When art lovers flock to the 11th edition of the ManilART fair on Oct. 9-13 at SM Aura, they will be welcomed by an art tableau consisting of paintings by Anthony Palomo and sculptures by Susanito Sarnate depicting the plight of overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

“Diaspora,” which will be installed at the VIP Lounge of the first and the longest-running art fair in the country, is curated by multimedia artist Jaime Pacena II.

The installation depicts the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) departure area, where Sarnate’s clay sculptures, numbering 100, represent workers leaving for work abroad.

In the backdrop is a mural by Palomo about the common plight of migrants facing uncertainty and suffering.

An artist from Negros Occidental, Sarnate employs his signature of scenic renditions from daily Philippine life. He deftly sculpted into each glazed earthen clay figurine all the clashing emotions usually felt by a Filipino about to leave for work abroad—anticipation, excitement, trepidation, sadness, elation and even boredom— separately and all at once, ably capturing the many faces of the Philippine diaspora.

The sculptures run the gamut of emotions felt by any worker leaving family and country in order to eke out a living in supposedly greener pastures abroad.

Overheard from the public-address system in the airport is “Welcome to life—the one-way airport of choices!”

“This is the boarding announcement for the flight to your success,” the announcement continues. “We are now inviting passengers with dreams, and any passenger with plans and goals, to begin boarding at this time.”

Despite gaining better and higher-paying job abroad, the Filipino becomes the “Other” overseas and an alien to his own land.

Palomo

Meanwhile in his striking mural, Palomo, a former OFW himself, depicts the vicious cycle of departure and return, departure and displacement experienced by OFW’s and their families.

But not all is bleak though. Though weary and even suffering, OFW’s are pictured as good-natured, light-hearted and optimistic. The optimism is reflected as well in Sernate’s sculptures.

The diaspora of Filipinos for employment worldwide implies, too, the dispersal of identity.

Palomo and Sarnate often participate in exhibits that explore Filipino identity and here they point to “Filipino-ness,” a special character of OFW’s that should explain their remarkable adaptability and their abounding sense of optimism and vitality.

In some instances, Pacena’s curation notably likens the army of OFW’s to the famous terra-cotta army buried with China’s Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The reference is truly timely. While the Philippines has OFWs jetting off to faraway places as some sort of anti-poverty warriors, there is daily news about thousands of Chinese mainlanders now working locally for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos). The whole scenario seems an allegory of the old-war strategy of luring the tribe’s braves away in order to pillage and burn the village.

The classic trope of art imitating life has been put to full use by Palomo, Sarnate and Pacena in their collaboration. They depict the Philippine dilemma through a powerful aesthetic that dovetails with the theme provided by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts for the 2019 Museums and Galleries Month—“Building the Nation One Exhibit at a Time.”

Flagship

As the flagship event of National Museums and Galleries Month, ManilART 2019 bills itself as the “national art fair.”

Theme of the festival is “Showcasing the Global Filipino Artist,” said ManilART director Tess Rayos del Sol.

Several artistic collaborations are highly anticipated, such as “Dungaw,” featuring
ostrich egg sculptor Danny Rayos del Sol, poet Riza Muyot, sculptor Agi Pagkatipunan and Mindanao artist Kublai Millan.

ManilART will once again give a free walking art tour to public students and hold seminars for public school teachers of Taguig in partnership with the Philippine High School for the Arts.

A truly national art fair, ManilART will have a satellite event over the weekend—the first-ever MindanaoArt, in partnership with Lawig-Diwa Inc.

Theme of the Mindanao event is “Traversing the River of Creativity.”

Participating galleries in ManilART include Francesca, Dave, ManilART Foundation, Inc., Legacy, Annual Sculpture Review, Singapore Contemporary Arts Society, Raphael, Nicolas, Nine, Canvas, 371 Art Space, Arte Pintura, Roberto, AC888, Renaissance, Anna, Blanc, Artery Manila, PASPI, Paseo, Art for Space, Galerie Y, Art Farm, Artes Orientes, Art Circle, Quattrocento, Arto logist, Ysobel, Artphile by CMG, Galerie Artes, Anton and Espacio Manila. —CONTRIBUTED

ManilART 2019 will run Oct. 9-13 at SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier, Taguig City.