Crossing Rivers x Salimbagan x ABAY
The Crossing Rivers exhibition examines the indigenous struggles for land and self-determination through cross-cultural collaborations with the Dumagat people. Artists, such as Cian Dayrit, navigate the Dumagat people’s journey from coastal to riverine communities, learning about their predicament as well as the cultural preservation behind the Dumagat Day Festival.
For this reflection paper, I would like to focus on Dayrit’s work. What is notable about his work is how he addresses the “extractive” or “soft-stealing” flaw of art that involves indigenous minorities. Instead of appropriating, his project emphasizes collaborative work by relinquishing artistic control and sharing authorship. The indigenous people get to tell their story, and the artist's role helps translate it into visual language. The collaboration is on the same level, and the output is catered to the community, not for the personal sake of the artist.
Dayrit utilizes participatory cartography through dialogues and workshops with the community. The narrative of the people’s struggle for boundaries on their homeland is reflected in the maps they create. The “counter-mapping workshops” produced maps that also serve as documentation for ancestral land title applications. These maps empower the community to defend and claim their own lands.
What is particularly noteworthy about Dayrit’s work is its structure. He showcases a fresh perspective on an old topic. Viewing his work through a constructivist approach, I found myself exploring various connections among different elements of the artwork. It encourages viewer engagement and prompts the exploration of layered meanings. The downside to this complexity is that it may be overwhelming.
Looking at the work through the lens of indigenous culture and the topic of ancestral lands, we can see the concept behind the maps. They illustrate how these lands are exploited by city dwellers. The use of tapestry and embroidery is similar to how European colonizers and feudal lords showcase their territory through maps. Dayrit subverts this narrative by letting the community draw their own. Upon closer look, the works contain iconographies of their primary way of life: trees, farming tools, and homes, as well as images on the opposing end that reflect violence and exploitation, such as gunshots, mining symbols, and the prominent red palette. The black-and-white photos may resemble images of the past, suggesting that these scenarios continue to persist even today. Below, the transferred images on the textile blur their frames, making them look meshed together. It resembles a river from afar, drawing a line of boundary that should or should not be crossed.
On the other room, the exhibition features another collaboration, this time with well-known writer Vim Nadera and contemporary painter Elmer Borlongan. Their works merge literature with visual art in a show entitled Salimbagan.
The exhibit highlights their backgrounds in publishing: Nadera’s work includes poetry, essays, and fiction, while Elmer responds using printmaking, a different medium from his usual figurative oil painting, but it complements the idea.
The curatorial decisions in the exhibit design also help amplify the concept of print. The use of image repetition parallels “multiples” in printmaking. Additionally, the curator adds value by modifying which parts of the images need to be emphasized, enlarging sections that relate to the text. This approach creates a balance between the text and the visual elements, serving as a bridge between the actual work and the writings.
What I appreciate about Borlongan's work is that it does not fall into the category of illustration. Illustrations typically depend on accompanying text, whereas his works exhibit artistic independence. They have their own language and are able to stand alone without text. The result is an interplay of verbal and visual language.
The last exhibition to be discussed is the ABAY retrospective exhibition. The group was founded in 1985 and emerged from ongoing organizing among Filipino artists, initially responding to the Marcos dictatorship and its social injustices. Their works addressed the social problems of their time, including human rights violations, sham elections, and the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr., through artistic expression.
What is notable about their group is that they established guidelines for the development of Filipino art and artist organizations. They spearheaded cultural resistance in art and explored new forms through their monumental murals, posters, effigies, masks, and comics for protests. This is evident in the volume and variety of works showcased in the exhibit, which reflects diverse approaches to political art that remain relevant today.
The artists of ABAY also engaged with communities, which was radical for their time. They held conferences, workshops, and immersion trips to marginalized communities, helping to voice their unheard issues.
The exhibit is not merely a form of nostalgia for its previous members; it aims to show the ongoing social struggles that are still evident today. They urge students and young artists to question the system and affirm their responsibility to serve the people.
