JUAN AT THE CCP

Last night we opened the exhibition of the paintings and sculptures whose images will soon be hanging along the pedestrian walks of the University of the Philippines and Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Majority of the participating artists came and it felt like a "getting-to-know-the guy/gal-who-made-that-art" sort of gig at the halls of the Cultural center of the Philippines. Wine flowed and yummy cocktail food were passed around.

I've seen hundreds of ehibitions, watched countless of plays and films (even performed in some of them) and I've always dreamt of someday having an actual work of mine hanging on the august walls of this buidling - an icon of our culture as a Filipino. Well, I finally did and it's part of the Looking for Juan exhibition. Nahaks!

The exhibition occupied three main hallways of the edifice. This is what can be seen on the third floor...

...and this is how it looked like on both floors. :-) it felt like an exhibit at the Guggenheim except forthe capiz chandeliers. Sosyal. Hehehe.

IAN VALLADAREZ from Negros "sculpted" this piece from one roll of wire WITHOUT cutting. It'a good game of finding where the end of the wire is. Simply amazing.

"It's easier for us to define an Ilonggo, a Batangueno or a Cebuano. But it becomes vague when we'd have to define what a Filipino is." Gigo giving the opening remarks and the whole idea behind Looking for Juan.

And the "Bald Man" stares from his canvas with his birds.

But the real highlight of the exhibit are the works of the artists who came up with their own responses to the question, "What does it mean to be Filipino?"

Thought-provoking and insightful, the artists' responses were as varied as our islands are. Here's a peek at some of their statements...




The exhibition will run until the 7th of June. Do visit the CCP and see what it means to be Filipino... visually.

Note: The whole show will then transfer to the IPO gallery in Makati after the CCP. There'll be more artworks that will be added to the next exposition.