In commemoration of the National Arts Month for 2022, a Filipino motion graphics artist has brought Juan Luna’s Spoliarium to life.
Mark Cañega, a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde part-time professor, worked on this ambitious project since last year.
“The painting has several elements. However, I wished to magnify the piece’s message,” he shared.
In the 58-second animation set to the song “Pasiya ng Langit” by lauded opera singer Conching Rosal, the despoiling scene comes alive as deceased gladiators are scavenged for weapons and belongings.
In his post, Cañega laments: “Spoliarium is one of the best-known paintings in the country, it brought historical triumph not just to Luna but also to the Philippines when it bested Spanish artists and won a first-class medal in the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts is 1884.”
“The painting also has a hidden message not many realize. The gladiators can be understood as our own country – the Philippines, a land with rich and vibrant culture. But a twist of fate left the mighty nation weapon-less and no garment to protect its dignity.”
“The gladiators being dragged to a side depicts our country’s situation of being suppressed and oppressed. The audience was like indifferent Filipinos who had the strength to do something but wouldn’t. And the mourning crowd represents those who were in pain for the situation of the country but still had hope for a better future,” he ended.
To date, his Facebook post has 5,400 reactions and 6,900 shares.