Ateneo Art Gallery presents an exhibition of artists' collections
THE PRACTICE of Philippine portraiture and social art has persisted for decades, across brutal and indifferent presidential districts. Focused on collaboration between artists and communities, it is marked by grassroots-based art projects and exhibitions, all of which have been operating in different pockets across the country – until recently.
Founded in 2023, TalaAnyo emerged as a gathering of seven groups led by musicians. Their name is derived from the names you are counting (“star” and “mark”) and or (“form” and “appearance”), and first exhibited together at the Orange Project in Bacolod City in 2024.
Last month, they opened their first museum exhibition, titled Orion in Sight: A Shared Mission Visionat the galleries on the third floor of the Ateneo Art Gallery, featuring the work of seven programs by TalaAnyo members from 2005 to the present.
The founders of the artists and their respective collections are: Renato Habulan of Agos Studio; Alfredo Esquillo, Jr. of Eskinita Art Farm (Tanauan, Batangas); Emmanuel Garibay from Linangan Art Residency (Alfonso, Cavite); Charlie Co of the Orange Project (Bacolod, Negros Island); Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata of Pasilyo Press (San Antonio, Zambales); Leslie de Chavez of Project Space Pilipinas (Lucban, Quezon); and Mark Justiniani and Joy Mallari of Tungtung Alon Art Foundation (Tanay, Rizal).
Mr. De Chavez of Project Space said that their meeting should take place after a general discussion following the pandemic.
“We found ourselves taking the time to talk about the world around us, engaging in conversations that are now rare,” he said in his speech at the opening of the exhibition on June 28.
He pointed out that the show presents how “their constant desires, vision, ambitions, struggles, dreams, nightmares continue to shape the persistence of life and determination to survive.”
“While the powers that be are carrying out the usual forms of oppression locally and globally, the wounds and pain they have caused must not sit comfortably with us,” he said. “I personally see TalaAnyo as not just a group of musicians, but as a force strength. This international and socio-cultural gathering of artists' programs aims to rethink, reconstruct, and strengthen critical art and history studies as foundations for cultivating a humane, empowering, and deeply connected arts community.”
The highlight of this show is Habang Tanaw (2026), a landmark painting by its founding artists that embodies Philippine social realist muralism in seven panels. The first one-third of this piece shows the resistance movement and the history of the whole country, and the bloodshed that shows the conflict between the protestors and the power of the world, and technology is shown as a weapon that numbs and blinds the people. The right side is the most timely, showing the political figures that thrive in this chaos.
“This is not only a great collaboration between respected musicians in the country and their groups, but it is also a matter of them setting aside their individual time and commitment to learn from each other and write a collective response to the problem today,” said curator of the exhibition, Lisa Ito-Tapang.
“Habang Tanaw it validates the artist's work as a critical voice,” he said BusinessWorld. “They came together to do this as concerned artists and concerned citizens, and as members of a larger community working for real and lasting social change.”
He added that the exhibition was a huge undertaking, especially because of the scope of presenting important works from all seven programs throughout their history.
“I had to think about it because of the challenge this represented,” said Ms. “How does one present a group, a new group, of seven Philippine artist programs, which include galleries, other spaces, individual platforms, and proto-centers, to highlight not only the contributions of their founders, but also their interconnected efforts?”
The result is a well-organized presentation of collaborative and public works by the efforts and their founders, as well as selected items from the collections of previous artists who paved the way for TalaAnyo, such as Kaisahan, Tambisan sa Sining, Artista ng Bayan, Pamilya Pintura, Salingpusa, Sanggawa, and Sakay.
For Ateneo Art Gallery director Victoria “Boots” Herrera, the exhibition “knows the power of art as a machine for expression, critical thinking, and change.” In addition to the curator, he thanked researcher writer Janine Go Dimaranan and the team of TalaAnyo artists and community organizers for the resulting exhibition.
About why this show was named Orion in SightMs.
“These words are metaphors for the community and the collective work that TalaAnyo is offering today,” he said.
Covering the Martial Law to the People Power movement to Duterte's drug war, the past 50 years are reflected in this exhibition's clear vision of artist-led movements in history.
“Here, we show a lot of murals, which are often used interchangeably in the Philippine context to refer to a large painting, not murals,” said Ms. Ito-Tapang. “The mural technique has changed modern collaboration from citizen protest to community-engaged and collaborative art.”
Visitors will also see various forms, such as paintings and photographs, which were the products of the artists' efforts to convey the knowledge of art to rural communities. It ends the program with the idea that it really takes over the whole village.
A series of public programs organized in collaboration with the Ateneo Art Gallery will be held soon, including artist talks, workshops, and activities, showcasing TalaAnyo's collaborative approach to community engagement.
“This is where the individual founders of TalaAnyo allow their names to take a back seat to highlight the collective and collective activities,” said Ms. Ito-Tapang. “At a time when access to art and history education is being erased, what can the unity they represent be achieved if it is organized on a large scale?”
Orion in Sight visible until Oct. 18 at the third floor of the Ateneo Art Gallery at Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City. – Brontë H. Lacsmana
