For the 'Spoliarium family,' museums can be fun in the PHL

Family bonding doesn't have to mean watching a movie or going out to eat, as the Queddeng family learned earlier this year. Appreciating Filipino art is also a worthwhile activity, and it doesn't have to be boring. "Yearly event na po na tuwing birthday ko lumalabas kami. Kaso this year, naisipan ko na maging iba naman imbes na kumain lang sa labas, naisipan ko po na yayain sila na bisitahin yung National Museum," said Jordana Queddeng, who celebrated her birthday with her family last July.

Like most Filipinos, the Queddeng family couldn't resist a photo opportunity. But instead of the usual family picture, they took it up a notch and decided to pose as the figures in Juan Luna's famous masterpiece The Spoliarium. In the painting, Luna depicts a scene at the spoliarium — the basement of the Roman Coliseum where defeated gladiators are left to die. "On the left, spectators ardently await their chance to strip off the combatants of their metal helmets and other armory. In contrast with the charged emotions featured on the left, the right side meanwhile presents a somber mood. An old man carries a torch perhaps searching for his son while a woman weeps the death of her loved one," reads the description on the National Museum website. Made as an entry to the Exposicion de Bellas Artes (Madrid Art Exposition) in 1884, The Spoliarium is the largest painting in the Philippines, with a size of 4.22 meters by 7.675 meters. Being large family, the Queddengs realized they had enough in the group to reenact the scene in the painting, which won the First Gold Medal at the exposition. "'Yung last stop po namin 'yung Spoliarium. Naisip ko po since marami naman kami, mabubuo namin yung mga main characters doon sa painting. Game naman po lahat sila, tingnan niyo naman si Papa, nakahiga talaga," Jordana Queddeng said on "News to Go" on Monday. The photo of the Queddeng's version The Spolarium was widely shared online, and was voted the best YouScoop submission for 2012, based on an online poll. "Syempre super saya po dahil napakita namin na as a big family, blessing pala 'yun. Naghahanap po talaga kami ng paglabas ng malaking pamilya ay less ang gastos," Regalado Queddeng said after their photo "Spoliarium: More Fun in the Philippines" was declared the best YouScoop submission. He said that going to museums is not corny, as some kids might think. "Syempre katulad nga po ng ginawa namin, isa pong way na maging fun yung aming pagsasama bilang pamilya," Regalado said.  — Carmela G. Lapeña/KBK/HS GMA News