There are times that we began to ask question to our parents about everything we experienced or observed, at the age of four years old, we started to question many things and seek a good answer in order to understand what’s going on or just ask why we celebrate Christmas every December 25th or trace our roots back and what is the importance of recognizing our national heroes. Understanding more of our history is very important because it is the part that influenced many things in this generation, I didn’t even know that the Americans are very influential in the year 1898 bringing their wares and even teach us speak their language. We learned a lot from our school, library and teachers, but I just discovered at the Zero In Peripheral exhibit theme of 5 museums in Manila that there are parts of our history that has never been told us about during our grade-high school years, the deleted scenes part of history is finally revealed here and showed to the public for the very first time for a better understanding not only about the history but for the connection of what’s happening today.
I just embraced myself after discovering many things from this exhibit, learned more about the past and present, and became a fan of researching more of the untold history and share this story to my friends and family. Zero in Periphery is one treasure of knowledge, history and black box of our past that is documented by ordinary people and unknown heroes of the old Philippines. I like to thank the Lopez Memorial Museum, Ayala Museum, Ateneo Art Gallery, Bahay Tsinoy and Museo Pambata for bringing the biggest crater of Philippine history that was forgotten for centuries.
Read more below as we discuss and share my experience on each museum tour I have attended.
Zero In 8: Periphery represents a spectrum of mandates, audiences, acquisitional and educational benchmarks. For more info, contact Fanny San Pedro at 631-2417or visit www.zeroinmuseums.org
Zero-In Exhibition dates
Ayala Museum: The Ring of Fire: The First Southeast Asian Ceramics Festival opens September 21 until October 4, 2009
Ateneo Art Gallery: Beyond Frame: Philippine Photomedia opens on October 1 until December 15, 2009
Lopez Memorial Museum: Deleted Scenes opens November 12, 2009 until January 9, 2010
Bahay Tsinoy: Remembering opens November 12, 2009 until January 9, 2010
Museo Pambata: Invisible Children opens November 26, 2009 until January 5, 2010
Zero-in : Delete Scenes at Lopez Memorial Museum
If DVD and Blu Ray discs movies has their own deleted scenes, special features and commentary that is available exclusively on its disc, the Lopez Memorial Museum created their own version of deleted scenes by showing us the hard breaking history and the effects of it to the artist as it was first exhibited for this series.
I’m very amazed at Al Manrique’s artwork in his sketch pad, he uses charcoal and ink in creating powerful cartoons that reflect the original face of the society during the time of Martial Law. These are some or maybe his experience and observation happening in the
so called new society of that age. Because of martial law, many artist like Al Manrique expressed their feelings and thoughts by drawing or sketching privately in their own sketchpad and these are never been published artworks and first time to be exhibited here at the Zero in : Deleted Scenes. It reflected more on the government, politics and problems that many Filipinos experienced during the martial law, corrupt personalities and victims of political war are interpreted via a cartoon drawing that fit as an editorial cartoon as we know. Artworks, painting, installations and books were exhibited here at the Lopez Museum, a collection of photographs from the American colonial period is presented to the public as a light box set up for a better understanding of the life during the American period in the Philippines.
A painting of Lyle Buencamino created a large painting tracing it from a still photo from a classic LVN films. Photographs of the old times is like a painting that tells many stories, every elements of the photograph can be translated and painted into a new powerful photo-paint art that can blend for the new generation that will appreciate both photo and the painting.
The most unforgettable attraction of the exhibit is the movie Memories of a Forgotten War : A documentary on the Philippine-American War of 1899, international collaboration by Filipino filmmaker Sari Lluch Dalena and Filipino-American video artist Camilla Benolirao Griggers. The film shows the crucial events and untold story behind the Philippine-American foreign relation , I got affected and devastated when I learned that there are lots of stories from our history that were deleted and never mentioned in our text books. It is the hardest part of life for Filipinos at that time as they were not treated well and hid some historical past incident that reflected their stay, occupation, and invasion here.
Most on exhibit covers about the Americans influence and history in the Philippines. It also showed cartoon artworks and articles from old magazines and newspapers that were compiled and collected by the museum. If you read carefully, you'll even find some practices for covering up a scene, creating mind games, false news, and also funny notes where some still being practiced in this new age. There are lots to see inside Lopez Museum, and all of the artworks displayed there will make us remember that everything we have today is connected to the past and the big influencer still reigns as the most powerful element of all nation.
Zero-in : Beyond Frame: Philippine Photomedia at Ateneo Art Gallery
Photography is present here in the Philippines for many years and we know that photos capture great moments. Still pictures can be translated into another new art and this proves that photography can do more than just capture emotion. The Ateneo Art Gallery features photo artworks and installations of Poklong Anading, Ringo Bunoan, Mario Co, Lena Cobangbang, Romina Diaz, Christina Dy, Lani Maestro, Gina Osterloh, Rachel Rillo, Steve Tirona, Norberto Roldan, Gerardo Tan, Tony Twigg, MM Yu. From manual photography, digital photography, simplicity style to representation, old to new, and from photo to traditional painting, these are the different themes and kinds of style exhibited about the Philippine Photomedia.
Poklong Anading photo and lightbox installation showed different kinds of “basahan” or “trapo” in variety of sizes, color, and look. It was scattered all over the place and we can tell via its story of the trapo where it was used or how it ended up in a garbage or in a canal. We joked about it and say that this trapo with a black stain is somewhat referring to a politician. MM Yu’s wall of double exposure photos are exhibited and each photo tells a story or reflect the artists’ feel, this represent the way of having luck in life because the photo captures a perfect double exposure scenes and embedded in one photo which makes it a lucky chance in one hit.
I never thought that photographs can do a lot. As a photography enthusiast, I understand how the scene can be seen through the lens and its interpretation to the eye of the photographer. The camera and the eye of the man will mix together as it combines a new concept and idea that will tell or create a new story out of these photography art. Christina Dy also translate a new artwork by painting and copying an ocean wave from an old photograph, she paints and trace a new version of it and creates more emotion much bigger than the small photo print.
One of my favorite is Christina Dy’s art of combing 4 kinds of photographs making it as a kaleidoscope wall. It was photos of hair from a barbershop or salon. If you are a photographer or photo lover, this exhibit will make you enjoy the art of it and even become a big influencer for photography. It can enhance your perspective when it comes to shooting objects, people, scene for experimental, graphical, and realism of photos.
Zero-in : The Ring of Fire: The First Southeast Asian Ceramics Festival at Ayala Museum
Potting and ceramics making are starting to fade in this new generation. The process, old or maybe original procedure, are starting to lose its path. I’m glad that there are potters here in the Philippines that are very active and uses the pot ceramics as their medium in producing artworks. Canvas and walls are not just for paintings, but ceramics and other man made pots that came from clay or molds are now bringing back its life as this practice is present during the old age. It was first known that the Chinese does custom made designs pot ceramics or plate. They used that for trading here in the Philippines before, during, and after the Spanish and American invasion.
all photos by James bk Seet
I’m very happy that the first ever gathering of ASEAN pot makers was held here at the Ayala Museum. Thanks to Hadrian Mendoza for having an idea to organize the first festival of ASEAN potters. This will serve as a way of communication and establish relationship to other countries as we share our different style in using ceramics as our canvas for art. 16 Filipino pot makers and 10 from other ASEAN countries participated in this exhibit. Potters were able to converse with one another, teach the public about the history of these ceramics, and the representation of their designs.
Sculpting using clays and later as a ceramics are one of the most sought after artwork by collectors. Each piece is very unique, original, and will stay as it is. We can also tell the influence of other potters from what style it came from. Our style is very traditional and still active in making brown pots (making it originally Pinoy).
White, blue and reddish style can be depicted as from the Chinese, Thai, or Malaysian. Trading of ceramics is active as of this day. We know that pottering has many traditional symbolism and at this exhibit, each symbol and style will represent which country they belong and what culture they have.
Zero In : Remembering the Atrocities of War at Bahay Tsinoy Museum
The Bahay Tsinoy is the only museum that houses everything that involves the Chinese life here in the Philippines, from the era before the Spanish invasion up to the present. Here at the Zero in exhibition series they featured the most emotional and serious part of the exhibit and it's all about the Nanjing Massacre of 1937 in China and also the 1945 massacre in the Philippines where many Chinese and Filipinos died in the most brutal way by the Japanese empire. In that one-year period, the Japanese killed more than 300,000 lives in Nanjing and around 150,000 lives of Filipinos and Chinese were killed, raped, bayoneted and tortured during the 6 month period of retreating Japanese troops The Remembering of the Atrocities of War reflects upon the stories of two peoples, Chinese and Filipino, sharing a dark past, but both emerging from the ashes of war with a conviction that the wars of their fathers should never visit future generations.
The exhibit is a photo gallery and informative way of showing that we must remember this event in order not to happen again. The accounts of massacre that happed is usually unknown to us. This exhibit will serve as a valuable lesson for everyone. Not only for us but also for the government of other countries. It is very hard to carry the emotion when you encounter this information in a museum. Because this is not present in our textbooks. The museum showed it to us, preserve the memory of the dark past that Chinese and Filipinos shared the same fate during World War II.
At the launching of the exhibit, Ambassador Miguel Perez , a robust 85 year old veteran and who was the late President Cory Aquino’s protocol chief, shared his personal story during that era. All of his family were killed. His sister and kids were raped and stabbed that time by the Japanese military police. It's very hard to carry the story of his experience. In order not to be forgotten, Bahay Tsinoy seeks to have a Nanjing Memorial Massacre Shrine and a Manila Massacre Memorial Shrine just to remember the dark past and give respect to those who were unfortunate during the war. Also the exhibit is not about hating the Japanese, but also a way of giving peace and preserve this incident in our history.
The Nanjing Massacre and same goes to Philippines’ history should not be buried. We must learn from the past mistakes of it and should not happen again in the future. As the Ambassador said, the images we saw was the look of Manila in the year 1945
Zero In : The Invisible Children at Museo Pambata
Museo Pambata is featuring an exhibit by the children who comes from different situations here in our country and other regions of Asia. It is about the voices of children who want to shout out their rights and wishes for the government, professional and for everyone. These should be in focus for the working children, children with disabilities, those caught in armed conflict or affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS; children living in the streets, the indigenous treated as outsiders, the malnourished, prostituted and abused. They are those who are often neglected and denied access to their rights, as it was stated by the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child).
The exhibit was developed during the 3 days summit at Museo Pambata, 50 children delegates, all below 18 years old participated in lots of activities and also to celebrate the 20th anniversary of CRC. The output of the summit will be included as part of the Council of the Welfare of Children’s report to the United Nation. Creative workshops, play, song writing and other child-centered techniques would bring about awareness and commitment to promote and protect the delegates’ rights as well as the rights of all children.
The children’s wrote lots of poems, story boards, artwork and display of letters to voice out their rights and wishes. Children delegates participants are from ChildHope Asia, Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation, Ilog Kinderhome Foundation (Negros Occidental), Yakap sa Kaunlaran ng Bata, Inc. (Quezon Province), Create Responsive Infants by Sharing (CRIBS) Foundation, Mangyan Heritage Foundation (Mindoro), Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation, Inc., All Together in Dignity (ATD) Fourth World (Thailand and Philippines), Very Special Arts International, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Museo Pambata’s Child Advocates, Asilo de San Vicente de Paul, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The exhibit is to offer a view into Filipino youth’s struggle to live in spite of the most difficult circumstances.
Bloggers commentary
I’ve attended all exhibits and visited 4 museums and 1 art gallery for two weeks. It was a great learning experience for me, add more history information into my brain cells. The exhibit is very presentable and the curators are very accommodating to all visitors. I’m very comfortable now in visiting museums as it was a dream for me during my elementary years to visit them. I even decided to put my own museum at home during high school, but my mom threw all improvised stuff that I created and was labeled as garbage at that time. I never knew the purpose of a museum.
But here in the Zero in: Periphery theme exhibit, it was an eye opening experience to discover never before seen or heard stories from the dark past of our history. Moreso, the importance of preserving and treasure it for the future. The dark era of the country should be shared once more as it is not available for access to most people. The consortium did a great job in combining all of their efforts and cooperating with each other in having a one theme event exhibit that as I heard happens annually.
The artistic side of Filipinos who contributed to the exhibit was awesome as they deliver powerful messages through their artworks. Artists working on the dark era of the past just unearthed valuable information on what happened and thanks to their artworks survive the amnesia of history. They brought back again the life of the artist in this generation. The contemporary artist who joined also showed their concerns and thoughts about each moments of the past, the present and the future. Art never dies as they say. It will be forever part of my remembering - forging a permanent lecture on this critical part of our history."
The exhibit is a must have visit if you want to learn more about the history and art of the past-present-future. Although that 2 exhibits already ended, I like to invite everyone to visit all museums and try to reflect after wards on what you learn and discover through those time machine-like exhibit walk through. I promise you that you will be amazed and it is more fun, enjoyable and one of a kind ride that you will bring to the next generation of life.
PHOTOS
"Zero In" exhibit featured at Lopez Museum
Zero in exhibits "Invisible Children" @ Museo Pambata
Zero in exhibits "The 1st South East Asian Ceramics Festival"at Ayala Museum
Zero in exhibits "Beyond the Frame: Photomedia in the Philippines" at Ateneo Art Gallery
Bahay Pinoy exhibits Zero in series "The Atrocities of War"
Videos
Memories of a Forgotten War
YouTube part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZL5zsb0zsw ( visit the link and see the other videos up to part 6)
Museum address and contact details
Ateneo Art Gallery
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights
Quezon City
Tel. No. 426.6488
Ayala Museum
Makati Avenue corner De la Rosa St. Makati City
Tel. No. 757.7117 to 21
Bahay Tsinoy
Museum of Chinese in Philippine Life
Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center
32 Anda corner Cabildo Streets
Intramuros, Manila
Tel. No. 527.6083 / 526.6796
Lopez Memorial Museum
G/F Benpres Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel. No. 631.2417 / 635.9545
Museo Pambata
Museo Pambata Foundation Inc.
Roxas Boulevard corner South Drive, Manila
Tel. No. 523.1797 / 523.1798 / 536.0595
