If there’s one phrase that can get anyone’s attention in the era of late capitalism, it’s “for free.” While many of us believed that communal giving and taking was a lost art, the community pantries of 2021 proved otherwise. Pineapple Lab and Hub: Make Lab, artist and maker-led creative spaces, invites us to keep this spirit of solidarity and camaraderie alive with the Really, Really Free Market (RRFM).
Back by popular demand, Pineapple Lab and Hub: Make Lab’s RRFM is a temporary market based on an alternative gift economy. Participants are encouraged to share new or preloved clean items in working condition from art materials to kitchen supplies, as well as food and plants. Don’t have any material goodies to spare? No problem. You can offer your skills and talents in the form of entertainment, massages, check-ups, on-the-spot art making, lessons, haircuts, yoga, and more. And if you see something you like, you’re really, really free to take it! No need to buy, trade, or barter.
The next RRFM is about to take place on April 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find it at the First United Building on 413 Escolta Street in Binondo, Manila. If you aren’t looking to take anything, you can simply drop off donations at the Hub from April 8 to 10 between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Excited to join this weekend? Just make sure to bring your own bag and that you’re not bringing junk or anything that’s too heavy for a person to take home. Each person is only allowed to take one large shopping bag full of items while families are only allowed to fill two bags at most from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After that time frame, you can take as much as you can, and surplus goods will be donated to local communities in need.
RRFM’s mandate is to provide everyone a taste of giving and taking without expecting anything in return. The event is often hosted by people unaffiliated with a large organization so anyone is encouraged to put an RRFM together anytime, anywhere. Sounds too good to be true? Believe in the magic of community.
Photo courtesy of Hub: Make Lab and Pineapple Lab
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