisible hand of the global economy has a massive impact on identity, but, in the end, workers are dispensable in the pursuit of profit. Angela Tiatia’s two-channel video Edging and Seaming connects New Zealand Pacific Island factory workers and Chinese ones. We see the artist’s mother, Lusi, completing her last garment-construction-work consignment for the Baby Factory, before they outsource to China. We also see the factory in Guangzhou, where the work is now done. Tiatia suggests commonality and difference between the two labour forces. The desire to provide for immediate and extended family is a strong aspect of both Pacific Island and Chinese mindsets.
