UP Cebu artists launch exhibits on Philippines society

BREATHING life into their unique perspective on Philippine society in the contemporary world, University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu’s fine arts students launched their neophyte art exhibits “Ang Modernong mga Abat” and “A Ship of Fools”—both odes to the way Filipinos are coping with the changing world.

Kriss Milan’s exhibit Ang Modernong Mga Abat has eight digital art installations, each rendering two-dimensional holographic images of modern reinterpretations of the Philippine mythical creatures that have lived in the stories of the Filipino people for centuries.

The exhibit aspires to remind the audience about the monsters and beasts of the country’s past that continue to live on today, their stories serving as reminders of the modern monsters that plague Filipinos in their day-to-day lives.

Milan’s 2D images are created through a cross of digital photography and digital painting.

With a reinvented multi-colored studio lighting setup and heavy digital manipulation, he showed the vibrancy of Philippine culture in hyper realistic images of the mananaggal, duwende, sirena, and kapre, among others.

Launched last May 11, the exhibit runs until May 24 at the CAP Art Gallery on Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City.

A Ship of Fools

“A Ship of Fools” by Janine Reserva and Aldrich Maligsa is a sixteen-piece display that presents Philippine society as that of a vessel with no direction.

The exhibit name is rooted from Plato’s allegory ‘a ship of fools,’ which shows a ship taken over by a mob of deranged fools that remain unaware of their pilot, more often than not, rejecting the pilot, the true solution to their problems.

Using non-traditional styles and largely abstract concepts, the sculptures, art installations, textured mixed-media paintings and found-object art pieces create an overall sensory experience that immerses the audience in the country’s plight toward finding answers.

A perfect mix of Maligsa’s concept on enlightening audiences on the struggles of the Filipino people under a corrupt system, and Reserva’s more general tone on the current trend of worldly pursuits, materialism, and the reality of the fast-paced lifestyle.

Currently displayed at The Henry Hotel, Paseo Saturnino, Maria Luisa Road, Cebu City, the exhibit started its run last May 17 and will end on May 26.

“Ang Modernong mga Abat” and “A Ship of Fools” are both presented by UP Cebu and the Fine Arts Students Organization of UP Cebu.

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