“Contours of Loss” is a group exhibit that features works by Lester Amacio, Crown Dolot, Michelle Hollanes Lua, Alab Pagarigan and Paul Eric Roca. It is ongoing at Gallery 2 of vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery.
Amacio uses imagery based on objects found in his house. His works take inspiration from his domestic life and its relationships.
Dolot’s works deal with migrant labor and the diaspora. They involve combining the powerful gestures of dance with the imagery of the jester and the ubiquitous geotags that appear in social media to pinpoint the laborers’ location on a map created by GPS technology.
Lua’s “Retokada” deals with the loss of physical beauty as aging sets in. It shows a woman clothed in intricate metal pulling up her breasts in an attempt to recapture lost youth.
Pagarigan breaks away from his oeuvre of diaphanous wire sculptures to present mixed-media drawings on textural teabags. His drawings of a man climbing ladders on disparate asteroids serve to highlight the tangential knowledge a person could gain from relationships.
Roca’s paintings portray cultural displacement.
“In the face of farewells, we hold on to things that remind us of what was lost—letters we keep hidden, text messages we save and don’t delete, pictures we protect, clothes we look at often, and small objects we cherish for the memories they keep for us. This is the common thread that binds this exhibit,” says curator Ricky Francisco.
“The five artists in this exhibit are able to load into their artworks the affective power of symbols and objects that universally signify the experience and idea of losing someone, losing something, or losing one’s identity or ideals,” says co-curator Avie Felix.
Contours of Loss is on view until Dec. 14. vMeme is at 2/F, CK Bldg., 61 Visayas Ave, Quezon City; tel. 5022578, 0917-8555066; or visit www.vmemecontemporary.com.
