Wednesday, October 31, 2012

PINOY FORTRESS - KM1: What Remains What Disappears


KM1: What Remains What Disappears                                                       
PINOY FORTRESS by Manny Montelibano
Oct. 27- Nov. 27, 2012
Rajah Sulayman Theater, Fort Santiago
Intramuros, Manila


KM1 is presented by the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Alliance Francaise de Manille
Organized with the Quezon City Government, Department of Tourism - Intramuros Administration, musee Nicephore Niepce, and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
KM1: What Remains What Disappers - Pinoy Fortress


 Pinoy Fortress is inspired by the words of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal.


‘Man ought to die for his duty and his convictions. I maintain all the ideas that I have expressed concerning the state and the future of my country and gladly I’ll die for her, nay, to obtain justice and tranquility for you. I have always loved my poor country and I’m sure I shall love her until my last moment, should men prove unjust to me. I shall die happy, satisfied with the thought that I have suffered, my life, my loves, my joys, my everything I have sacrificed for the love of her.

I wish to show those who deny us patriotism that we know how to die for our duty and convictions. To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the book that tells of her past.’
                                                                                                                  Jose Rizal



The Filipino National Hero Jose Rizal understood that physical death could not kill the soul, what he stood for and what his legacy could possibly mean to his people.  This optimism is characteristic of Filipino strength that is repeatedly manifested in the course of a history of violence.  Pinoy Fortress is a video installation which highlights the trace of a smile in a Filipino face which is the manifestation of this invincible core of Filipino sensibility. The indefatigable Filipino spirit is known to prevail against oppression and suppression with a courageous smile. Wherever Filipinos are, be they big or small, in whatever state of crisis or economy, they never lose sight of their own importance and significance. Such spirit has allowed a nation to rise among the ashes of loss to recoup and rebuild.  This is the inspiration of the work and the artist aims to communicate what he felt when he revisited Fort Santiago.

A sentinel of sorrow and conviction, Intramuros remains to be the oldest district and considered the historic heart of Manila. Even now, it stands guard over the Philippines’ symbol of liberation dearly paid for with blood and courage.  This is a perfect venue for Pinoy Fortress, art in a public place.  The work attempts to describe the profile of the present Filipino who persists to be a searching soul in a continuing political and cultural struggle for liberation.  Through the Rajah Sulayman Theater, a part of the Filipino fortress, the work is embodied in two dimensions that showcases the uniqueness of the Filipino through installation art involving video images on the tv monitors inside a box mounted on the heads of a human structure.

The Videos: A montage of disasters and series of events that happened in the history of the Philippines with inserts of Filipino faces smiling.

KM1 also features the photographs of MM Yu and Lea Euozan in the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Another part of the project extends to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila which features a series of photographs and a single channel video.

KM1 is curated by Francois Cheval of the Niepce Museum of France. 

This project is possible with Rustans and Franco Phil Sponsors: Bank of the Philippine Islands, Pernod Richard Philippines, Le Cellier ( French Wine Selection) and Mandarin Oriental Manila, Business World and Business World Highlife.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Ma'am Said to Modes of Impact

Ma'am Said, a 1 minute 33 second video of former President GMA, is included in this inaugural exhibition of a collection of Video Art. It is an honor to be part of a collection and also an inspiration to the work that I do. Ma'am Said was first shown in Museo Iloilo as part of an installation, RED WAKE, the exhibition was curated by Peque Gallaga. 

Ma'am Said Video Still

The video was exhibited in Seoul, Korea as part of the show MOVE ON ASIA in 2009, in Loop Gallery. The work was shown in Hong Kong, Spain and Seoul, Korea as part of the 12th Seoul International New Media Festival.