Ang Gerilya creates a series of playful renditions of Baguio’s tourism hospitality. “Dayo” (visitor) is about cityfolk paradise excursion, tourist immersion, skin-deep experience, and friendly acquaintances with the tendency to misinterpret and exploit the deep-rooted highland culture of the community.
“Igorot Selfie” series is inspired by the superficiality of Igorot-styled photo shoots. “Skull Pikes” series take cues from the highlanders’ unique head-hunting culture, repurposed to what we want to behead today as commercial coveted trophies. “Barrel Man” series are souvenirs reimagined with extraordinary arsenals—the phallus as a macho symbolism of a gun and maternal breasts into literal bombs. “Bahag Ballers” series is an installation portraying Igorots playing in their bahag doing high-flying, gravity-defying dunks.
The group also included in the exhibition shaped artworks which they are known for. “RoBulols” series (read: robots as our very own bulol) are the “gods” of our childhood. Fictional machines imitate these idols with rechanneled reverence to these deities for heroism, love, justice and war.
Ang Gerilya, a Manila-based street art and graffiti collective composed of graduates of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Fine Arts, is known for its bold and colorful street art renditions whose work is inspired by the country’s culture and history. They explore sociopolitical issues and national identity, and often work with historians and politicians to produce murals that tell stories of local heroes and communities. Important commissions include projects for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the City of Laoag, and Quezon City. The collective has also been cited by the Google Cultural Institute as a promising contemporary art collective. The show at BenCab Museum is Ang Gerilya’s third solo exhibition.
“Dayo” will be on view until Oct. 12 at the BenCab Museum’s Gallery Indigo.
BenCab Museum is on Km. 6 Asin Road, Tuba, Metro Baguio, and is open daily except Mondays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more details, call tel. 074-4427165 or mobile 0920-5301954; email bencabartfoundation@gmail.com; visit www.bencabmuseum.org.