PH Pavilion takes spotlight at 60th Venice Art Biennale

Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito / Waiting just behind the curtain of this age, exhibition of the Philippine Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. Andrea D’Altoe, NCCA - PAVB

The Philippine Pavilion entitled "Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito" or "Waiting just behind the curtain of this age" opened at the 60th Venice Art Biennale last Saturday.

Carlos Quijon Jr. curated the multi-disciplinary exhibition which features the work of contemporary artist Mark Salvatus and focuses on the ethno-ecologies of Mt. Banahaw and Lucban, the artist's hometown.

The showcase's title was inspired by the words of Apolinario de la Cruz or Hermano Pule, a revolutionary from Lucban who resisted Spanish colonization. Pule's prophetic advice to his fellow Filipinos was "to look onto the essence of every age and hope that a significant change will come."

Salvatus' art also takes pride in the single-channel video showing the influence and vibrant musical identity of Lucban-based musicians since the 1950s, paired with a series of fiberglass rock sculptures.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairman Victorino Manalo graced the opening of the exhibit at the Artiglierie, Arsenale -- one of the main locations of the event.

“Through art and storytelling, we pay tribute to the countless unsung heroes who have shaped our nation's history, their voices echoing through the ages as a reminder of the power of resilience and faith," Manalo said.

Meanwhile, Consul General Elmer Cato emphasized that the Philippines' representation in the Venice Biennale is an honor.

“Our participation in the Venice Biennale, the oldest and most prestigious contemporary art exhibition in the world, is a much anticipated event for our kababayan in Italy because of the immense pride and honor it brings us Filipinos,” Cato said.

This year's Biennale was named “Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners Everywhere” with 300 participant artists from across the globe. It is open to the public until November 24 in Giardini and Arsenale Pavilion.

It is the Philippines' 10th participating year in the Biennale after rejoining the prestigious event in 2015.

"Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito" was hailed as the country's pavilion representative after careful deliberation of 13 entries that discussed Philippine locality in March 2023.