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Bound Roberto Feleo Gaston Damag Jose Tence Ruiz 18 June – 17 December 2010 GF Lobby Exhibition Brief

As noun, it speaks of spring, a leap and bounce, a crossing of gap and interval. As verb, it takes on a more decisive inflection: to vault and hurdle, on the one hand, and to infringe and border, on the other. And as adjective, it becomes imperative: destined, compelled, duty-bound. From force to force, flight to faith, the term is fraught. This project explores the feeling of being suspended, or the state of transition between past and future, or the thin line that divides the normal and the berserk, the gods and the erring. It takes us to different moments of transcendence and defiance of gravity, free fall and whirling in space, here, and the inevitability of ground, the indebtedness to structure and myth, there. Between essence and contingency, a certain political space opens up so that artists are able to reflect on culture and ideology, on the sensation of being unhinged from the fetters of custom, the temptation to fall into place. Ritual Objects and Identity Construction

A bulul is a stylized human figure in standing or squat position carved in wood representing the rice god and ancestral spirits of the Ifugao. Believed to guard the household and bring wealth and prosperity to its owner, the bulul is usually placed at the entrance of the house or rice granary. One of the most important ritual objects among the Ifugaos, the bulul is at the center of a complex set of beliefs and practices related to the agricultural cycle. Traditionally, the production of bululs involves several stages, each with associated rituals. Deities are summoned by the priest in the forest to choose the material for carving. Upon its arrival at the house of the owner, the bulul is consecrated in a ceremony where myths are recited and offerings are made. Highlighting the event is the bathing of the bulul in a sacrificial pig’s blood, after which the bulul is said to assume supernatural powers.

Now, the bulul has ventured far from the confines of Ifugao communities.

It has become a common item in antique and souvenir shops not only in the Cordilleras but even in large shopping malls in the metropolis. It has also found its way in various museums across Europe and the United States, displayed in glass cases as relics of the past. In this exhibition, Gaston Damag, a Paris-based Ifugao artist, presents the bulul in a new light. Aptly titled Conclaves of Museum Idols, we find several bululs enthroned on steel scaffoldings.

Guide Questions:

1. How are the bululs in the installation different from the authentic bulul of the Ifugaos in terms of form, material, production and context? 2. How is the depiction of the bulul in Damag’s installation different from the ways in which bululs and other artifacts from “indigenous peoples” are exhibited in museums or displayed in souvenir shops? 3. As an Ifugao himself, what do you think the artist wants to express his identity in presenting the bululs in this manner?

Proposed Activity:

Students will think of other objects like the bulul which traditionally are of important cultural significance to a specific group of people, but are now being produced and circulated in a totally different function and context.

Gaston Damag Concilliabule d’Idoles Dans un Musee (Conclave of Idols in the Museum) 1995/2010 Synthetic resins and scaffoldings

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Students will research about its traditional significance, including rituals and beliefs associated with the object, and how it has been transformed and appropriated today. Suggested Reading: Karp, Ivan and Steven Lavine, eds. Exhibiting Cultures: The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.

Philippine Mythology and Folklore

Since pre-colonial times, the Philippines have a rich tradition of folklore and mythology. This tradition has been passed on from generation to generation and provide us today with bits and pieces of information about the indigenous worldview, how people make sense of the world, explain its origin, and come to terms with natural phenomenon. An interesting aspect of this tradition is the belief in various supernatural creatures that bring either harm or good fortune to human beings, and those who can transcend the divide between the spirit and human realms. Tales about the aswang, duwende, diwata, kapre, tikbalang, and other creatures abound across various ethno-linguistic groups in the country. Similar strands of belief run across our Pacific and Southeast Asian neighbors.

The Bakunawa is a gigantic mythological creature described as having the form of a dragon, bird, serpent,

shark, or crocodile. Believed to rule the underworld, the Bakunawa is said to cause eclipses by swallowing the moon or the sun with its enormous mouth the size of a lake. It has a very red tongue, whiskers around its mouth, and a powerful set of ash-gray wings. A favorite motif in Philippine art, it has also inspired a popular children’s game. The Agtayabun, on the other hand, is a half-human, half-bird that mediates between the divine and the human world. Artist Roberto Feleo brings these creatures together with a scene depicting a myth from Bukidnon.

Guide Questions: 1. In this day and age, why do you think beliefs in such creatures persist? Do you think time will come when such beliefs will fade from our culture? 2. How does contemporary art practice help to revive Philippine mythology and folklore in the consciousness of today’s generation? Do you think art is an effective vehicle for such undertaking? 3. Aside from this installation in the museum, where else have you seen visual representations of themes and subjects drawn from Philippine mythology and folklore? How do they differ from the installation? 4. Examine the installation titled Ang Mito ng Bukidnon sa Mata ng Isang Bisita. How do you interpret this work where local folklore is portrayed using an assemblage of objects that we encounter in everyday life such as souvenirs, toys, and decorative pieces? Proposed Activity:

Students will reflect on how Philippine mythology and folklore are represented in popular media. In a paper, they

will critique and analyze a specific film, TV series, or comic book that portrays supernatural creatures from the Philippine tradition.

Suggested Readings: Ramos, Maximo. Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1971. Jocano, Felipe Landa. Outline of Philippine Mythology. Manila: Centro Escolar University Research and Development Center, 1969.

Roberto Feleo Bakunawa

2005

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Folk Christianity and Iconography

The Philippines prides itself on being the only predominantly Christian country in Asia, a legacy of our colonial past. Analyzing the religious practices of the Filipinos, however, will reveal several layers of other belief systems underneath its Christian surface. The pre-colonial religious traditions being practiced in the islands prior to the coming of the Spaniards have persisted despite the triumph of the Cross, resulting in a syncretic form of worship termed as “folk Christianity.” The religion brought by the colonizers has been indigenized by the locals to accommodate their existing beliefs and practices. This phenomenon can be manifested in a lot of familiar traditions, such as the celebration of fiestas and the practice of flagellation among penitents during the Holy Week.

The Passion of the Christ has inspired the imagination and creativity of the Filipinos. The Biblical account of Christ’s life on earth has been interpreted many paintings, sculptures, literature and performances. Drawing inspiration from the figure of the Crucified Christ, Jose Tence Ruiz presents a bright-orange man suspended in the air which he calls Radical.

Guide Questions: 1. Think about the iconography of Jesus Christ in paintings and sculptures that you see at home or in churches. What similar elements can be found in the installation of Tence Ruiz? 2. How are the elements in the iconography of Christ altered and/or reinterpreted in the installation? 3. A prominent feature of the figure is the long horn on its forehead. Think about the beliefs associated with horns and the things it signify across various cultures and traditions, e.g., a unicorn’s horn is believed to purify water and possesses healing powers. How does the horn fit into this ‘radical’ presentation of Christ? Aside from Christ, what other subject matter can be represented by the installation given the presence of elements not commonly found in Christ’s iconography?

Proposed Activity:

Students will write a paper about other icons and/or practice in Christianity and discuss how they have been localized by the Filipinos. They can focus on how Christianity intersects with indigenous beliefs, practices and narratives, which are explored in the other two installations. Suggested Readings: Covar, Prospero. Philippine Folk Christianity. Quezon City: Philippine Social Science Council, 1975. Ocampo, Galo. Religious Element in Philippine Art. Manila: University of Santo Tomas, 1966.

Jose Tence Ruiz In collaboration with Xavier Amador Ruiz and Danilo Ilag-Ilag Radical 2010 Styrofoam, resin, enamel, acrylic, wood