Art Exhibits

HOLD EVERYTHING DEAR

Curated by: Antares Bartolome

Artists: Leo Abaya, Buen Abrigo, Rai Cruz, Kite Maker's Association of the Philippines, Luisita Watch, Paolo Lorenzo, Paloma Polo, Jonas Staal, Pancho Villanueva, WSK.FM

This exhibition sought to explore the idea of ‘the commons’, which refers to the natural resources and cultural spheres that all of humanity share. Participating artists were given freedom to create their work, hold talks and facilitate workshops that explored the ideas of communal stewardship, shared heritage vis-à-vis the discourses of exclusion and privatization.

Paintings, photography and sculptures were displayed within the gallery while four adjunct projects extend to the public spaces surrounding the gallery.

The first project was a kite-flying event which addresses the idea of ‘the commons’ directly by a symbolic reclamation of the skies.

The second project was a street mural communicating visual discourses about ‘the commons’. Painted on the perimeter wall along Old Balara towards CP Garcia, a heavy traffic area frequented by a diverse demographic.

The third was a ‘banig’ picnic on the Asian Center grounds, open to advocacy groups, art collectives and other partner organisations. This casual gathering addressed the concept of collective imagination as a shared resource.

The fourth project was a series of recorded programmes tackling the idea of ‘the commons’ and aired via internet and radio.

NEVER ENOUGH

Artist: Pancho C. Villanueva Mixed Media Installation

The installation aims to present a different perspective about man as a player in the ecosystem loop beyond being either a mere consumer or producer or even as both. The work aspires to present man in a cultural and sociological context and how this affects his role as a self-aware participant in the socio-ecological stratum, and thus, in the entire ecological structure. Using the "Sungka" as the central metaphor, the work depicts two opposing players as non-specific entities competing for common resources. It is a satirical take on this whole game of acquisition –acquiring more than they need in order to secure their own welfare regardless of irrevocable damage to the environment, regardless of loss to others.

The installation uses "Sungka" as a counterpoint to emphasize man’s failure to seek appropriation, distribution, resource management, and shared stewardship; instead of acquisition, embezzlement, and greed. It hopes to remind us of our constant struggle for equity and balance as we ponder about the bigger forces that govern over and affect the accessibility to and availability of resources either natural or cultural.

ETHOS, BATHOS, PATHOS

Curators: Planting Rice (Lian Ladia and Siddhartha Perez)

Artists: Tommy Haffala, Jonas Baes, Luis “Junyee” Yee, Autonomous groups: Civ:Lab, Onsite, Etniko Bandido, Marindukanon Studies Center, OverxOut

Venue: UP Vargas Museum

This exhibition of photographs, interactive installations and sound terminals contemplates the singularity of nature, the larger whole that all living beings are said to be part of. The artworks were grouped into three segments, to represent three facets of this whole. "Ethos", which meditates on the idea of the soul, had been represented by works depicting the life stories of indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region.

Solo art installations by Luis “Junyee” Yee as the focal pieces for “Bathos”, or the denouement of our relationship with nature.

LISTENING TERMINALS

Curator: Dayang Yraola

Technical Manager: Franz de Leon, Digital Signal Processing Lab, EEEI

EXHIBITION RUN: 5 February – 1 March 2015

LAUNCH/PERFORMANCES: 5 February 2015, 9-11am and 6-9pm

The Sound and Movement Component, aims to bring elements of the urban eco-system into focus. The traffic, patch greens, the people, the buildings among other natural and built structures has their own role in this eco-system. These elements are there for a reason and a function. However, these elements are too common or too familiar that urban dwellers tend to ignore it, more so, when it comes to auditory experience.

In the Listening Terminals project, sounds from the urban eco-system were recorded as an attempt to isolate them and direct more attention to them. The simple title Listening Terminals is as literal as it appears—listening as the act of consuming, and terminals as the medium of consumption. Sound artists, music composers, dancers and movement artists are invited to use the recorded sounds to compose their pieces. Music/sound compositions will be played on Listening Terminals, with an instruction to allow portion of the raw sound file to be present in their piece. Later during exhibition, the dancers and movement artists will compose and perform their pieces on the sound that is projected in the Listening Terminal. How this whole exercise is related to sustainability is not a direct statement. Rather than stating directly that: “this is your environment and that you are responsible for it”; the project terminates the statement at “this is your environment….” The curatorial of the Sound/Movement component of Project Bakawan is focused on providing sensorial stimuli, which has more potential for continued discussion among the interested audience (whether on the topic of urban ecology, sound art, music, dance, movement, etc), rather than a prescriptive statement. Therefore has more potential for a sustainable discourse.

-Dayang Yraola

Sound Composers

Juro Kim Feliz, Philippines/Canada

Charles Fournier, Philippines

Cris Garcimo, Philippines

Michael Graeve, Australia

Erwin Fajardo, Philippines

Malek Lopez, Philippines/Singapore (tbd) Maria Christine Muyco Jordan Peralta, Philippines (tbd) Thomas Reifner, Germany Kamal Sabran, Malaysia Motohide Taguchi, Japan

Technical and Production Team

Irvin Eusebio

Vanessa Tan

Carl Tolosa

Paul Magat

Jason Disuanco

*Movement concept from Roselle Pineda (Department of Art Studies, College of Arts and Letters) in collaboration with Marx Diego

Audio Files Contributor

Jean Abordo

Kristia Alcantara

Lorenz Aliwalas

Angelo Aquino II

Droo Aragon

Louise Kaye Arandia

Gian Aurelio

Mariefrance Vasquez Ballester

Joannes Castro

Dale Joshua del Carmen

Ashley Diaz

Clarence Diaz

Patricia Dy

Queena Filart

Zyrael Fortes

Janina Guarte

Lois Mari Laput

Jose Marie Mendoza

Chyrene Moncada

Roan Opiso

Ardi Quines

Gerome Soriano

Kim Suyeon

Pol Torrente

Patricia Wilwayco

Acknowledgements

Dr. Carmela Española Click Sonic Labs Mark Alan Laccay UP Center for Ethnomusicology

MUMHO PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

Artists: Ciriaco Santiago III, Mark Z. Saludes, Romeo Dela Cruz Jr.

Venue: Hardin ng Diwata, Faculty Center UPD

Mumho, slang for breadcrumbs or leftovers in Visayan, is the collective title assigned to these three (3) photographic stories which document small scale mining in the Philippines. These stories encapsulate the dire situations that millions are forced into as poverty reigns and resources continue to dwindle.

Mumho by Ciriaco Santiago— There is no room for conceptual photography in this story. Everything is laid straight for us to witness. The monotone photographs expose the vulnerable majority who live in the mountain barangays of Mindanao, where death by drowning is an accepted occupational hazard as they chase for tailings from large scale mining operations upriver in the raging waters of rivers. Likewise, after the many decades of illegal logging, the practice of floating cut logs for meager profits has left the landscape barren and the rivers a death trap. The photographic story of Santiago is a powerful reminder of the traditions of documentary photography where social reform was the whole point of the genre.

Itogon Underground by Julian Okubo—Itogon is located in the grand old Cordillera mountain range in north of Luzon. Cordillera is host to several tribal Filipino tribes who have mined gold here for centuries. Julian Okubo literally takes us underground as present day gold miners tunnel their way for scanty profits simply to survive.

Paracale Gold by Mark Saludes— This color rendition of a mining community reeks of gold fever as everything is covered with golden mud. The eyes of everyone from old men to little children speckled with gold dust. Paracale is a small town south of Manila in Bicol province, this photo story is a look inside the gold mining community rarely seen in Philippine media. Saludes, who hails from this town, has gained valuable access to bring us this story. These stories, all winners of the Masterclass in Documentary Photography (MCDP) Choice Award, were developed as projects for the masterclass mentored by Alex Baluyut. MCDP supports the development of new photo stories by new documentary photographers.

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