10.29.06 article / art review

Note: This is another of the advantages that kulturnatibists members have; you get advance articles. This article is coming out next week in the art page of the Cebu Daily News. It is ready, so I've decided, I might as well post it.

Hot exhibit at a cool resort, or is it the other way around?

One word descriptives of resorts usually run from the extremes of hot to cool. Normally, both are taken as compliments depending on how the resort positions itself, with anything in between being almost literally the equivalent of the purgatorial afterlife. Limbo, in other words.

But some resorts, more ambitious than others and, more importantly willing to put their wallets – fat, hopefully -- where their ambitious mouths are, try for the both hot and cool at the same time. An instance where, in a twist to the law of physics about opposites attracting, opposites join together to become an even bigger attraction.

While Victor Vergara, 43, is no stranger to physics, even if industrial engineering, his professional affiliation, might have less to do with physics than its other co-curricular courses, it is aesthetics and, frankly, business – after all aesthetics is big business -- together with some helpful egging on from some friends that have encouraged him to push for the hot and cool together in their resort.

With some space to spare and an ambitious expansion and refitting project in the works, Vergara took the plunge in December of last year with the inaugural show of Negregosanon poster boy for local art making it big in the international art scene, Nunelucio Alvarado.

Still, at that time, there was some hesitation. It wasn't until after that show that the Maribago Bluewater Gallery was established with the small but important exigent of making the name official, emblazoned discreetly yet firmly and tastefully in the show window of the main gallery room.

Four exhibits later, the gallery currently hosts its first show of abstracts by Dennis 'Sio' Montera, titled, 'AbstractSIOns,' that will run until November 17.

Cool change
Since his return from Manila in where he earned his masters degree in studio arts -- with honors -- from the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Montera has established himself as the leading 'cool', formalist abstractionist artist in Cebu.

This sets him off, though not necessarily in opposition, to the other established abstractionist of Cebu, Tito Cuevas, whose immediately palpable emotional, 'hot' expressionism belies an affinity to Pollock's 'action painting' as contrasted with the 'cool' impersonality of Rothko's atmospherics that Montera employs.

Actually, Montera pays homage to both moderns along with his own unique contributions, mostly in the area of materials use and application techniques, especially as far its acceptability with and utilization among local artists. The drip elements of Pollock is immediately apparent but the compositional color field approach of Rothko is somewhat hinted at with its color juxtapositioning though with harder, more defined edges.

Unlike his comeback show at the SM Art Center in February 2004, where the spotlight was on the newly incorporated industrial materials that Montera had been experimenting with – industrial resin and with teams of workers using industrial tools, -- this show steps back to his rawer, more immediate instincts that shows texture without the seeming denial of texturality by the encasing or laminating process and effect evident in that earlier show.

Also, with the exception of the main piece, measuring 12ft. by 4ft. dominating the main exhibit room, the works in this show have been reduced down to not only human scale, but, more importantly, mobile scale; the scale at which things are easy to travel with, especially as either carry-on or check-in luggage on the passenger plane.

Small change
Yet, Montera says that this is only inadvertent. “I was actually making many of the smaller pieces for my show at SM for next year, when I received word from my manager, Jude Bacalso, that this show was pushing through. So, why not show the pieces that were ready?.”

Just the same, he says that the largeness of a work doesn't seem to deter serious collectors from buying. “Two of my 4ft by 4ft works were bought by Manila-based locals. They simply had it packed for check-in baggage on the plane.” he said.

Still, for his part, Vergara, who currently acts as both curator and gallery manager, assures potential collectors, especially resort guests, that the gallery will assist in the shipment of the works worldwide, through whatever preferred means, and ensure that the works are properly packed to withstand the rigors of shipping.

“When we decided to set up the gallery, we made sure that we were ready to make available this service to collectors who would buy the works since part of the joy of collecting is having access to the collected itema at the time and place where it they are to be enjoyed.” Vergara adds.

“Of course,” Montera concurs, “artists will always appreciate galleries who take care of such details. We artists cannot or should not be bothered with such details.”

It is clear which details Montera can and takes care be bothered with. His works are take both control and abandon, both of which take unimaginable details to master in its proper mix, balance and, ultimately, impact.

10.26.06 kulturnatib

At the roof of the world

John Pirsig, writing in Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, said that with motorcycles one is truly in the picture in ways that one cannot be in a car. That is so. Even more so when one is on a bicycle.

I don't know if Jens Funk knows John Pirsig or his book. But, i know that Jens knows plenty about bicycles.

Together with a friend, Martin Langevoord, and collaborator on a book, the first and only so far, on cycling in the Philippines – it's the Visayas Edition as it features rides mostly in this region, though rides in Palawan, Romblon and Camiguin are included -- they recently took a trip from Pakistan to China along Karakoram Highway through some of the highest, most challenging and most picturesque passes in the world.

They undertook this journey to draw attention to and raise funds for the foundation that they have set up. The Bike 4 U foundation aims to gather donated bikes and bike parts from all over, primarily in the Philippines and Germany to give to deprived Filipino children, to introduce them to riding and repairing bicycles and to give them opportunities to join biking seminars.

Both Jens and Martin also know a thing or two about Filipino children, though it is with Jens that I know this firsthand.

I wrote about this innovative project that he helped set up in Cabilao Island, Bohol that provided satellite inernet access mostly to school children but also to the community and the tourists who flock to this diving haven.

Jens works here as a development worker with the German DED as an information technology consultant for the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), working particularly in IT curriculum development and teacher training. He is now working with some local telecommunications company to convert the satellite hook-up system in Cabilao to the much cheaper wireless wifi connection using mobile cell technology.

Jens also plays here. Yet, more than anything, he also wishes to share the fun. This led to the writing of the bicycling guide book.

I was privileged to join Jens on one of these fun rides some years back. We undertook to bike across Cebu island from Dalaguete on the east to Badian on the west through Mantalongon the vegetable basket of Cebu.

Going up to Mantalongon was fairly easy as the road is mostly paved, but it was the crossing to the other side, the following day, that proved to be a challenge as the road had just been recently opened and it had rained the night before making the ride very slippery through very steep, rock strewn slopes.

Jens ate this up. Just as I imagine he did their recent Pakistan to China trip though at elevations many times higher than Mantalongon.

Just how, though, I can't be certain. But I should soon find out.

This Sunday, October 29, he will be presenting a slide show of their trip at the Outpost Restaurant along Busay Road, at 9pm. He will also turn over whatever donations they received through the trip, from their main sponsors, North Face, Philippines and Rudy Project, Philippines and the kilometrage purchases bought, mostly online, at P60 or 1EU$ per kilometer of the entire length of their trip.
Everybody is invited. See you there.

10.24.06 article / art feature

Note: This is an article contributed to the arts page of the Cebu Daily News, which the editor, my editor tries to come up with regularly every Tuesday.

To gather again

Despite the continuing currency of the myth of the solitary struggler, artists take to gatherings, like fish to water. Especially, with their own kind. Unlike fish, however, who group into amorphous schools, artists do get together in definite organizations, even if, with many of these, the amorphous label can stick quite handily and the only definite thing about them is that they're definitely here today and, as definitely, gone tomorrow.

But what of those who are definitely serious with their organizations and who have the staying power of the Energizer bunny? What are they up to? How are their organizations encouraging the production and appreciation of art? Do they have concerns beyond the frames of their canvasses or the particular confines of their media? Are they moving or leading the broadening of field of art into other non-traditional media and attitudes towards art? Who are they?

At first glance, these questions seem to be the perfect list of topics for a conference, a convention or a cultural gab fest. But they can also be thought balloons for a daring – and, in retrospect, daunting – exhibit that puts the spotlights as much on the artists and their groups as their respective collective works.

The organizer of this show is the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, or the Met as it is more fondly called. They have the space, the staff, the respect of the artists and their audience, especially those with deeper, corporate pockets, and the history of artistic chutzpah to earn them the reputation of being the leading space for national and international contemporary arts in the country.

Supported by a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) the Met set about getting together a curatorial team that would put together the design, determinants, directives and the debutantes – for indeed, while some of the participants are grizzled, experienced artists, in an exhibit of this kind and with this scope, they are nearly all virginal debutantes – for this exhibit that opened last October 19 and will run till February 2007.

Composed of Inno Manalo, Chris Rollo, both of the Met – though Rollo has since resigned to join the United Nations Habitat Programme -- Brenda Fajardo and Bobi Valenzuela, both respected independent curators, this team set about organizing this show. The concept was discussed and agreed upon, the exhibit dates calendared, and, most importantly, the participants chosen, informed and contracted for the show.

Of the original seven designated groups, six finally cemented their commitment. These are the Anting-anting of Cavite, the Ang INK (Ilustrador Ng Kabataan) of Metro Manila, the Pampanga Arts Guild (PAG) of Pampanga, the Produksiyon Tramontina of Bacolod, the Davao Arts Foundation (DAF) of Davao and, our group, the Lunâ Art Collective of Cebu City.

The geographic spread of the groups was one of the more important parameters for the exhibit. It was an important recognition that groups with a more contemporary bent, who were going beyond the post even pre-war models for such groups, were not just confined to the capital but have been and are trying to play their often self-determined roles of catalysts in their respective communities for a more dynamically engaged art practice.

The exhibit is spread out on the second level of the Met. This level has two small exhibit rooms along the north end and exhibit walls on the west and south ends. Floor works can be placed on connecting walkways on the west and east, though the latter does not abut to the wall as it does at the opposite end.

Through the northwest stairs, the works are laid out thus: Immediately to the left, at the top of the stairs, facing south, is the work of the PAG (Lugud Qng Indung Gabun – Love For Our Earth Mother), then in the Anita Magsaysay Ho Gallery is the work of Produksiyon Tramontina (Reaction Shots), in the next room is the work of Anting-anting (Nagkalat Na Naman Si Lolo Sa Lungga ni Apo – Once Again, Lolo Is Making A Mess In The Studio Of Apo), across is the panel board and the space around it for the works of Ang INK (Play!), next to it, towards and occupying a space the length of the wall was the work of the DAF (Chasing Our Dreams). Rounding out the exhibit, on the south wall and occupying half of the walkway that leads back onto the PAG area is the work of the Lunâ Art Collective (Halad Alang Kang Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco – Offering For Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco).

Here, installations are, expectedly, the favored structure of all the works, though with Ang INK it is simply functional. Together with contextual narrative, it serves as the formal organizing plan that brings different elements together in various degrees of cohesion. Of the elements, paint is, not surprisingly, the most commonly used, with DAF's and Ang INK's works showing the most painted images on one hand and Produksiyon Tramontina, whose video installation uses no painted image on the other.

Picture prints, mostly digitally generated and printed comes in next as the favored image source for the works, with both PAG and Lunâ having large scale digital prints as dominant images though much more with Lunâ's work as an anchoring, context setting element. Also, both works rely on a photo narrative to establish historicity though for a much longer time scale in PAG's work and much more focus in Lunâ's.

Found objects, sculptures and mix-media make up the contents of the floor space. In Anting-anting's, PAG's and Lunâ's works they are the central objects determinative of context but much looser, more open-ended with Anting-anting, while more symbolic in both PAG's and Lunâ's.

Of the works, Anting-anting appears to have the loosest structure and most neutral, symbolically diffused content; Ang INK's, the most utilitarian; Produksiyon Tramontina's, the most technologically savvy; DAF's, the most personal; Lunâ's, the most socio-political; and PAG's the most biographical.

While it may be too early to pass judgment on Rollo's claim during the opening that, “This exhibit is a landmark in Philippine art,” it is clear that contemporary art and expressions are taking root all over the country nurtured by different and difficult environments that these groups have taken on as a challenge.

10.17.06 kulturnatib

Bringing together, again

In March of 2002, we headed for Manila, for an exhibit at the Surrounded by Waters (SBW) art space, at that time, across the Galleria Towers, along EDSA.

This was an exhibit that we had agreed with the SBW group which they were to reciprocate with an exhibit at our space, the Lunâ Art Collective art space, several months later.

While prior to this there had been little by way of formal communication between our groups, we were both aware of the existence of the other, though there was much more to know about their group as they had been in the scene as a group much earlier than we had been.

Both our groups were involved with Artist-Run Spaces (ARS). We both realized that running or managing our own spaces for exhibits and other art activities was central to our similar visions of nurturing an art – much of it our own, we have to admit – that was less commodified or even commodifiable as it was more meaningful to our personal and collective reasons for our engagement in art.

Artist-Run Spaces were not new in the art world. Most famous, perhaps, of these spaces would be Andy Warhol's, 'The Factory.' Early on in Warhol's rise to fame, he hit upon the idea that since art was already a commodity, a 'hot' commodity even – an idea that he literally exploited with his works on popular commodities, Campbell's Soup cans, Brillo boxes, etc., -- why not try to produce art the way commodities were made; in a factory and in some kind of assembly-line system?

While recognizing the point that Warhol was making, and in a way that, while, ironically, it was a critique of the 'art system', it made him extremely rich and successful, we also recognized that having our own space would allow us to mount exhibits and engage in other art activities supporting our vision of art that admittedly was and still is not quite supported or supportable by the present system of preferences of local art collectors and commercial galleries.

Still, we also recognized that, important as that was, the physical space was actually much less central to our groups as much as keeping the group together around some shared vision for art.

The SBW group had more experiences with art spaces. They had, in the course of their existence, several spaces in different circumstances of their occupation and tenancy. We only had one space, though in two configurations. In the end, the fact that spaces are real estate, an always rising commodity value and price-wise in an urban setting, prevailed.

The trajectories may have been different, but both us and the SBW group are now space-less.

Still, the SBW's and our experience will be shown to have many parallels, most important of these would be how, in the end, a group's vision will prevail over circumstances and will continue to keep a group engaged.

These are my thoughts on the way to the, 'Tipon: Artists Organizing,' exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila where we have been invited and which will open today. I have to wonder, though, why the SBW is not part of this exhibit. Are they still around? More likely as individual artists and not much anymore as a group. They might very well show up at the exhibit opening. And it would be fun to meet with them once again and to keep up.

As it will be fun and, hopefully, instructive to meet up with the other groups in this exhibit. We know many of these artists and groups, some closely and others through the grapevine of the national art scene.

This is, somehow, a homecoming exhibit for us. It will be a bigger, more prestigious and longer home stay than our first one at the SBW space. But, it will, in many ways, be the same home. Our vision when we started and how it has continued to keep us together through the difficulties of personal circumstance and group dynamics has contributed to our continuing art engagement. In turn, this has been what got us invited.

This exhibit is an honor for us. Hopefully, it will be more; it will be a challenge.

10.12.06 kulturnatib

Halad for Tipon

Art groups, like most groups in the Philippines, are, as they say, a dime a dozen. These groups have not been immune to the general Pinoy cultural viruses of division and replication, a major reason for their proliferation.

But, divide and replicate are not the only things that art groups do, even if to a casual onlooker that's what seems to be happening all or most of the time.

Art groups, traditionally, have and are playing a major role in the advancement of art and the promotion of some artists mainly through the organizing of exhibits.

This tradition has developed from, on one hand, the necessity for exhibiting and, on the other, the often lack of infrastructure or dedicated exhibit spaces – galleries -- and, more importantly, the personnel with experience and, often less so, expertise in mounting exhibits. Curatorship, in short.

But in recent years, art groups have emerged questioning or challenging this traditional model. These groups have and are seeing that the focus on exhibiting alone is too shortsighted and simply perpetuates the 'art as commodity' ethos that also drives most of whatever available or dedicated spaces there are, forgetting, ignoring or being completely unaware of the other, more fundamental aspects of art.

In recognition of this development the Manila Metropolitan Museum is organizing an exhibit titled, 'Tipon', that brings together six of these groups from across the country in a show that will highlight the 'collective' or consensual dynamics of these groups. Also, the show will be a venue for “analyzing the value-added role of the organization in individual artistic practice and community engagement.“

Our group, the Lunâ Art Collective, is among those to have been invited to this exhibit.

Yesterday, 11 October, we opened 'Halad', a shrine/installation honoring the memory and work of Atty. Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco, who, two years ago, yesterday, was brutally gunned down in her own office next door to their house. At the time of her death, she was the combative private prosecutor in the celebrated and continuing murder case against cult leader, Ruben Ecleo, Jr.

In recent years we have been moving as a group and individually towards artistic engagement with issues or concerns that touch on the defense of civil and human rights. This, we believe is the necessary precondition for the practice and appreciation of an arts and culture that is progressive, enlightened, free of fear, bigotry and oppression. We have chosen to act on this belief.

As a result, our art has gone towards the direction of mixed media, site-specific installation and performance. Also, we have developed a dynamics that relies on free discussion, consensus building and active collaboration.

Originally, we had identified other individuals aside from Yongco to honor in what would have been a historical sweep of local champions of human rights. But we quickly realized the logistical constraints in a multi-honor scheme and settled on Yongco as being the most recent of the victims of violence that is plaguing our city.

By honoring her we also wanted to highlight our wider concern against the continuing atmosphere of impunity for murder and other violent crimes. This is abetted, if not assisted by the inability, even lack of interest – beyond the usual lip service -- among the authorities for the solution of such cases and the apprehension of those responsible for such crimes.

We are bringing this concern to the Manila Metropolitan Museum where our voices will join those who are crying for justice in our country. This is not only the cry in the streets. It is also the cry of art.

10.05.06 kulturnatib

Privacy

What I had read in the papers was still fresh in my mind. This was about some city councilors exercising their usual knee-jerk reaction to an issue that the say is an issue of morality, when the prosecuting lawyer said that it was an issue of privacy.

A security guard happened upon a couple having sex in their car. The guard, acting on the somewhat limited, though often exaggerated authority, hauled the couple in and charged them with public scandal.

Thankfully, the city prosecutor, standing upon the legacy of the Enlightenment enshrined in our constitution's bill of rights, disagreed and promptly threw the case out.

Some city councilors, always alert for non-issues that will ingratiate them to the unthinking sectors of the Catholic church protested. What about morals? they cry.

What about it? The city prosecutor stands on several hundred years of the struggle then the victory of the Enlightenment against a church with a long history of despotism and the temptation for those days is ever present, but grudgingly accepts that privacy is sacrosanct and that the last protection of persons is the inviolability of conscience.

Such where my thoughts when I received a call. There was a letter for me in the mailbox. It was marked personal and confidential. It was from the authorities. I gave my permission for it to be opened and read.

Here, again, issues of privacy. Without going into the details, the letter said that on the one hand under the freedom of information act they are compelled to provide information that is requested for, but on the other hand, the privacy law requires that such information can only be provided with the express permission of persons about whom the information is requested. In this case, the latter clearly has more weight than the former. In other cases, where the public has an overbearing interest, it could be the other way around.

The next day, again, on the phone with the same person bearing news about the previous day's letter. We were experiencing some difficulty with Skype, the free internet phone service, when a conference call was set up mainly to see if more heads can solve problems we were having over the quality of the voice reception.

The third party in the conference happened to be cyberloitering. As often happens, he was looking at some satellite maps available thorugh Google maps, which can be quite entertaining. But, this is a most useful feature, especially for places, mostly cities, where aside from satellite images, street maps are available. With such maps one is able to type in a street as a starting location and then another street as a destination location, a best route between the two is then generated. Also, a land based phone number can by typed in and the location of that phone is located.

The third party announced, "here is a satellite map of your city. I will send you the URL as an instant message". The URL appears on the screen, instantly. Yes, indeed, second party says, as the satellite image appears on her screen.

None appears on mine. My connection could be too slow or the image too big or both. In any case, with our original problem solved with some application of the trial and error method, as the second party was leading the first on a hunting trip for my house. "Is that the capitol building?" "That's not the big hotel near your place, is it?" "I think your house is under this big cloud cover." "Your privacy is safe. For now." And so on.

More and more privacy is under assault. With technology that allows the U.S. Air Force to bomb with precision using satellite maps, but, more often than not, kill people and obliterate neighborhoods who were not precisely the targets. But, more and more with people, people in authority for whom privacy is less important than the expediences of their political ambitions or simple lack of imagination.