GOING back to the basics.
The public can barter goods in exchange for artworks starting this weekend as artists stage Markets of Resistance in the Summer Capital.
In collaboration of the Institute for Heritage, Culture and the Arts of the School of Fine Art and Design at the Philippine Women's University along with AX(is) Art Project and Baguio artists, the Markets of Resistance, a visual and interdisciplinary trade-barter exhibition starts today and will last until November 9 with stalls located in the different parts of the Baguio City market.
"I feel we need to resist the way how art as a business is functioning," event organizer Angel Velasco Shaw said stressing the art has greater power or impact to the audience when it is seen as an art rather than a product.
Shaw believes the capitalism in the business of art should be resisted and this can be done through a barter-trade where the artists and buyer will negotiate on the value of artworks such as paintings, sculptures, photographs, literary works and other mixed media works in exchange of goods like food, clothing, house ware and other things.
The organizer told they chose to hold the trade-barter exhibition in the market because it is where the traditional form of capitalism is.
"That's where life is. That is where culture is. That is where market thrive. That's where you get sense of people," she explained.
Aside from the market of art, Shaw said the event aims to highlight the sense of community in the market.
She noted it is where people "develop rapport and friendships with people which are lasting" through the usual dialogues of market vendors and buyers.
Moreover, the event organizer highlighted one of her objectives for the project is for people to see the market as an avenue for people to unleash their stereotypes on the different people with various cultures and realize that they are all similar and that they can be a community by interacting with each other despite their differences.
The Market of Resistance opens today in the afternoon with a ritual followed by a short program with Baguio City treasurer Alicia Onosa as the guest speaker.
Subsequently, site-specific installations and stalls for the barter and trade will be opened in the different areas within and nearby the Baguio City market.
One of the installations are "De Liberating" by artist Kawayan de Guia which may be visited at the Rillera Building.
"Kapwahan at Kwentuhan", a fellowship will also take place tonight at the Victor Oteyza Community Art Spaces (VOCAS).
Aside from the barter-trade exhibition, there will be performances and readings of literary works during the "IPoetry" on October 26 at 3 p.m. in Hangar Market, Block 3.
The event will feature works of local writers particularly members of poetry groups in the region such as the Ubbog Cordillera Young Writers, Baguio Writers Group, Monday Poets, Pedantic Pedestrians and Gumil in celebration of the Indigenous People's Month.
There will also be an "IP in the Souvenir" exhibit opening at Katipunan RestoArt October 26 evening which will showcase ordinary and iconic souvenir pieces from Baguio City.
Simultaneous with the exhibit, there will be lectures such as "Agsaok Man" by journalist Frank Cimatu and "Markets" by anthropologist Padma Perez, and a screening of a short film entitled "God, Balut, and Ice Cream" by Yeoh Seng Guan.
Others participating in the art show/barter-trade exhibit are PWU students of fine arts and design, national and local artists, writers, scholars and other members of cultural groups among others.