For the first time in the history of the prestigious Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artist Awards, the works of the recognized creators will be exhibited outside the halls of the CCP.
The first wave of the series of installations of the 2018 CCP Thirteen Artists Awards will be on display at the School of Design and Arts Campus of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
The pioneer project is in collaboration with the CCA, which gave artistic freedom to the winners to illustrate their advocacy on walls and barriers, to transform them into public attractions that demanded both attention and action.
“Bakwit” by Archie Oclos is on display on the exterior wall of the college’s 14-floor building along the narrow Dominga Street. Standing at almost 70 meters tall, the head-turning artwork’s rich blend of vibrant colors highlights the socio-political issue and concern of the indigenous people in the country.
The mural, which was finished in 24 days, depicts an image of a traveling child carrying his younger brother, a stack of supplies, and a book.
Bakwit, which is a twist on the English word evacuate, narrates the story of the Lumad students who, due to militarization, are forced to leave their schools and their communities to escape to the lowlands by foot. Inspired by his own immersion with the tribes, Oclos promised the bakwit children that he will impart their plight and hardships.
Meanwhile, “Hindi Totoo” by Rasel Trinidad—also known by his street name Doktor Karayom—is a vibrant floor-to-ceiling mural that envelopes the fourth floor fire exit area at the heart of the SDA Campus.
The brush strokes in Doktor Karayom’s signature red immortalizes the peculiar and macabre creatures and imagined demons from the classic Filipino mythology.
With the power of horror as his tool, the engrossing artwork tackles a myriad of issues that aims to reconnect the values of the lost tradition to the present society. It explores the nature of fear and its power as an element that can both divide and unite people through shared roots in oral history.
Finally, “Dead Masks” by Zeus Bascon exhibits four serpents crawling and writhing on the white walls at the fifth floor Theater Lobby. The images are shaped using an amalgamation of lined masks, which are considered as the very symbol of theater. At closer look, however, the artist veers away from the classic drama and tragedy as the headgear depicts the infiniteness or non-existence of emotion.
Collectively, the artwork speaks of the binary oppositions—the duality of snakes being revered and dreaded at the same time. It is likewise a reference to the seamless incorporation of paints and tarpaulins, which are both considered as forgotten materials and assigned markers of passage or standpoints to the meeting of ends.
According to exhibit's co-curators, CCA director Architect Gerry Torres and 2000 TAA awardee Karen Ocampo Flores, more forthcoming installments of the TAA recipients will include dancer Eisa Jocson, photographer Carlo Gabuco, performance artist Bea Camacho, filmmaker Shireen Seno, and intermedia artists Cian Dayrit, Janos Dela Cruz, Dina Gadia, Guerrero Habulan, Raffy Napay, and Lynyrd Paras.
All artworks will be on view throughout the year until the end of 2021.