MANILA – November 18, 2013 – Grotesque figures creep and crouch in hellish scenes of destruction and decay. A tender moment occurs amidst chaos. Nightmarish scenes tell stories of poverty and anxiety.
In "Hangganan," political activist and artist Iggy Rodriguez poses the question, "If you are pushed against a wall, what would you do?"
Rodriguez explained that the exhibit is about Philippine society. "Telling something about what is happening in society is very important for me, at least to be able to articulate it in my works," he said during the exhibit opening at Manila Contemporary on November 14.
One piece, "The True, The Good and the Beautiful Redux," shows that poverty is not a problem, as Rodriguez shared. "It’s a situation that is brought about by something else," he said, adding that he created a similar, smaller piece in 2001, which also exposes some of society’s evils.
"I believe that there is developmental aggression by foreign companies, which try to steal our land, in cahoots with our corrupt officials," Rodriguez said.
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Another theme that is present in his work is religion, although Rodriguez explains it is not religion per se, but religion as an institution that he portrays. "Religion as an institution, which also has their way of corrupting things within their own institution," he said.
Other pieces, such as "Into the Realm of Anxiety," focus on the fear of the unknown. Rodriguez explained that his work is also part of his advocacy for the urban poor and issues that they face, such as loss of homes and jobs. "Especially for someone who has no food, or lost his job, or those affected by Yolanda… what will they do? At the same time, there’s a problem with the system, because in that sort of event there should be a support system, which our government should supply, and somehow, in my personal opinion, they failed," Rodriguez said in Filipino.
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On the other hand, Rodriguez said he also explores themes of courage and resilience. "In spite of things like these, how does one face this kind of bombardment from society?" he said.
Rodriguez said that he believes his art is one of the effective ways through which he can articulate what he wants to say. Asked if his works can function without an agenda, Rodriguez said, "I think everything has an agenda. Whether personal, political, religious, all of that has an agenda. What matters is how sincere you are, and what its significance is in our lives."
Hangganan runs from November 14 to December 5, 2013 at Manila Contemporary
Whitespace 2314 Chino Roces Avenue Ext.
