Nos Vemos Pronto
Group Exhibition Featuring
Andres Catig, Jeosh Chua, Mac Eparwa, and Kirk Tabanera (curated by Anjo Bolarda)
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Andres Catig, Jeosh Chua, Mac Eparwa, and Kirk Tabanera are not necessarily the first artists that come to mind when thinking about art that is historically informed, and that’s what actually sparked curator Anjo Bolarda’s interest in organizing Nos Vemos Pronto. The exhibition is the outcome of an excursion together with other artists, which was admittedly the fun and meatiest part. Tailoring a special tour just enough for a whole afternoon was Stephen Pamorada, the heritage consultant and cultural worker who accompanied us around some historic spots found inside the walls of Intramuros, Manila. Rather than just reading text off museum walls, Pamorada was able to weave engaging stories involving influential people, cultural practices, and important events of the time. How did Miguel López de Legazpi’s bones get jumbled in his tomb? Why did the archbishop and governor of Manila almost always have beef? How did we obtain a segment of José Rizal’s spine for display? Being confronted with remnant structures, art, photographs, artifacts, and monuments from places such as the San Agustin Church and Museum, Plaza San Luis The Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma, Fort Santiago, and Museo ni Rizal could not possibly be perfectly condensed in such a short amount of time. Yet, these artists have been able to give us a glimpse of what they took back with them into their studios.
Andres Catig’s duo of portraits are visceral contemplations on mortality and the tremendous authority possessed by the church in instilling the fear of eternal damnation into believers of the faith. Jeosh Chua’s characters inhabit dark fantasy worlds with hints of luminosity that enrich their curious minds, somewhere in between being hermits or deities in their realm. Mac Eparwa incorporates a surreal narrative of embittered fighting between the unequal sides of a colossal monster and the smaller, struggling warriors beneath who are doomed to suffer under its gold-embellished limbs. Kirk Tabanera’s series of abstracted impasto works reference significant personas and places, reconfiguring their stories and histories with a blend of humor and futurism.
The show is not really a quest for noble takes about the lingering ghost of postcolonial living, and Bolarda emphasizes that it’s also about catching the artists off-guard. By extension, it also works for its viewers that way. If any, it’s a check-up on some of our preconceived notions on how we think Filipino artists should aesthetically tackle history. And going back to the artists, it’s dipping their toes in how institutions communicate all these facts, while they can try assessing possible barriers that art and creative projects can possibly supplement. Like the show title suggests, let us see each other soon, whether within the Walled City or elsewhere.
