Artists’ Talk: Alwin Reamillo and Gerardo Tan on Luna and Hidalgo

Gerardo Tan subjected Luna’s Nubes, Mar y Tierra to a process of layering, scanning, printing and painting and came up with “The Moon (Luna) in Prison (John Cage) Trance.” His installation consists of 12 photographic and painted reproductions of Luna’s work which points to the idea of fetish and obsession. Tan, a 13 Artist Awardee, has an MFA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Alwin Reamillo’s “GX2 Putomaya” is composed of 12 assemblages installed alongside 12 works by Juan Luna. In these assemblages appear one of Reamillo’s icons, the crab whose movements, being migratory as well as ability to camouflage themselves he likens to that of society or people in general. To describe his installation, the Australia-based artist wrote : “Gaya gaya puto maya/La Luna la luna/Maya maya puro gaya/Ang buwan ang buan/Puto puto Gaya Maya/ Go bubble forth and multiply.”

Award-winning independent film director Tad Ermitaño’s media art called “Eisenstein’s Monster” uses a Hidalgo drawing of a dying man. Playing around with Hidalgo’s name, Ermitaño created a video animation where a person in supine position gets up like Frankenstein’s monster. To create the media art, Ermitaño used 20 monitors, one projector and five channels of videos in a roomful of 12 Hidalgo drawings.

The exhibit also incorporates the Museum’s trove of Rizaliana and modern art pieces. In two separate galleries are the films “Edades” and “Bayaning Third World.” “Edades” (2002),by Nick de Ocampo is surrounded by conservative art (Amorsolo school) and modernist works (Saguil, Manansala, Edades, Joya and HR Ocampo) to show the use of kitsch language and form to revist the debate on art in post war Philippines.

On the other hand, Mike de Leon’s 2000 film “Bayaning third World” is surrounded by computers dedicated to the Friendster account of Jose Rizal and Rizaliana objects to depict the incarnations of Rizal, the hero in pop consciousness.

The Lopez Memorial Museum is located at the ground floor of Benpres Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Museum days and hours are Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., except Sundays and holidays. Entrance fee is P60.00 for elementary students, P80.00 for high school and college students, and P100.00 for adults. For more information call 631-2417 or email pezseum@skyinet.net.

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