August 18, 2003
REINERIO A. ALBA
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts-Committee on Visual Arts (NCCA-CVA) presents the exhibit “Sungdu-an3/NCR3: Making the Local,” sub-themed: National Capital Region: Nation-Concept Renewal for a Nation-in-Crisis Redeemed, on view at the Pasig City Museum from August 12 to September 28, 2003.
Christopher Rollo, head of the National Committee on Visual Arts, said that the exhibit is a four-phase project. Phase 1, the curatorial phase, was just completed with the launching of the concept on regional exhibits in February of this year in Manila (Cultural Center of the Philippines), Lingayen, Pangasinan (Don Narciso Ramos Civic Center), Dumaguete City (Silliman University), Zamboanga City (Ateneo de Zamboanga).
Rollo explained that the theme “Making the Local” focuses on two operative words: “making” and “local.” “Making” points to the never-ending reexamination of artmaking, of art as process, and of ever-evolving quest for expression that challenges boundaries. “Local” attempts to redeem the word from negative connotations of inferiority, isolationist shortsightedness, and mediocrity vis-a-vis global standards and instead presents the local as excellent and reflective of the Filipino disposition.
Curator Imelda Cajipe-Endaya challenged the country’s young and innovative artists to re-examine the self and explore interconnectedness and the concept of nationhood in an era of globalization. The exhibit features works in mixed media, sculpture, painting, installation, digital and performance art.
The artists featured are three artists from Anino Shadowplay: Datu Arellano, Don Salubayba and Marc Cosico; the Daambakal Sculptors Collective; mixed media and performance artist Mideo Cruz; conceptual artist Lyra Abueg Garcellano; digital artist Fatima Lasay; and textile sculptor Mac Valdezco. They were all selected for the freshness and relevance of their ideas, as well as commitment to craftsmanship.
Arellano, Salubayba, and Cosico present the work collectively titled “Inner Being/Outer Being” as part of their larger work “Inside/out: Loob/labas.”
Arellano is a product of the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA)-1998. Among his solo exhibitions are “Schnell” at De La Salle University Art Gallery (1999) and “Magnilay” at De La Salle University Art Gallery (2001) and joined group exhibits “Densities: Making sense of Dense Cities” (CCP, 2003), “SBW Annual Lighting Show” (Photography Art Center, 2002), and the First ASEAN Cultural Week at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2002.
Salubayba hails from Davao City and is a PHSA graduate himself. His solo exhibits include: “Echoes of the Sea” (Casa San Miguel, 2003), “Portraits: Works on Paper” (Kulay-Diwa Art Galleries, Parañaque City), “Figured Realities” (Boston Gallery, Cubao, Quezon City, 2002). He also participated in the following group exhibits: “Drawings” (Kulay-Diwa Art Galleries, 2003), “Recent Works I” (Kulay-Diwa Art Galleries, 2002), “Blanket of Shadows” (Surrounded by Water Gallery, Edsa, Mandaluyong City, 2000). He was also a Philippine Visual Arts Delegate to the ASEAN “Nature Hug” Art Camp at Villa Escudero, Laguna in 1998.
Cosico, like Arellano and Salubayba, is a product of PHSA (1995) with BFA in Painting from the UP College of Fine Arts He was part of the group exhibits “Drawings” (Kulay-Diwa Art Galleries, 2003), “Recent Works 4” (Kulay-Diwa Art Galleries, 2002), and “Paper Over” (Ayala Museum, 2000).
Nueva Ecija-born Cruz presents his work “Concepciong Kolonyal” as part of the question his exhibit asks: “Who will Own the Next Century?” This 2003 13 Artists Awardee is a member of the New World Disorder and the convenor of Tupada, a fortnightly performance art event. Among his exhibits are “Dog Show” (Surrounded by Water Cubao, 2002), “Peace Show” (Kentler Gallery, New York, 2002), “Hardware 2” (UP Vargas Museum, 2002). He also participated in the One-Day Performance Art Festival and the Guimcheon International Performance Art Festival both in Korea in 2002.
The Daambakal Sculptors Collective presents “Layag ng Laya” as part of their “bowl project: nourishing life and art in Tondo community.” Daambakal Sculptors Collective is a non-profit group of artists whose aim is to develop and popularize ethnic-inspired contemporary Filipino people’s art. The group is based in Daambakal, Tayuman, Tondo, Manila. Among the group’s exhibits are “Daambakal 2K” (Megamall Art Center, 2000), “Daambakal” (Megamall Art Center, 1999), “Artruption” (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1991). They also participated during the Baguio Arts Festival in 1990.
Garcellano exhibits her work “Stilled Life” spun from the framework “Filipina: roots, displacement and home.” She is the brains behind “The Adventures of Atomo and Weboy the Buddha Bear” at the comics section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. A recipient of UNESCO-Ashberg Bursaries for Artists: Residency with Cemeti Art Foundation in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Garcellano has the following exhibits to her credit: “Densities: Making Sense of Dense Cities” (CCP, 2003), “One Fine Day” (Block Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 2002), “Portable Multiples” (Plastique Kinetic Worms, Singapore, 2002) and “Mark” (Surrounded by Water Gallery, Cubao, 2002).
Lasay’s “Sound Installation” reverberates from the “Translocal: re-imagining the center” concept she puts forth in her exhibit. She previously did “E-M/AG/INERO” (An Experimental Poetry Installation), a collaboration with Brazilian poet and literature professor Jorge Luiz Antonio., 2001 (www.the-virtual-mine.net). She also did a physical installation, launched in August 2001 at the Gegenort Industrial Mine Pit in Neunkirchen-Wiebelskirchen, Germany.
Valdezco exhibits his installation “Life Forms Life” reflective of his view on “Self and solidarity/interconnectedness.” His previous exhibits include one solo exhibit (Metaforms, Avellana Art Gallery, Pasay City, 2002) and groups exhibits like “Sculptures 2.2” (Hotel Intercontinental Lobby, Makati City, 2001), “Elemento: Pangunahing Udyok III” (Surrounded by Water Gallery, 2001), “2nd Annual SBW Sound Art Celebration” (Surrounded by Water Gallery, 2000), “Ang De-Latang Pinoy—Yes, the Filipino Can” (Hiraya Gallery, 1996).
Sungdu-an3/ NCR3 is organized by the NCCA-CVA in cooperation with the Pasig City Government, Pasig City Museum, and the Kalipunan ng Sining at Kultura ng Pasig (KSKP).
The Artists’ Dialogues will also be held at the Pasig City Museum on two successive Saturdays featuring Anino Shadowplay, Daambakal Sculptors Collective and Fatima Lasay (Aug. 30, 1pm); and Lyra Abueg Garcellano, Mideo Cruz and Mac Valdezco (Sept. 13, 1pm).
Pasig City Museum (tel. 02 6410211) is located at Plaza Rizal across Pasig City Hall, and is open daily (except Mondays) from 9am to 5pm. Guided viewing of the exhibit is also available from 2 pm to 5pm.
After NCR, the other exhibit areas and the target months for this year are as follows: Sison Auditorium in Lingayen, Pangasinan (October); SM Cebu Art Center in Cebu City (September); and Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City (November).
