Searching for social justice

Despite the long weekend, the Ishmael Bernal gallery in the University of the Philippines was filled with people last Friday at the exhibit opening of Nasaan? An initiative of the UGATLahi Artist Collective, the group exhibit features works by over 20 visual artists, among them students from the UP College of Fine Arts.The exhibit is dedicated to late student activists Alexander Martin Remollino, Tanya Domingo and Ian Dorado. "They are the young artists and cultural workers who gave their lives in pursuit of social justice," said UGATLahi in its exhibit notes.

Unlike most art exhibits, Nasaan? aims to bring to light the continuing struggle for social justice through the visual arts which serves as an important vehicle of expression and education. Nasaan? focuses on different human rights violations - extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances. Highlights of the night were poetry and music from Sining Bugkos and Kislap Alitaptap, as well as a performance art piece by Boyet De Mesa. Human rights advocates as well as families of the disappeared attended the opening, where the mood remained light despite its serious subject. It isn't an easy exhibit to look at. You won't find any pleasant images here, nothing you would fancy to bring home and display on your walls. In the center, an installation piece features bloody torture devices. In one painting, a hand signals the peace sign - but only because most of the fingers are chopped off. A collage shows countless hands reaching towards an invisible home. The pieces are depressing, to say the least. But depression is not what these artists want you to feel. Other questions need to be asked, apart from 'where?' said Max Santiago of UGATLahi at the opening. "Magtanong pa lalo. Bukod sa nasaan, bakit ginagawa ito, at sino ang gumagawa nito?" he urged the guests. It isn't easy to explain human rights, but the artists in the exhibit were able to do this in the form of their art, said Karapatan Deputy Secretary Jigs Clamor. "Ito ang layunin ng exhibit na ito, maibahagi o maipakita satin ang usapin ng karapatang pantao." He told the audience that in his work with Karapatan, they deal with those stories everyday. Every text message and every e-mail that they receive bears bad news. "Pinakamabigat po diyan ang basahin. Ang ibig sabihin niyan mayroon na naman pong panibagong paglabag. Mayroong panibagong buhay na kinitil, dinukot, tinorture, ilegal na inaresto," he said. Clamor's wife is one of the Morong 43, who have been illegally detained for seven months now. Aya Santos tells the audience that there are more than 206 desaparecidos and their families are still looking for them. Among them are Karen Empeno, Sherlyn Cadapan, Jonas Burgos, and many others who are brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. She thanked the artists for giving shape to a struggle that is difficult to put in concrete terms. "Hirap na hirap kami dahil paano namin ipapakita ang mga nawawala, e wala nga. Mahirap 'yun para sa amin, pero isang challenge 'yun sa mga artista kung paano ninyo ipapakita ang mga imahe ng mga biktima ng enforced disappearance," Santos said. Santos is the daughter of National Democratic Front consultant Leo Velasco, who has been missing for 3 years. Santos said the exhibit shows that art is about reality, and ultimately can inspire action. Andrew Zarate of BAYAN-NCR then delivered an optimistic message, proposing that instead of merely focusing on what is missing, people see what is there. "Madalas hindi na natin sila natatagpuan. Pero natatagpuan natin na meron tayong lakas hindi lang para maghanap kundi para sabihin at ipakita na mayroong maling nagaganap at may dapat gawin," he said. The exhibit runs until September 17, 2010 at the Ishmael Bernal Gallery, UP Film Institute, Diliman. - GMANews.TV