Carrier Bag for Future Ancestors was commissioned by artist Jimeno Sarno for inclusion in Rhapsody, her 2026-27 exhibition at MASS MoCA. Sarno collaborated with artists, teachers and makers combining filmmaking, sound and sculpture within contemporary and traditional craft practices. This carrier bag is part of an installation that relies on bodies of knowledge passed from maker to maker, and is a tool designed for a hoped-for, not-so-distant future built on solidarity and mutual care.

All societies imbue selected objects with meaning beyond their obvious function.   Carrier Bag for Future Ancestors is one such object. The bag is constructed from an ancient fiber meant for Sarno’s hoped-for utopian future – a cultural reminder of our collective history as gatherers for communal sustenance. With our active and sustained stewardship today, our descendants will become ancestors to future generations, and the cycle of mutual care will continue.