Archivo 1984 Gallery hosts an immersive installation of Vilma Santos, inviting both die-hard “Vilmanians” and casual fans to a party electrified with nostalgia

Lights dim, disco music swells, and suddenly she’s standing center stage, ready to dance—Vilma Santos, the Star for All Seasons.

This was the routine in Santos’ ’80s variety show “Vilma in Person,” otherwise known as “VIP.”

The show always opened with a disco number. Santos glittering in the spotlight—surrounded by dancers sporting permed hair, shoulder pads, and neon tights—singing and dancing among flashing lights and smoke from dry ice.

This is the same tone set for the upcoming installation “Vilma Night” at Archivo 1984 Gallery opening this Saturday night.

Curated by long-time editor Jerome Gomez and the multi-hyphenate Erwin Romulo, the show is their childhood’s “idea of a Friday night.”

Now, give or take 40 years after, “Vilma Night” is a tribute to the star, with ephemera collected by Archivo 1984 owner Dr. Marti Magsanoc.

While set in a gallery, the event is arranged to be more of an immersive installation rather than a static exhibit, with a collection that features posters, music, moving images, and even a special Vilma drink mixed by a connoisseur.

Vilma in Person — Vilma Santos performs on stage with Eugene de los Santos

The curators’ vision

“For us, Vilma is always on the go. Vilma is a verb,” declares Gomez. To which Romulo replies, “The question is, do you Vilma?”

For the uninitiated, Santos is a cultural icon in the Philippines. Rising to fame as a child star in the 1960s, she became one of the country’s most beloved actresses, later transitioning into politics as governor of Batangas.

Vilma Santos darna — Vilma Santos in the 1973 “Darna”

But “Vilma Night” isn’t about the serious side of Santos’ career. Explains Gomez, “This isn’t your usual film screening where we sit down and watch classic movies. This is a celebration of Vilma Santos’ fun side.”

Both Gomez and Romulo grew up not watching Santos in the movies, but the famous variety show “Vilma In Person.” “Vilma Night” takes after the tone of this dancing-and-singing-Vilma Santos, leaning towards her films that possessed more of a melodramatic flair, often with a side of camp, too.

Randy and Michael Jackson with Vilma Santos on a magazine cover in 1976

The Vilma Night experience

The immersive installation features a treasure trove of memorabilia from the 1970s and 1980s, much of it from the personal collection of Dr. Magsanoc. Visitors can expect to see movie posters, promotional pictures, and objects that showcase Santos’ impact on Philippine pop culture.

“Archivo takes seriously all the pop culture we’ve relegated to kitsch or disposable,” Romulo explains. “Vilma has been part of the Philippine pop culture landscape for decades. Whether you’re a Vilmanian or not, Vilma has been in your life.”

Sister Stella L. Vilma Santos — Vilma Santos in “Sister Stella L”

Behind the scenes in “Tagos ng Dugo.” Photos by Cesar Hernando

While longtime fans will revel in the nostalgia, the curators are also hoping to introduce Santos to a new generation. “We really want younger people to see it, to have an appreciation,” Gomez says. “Many kids today only know her from her recent dramatic roles in the past two big movies. But there’s so much more to Vilma.”

While the curators remain tight-lipped about whether the Star for All Seasons herself might make an appearance, Romulo assures that there will be “so much Vilma to go around… It’s almost pathological. Nothing can be bigger than Vilma night.”

“Vilma Night” will be open to the public on August 10, 2024 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Archivo 1984, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.