By Tyrone A. Velez
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) – The fifth Mindanao Art Fair at SM Lanang Davao staged on September 24 to October 1, showcased an abundant total of 1,000 works from 500 artists all over six Mindanao regions.
The artworks on exhibit have shown diverse forms, including abstract, modernist, romantic still life and landscapes, and even anime type. But it is interesting to note that the Fair’s main collaborator, Kublai Millan, talked about the need for regional artists to establish more of their identity as Mindanao artists.
“We want our artists to not just paint in their studios but to go out there and find deeper narratives,” Millan said during a media conference held earlier in promoting the event.
Millan himself has established his identity, with his gigantic modern sculptures depicting Mindanao symbols such as the Philippine Eagle in Barangay Baganihan in Buda, and the durian at the Davao International Airport. His art appropriates the narratives of the what is called Mindanao tri-people of Lumad, Moro and settlers.
Some artworks on exhibit portrayed indigenous and Moro subjects, while others are abstract and modern. Perhaps this is the point Millan wants to raise: what makes this art Mindanaoan? Its subject? Its themes? Is there a narrative about Mindanao in them beyond “decorative” poses and strokes?
Finding such identity also entails integrity, another point raised by painter Alex Alagon in his column for another paper that appeared early this week.
He notes that artists need to show their vision and interpretation of subjects in society. Sometimes this may be provocative and thus the artist must be non-compromising of her/his vision. Alagon mentions one such artist who uses art as a platform for social commentary and remains committed to this form of art regardless if he is earning or not.
This is a challenging endeavor, admitted by Alagon and from artists I had talked to. The art milieu is dominated by a demand for artworks as display or decoration rather than provocation. There is also the need for artists to survive who venture into commercial art.
But taking the points raised by Millan and Alagon, art should come with a message, and stir the people’s thoughts through their works.
If I could also add from their points, aside from finding identity and integrity, artists need to integrate with his subjects. As Millan suggests, the artists can find the narrative by stepping out from their studios to understand the context of their art and thus make their art relevant and connected.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Tyrone A. Velez is a freelance journalist and writer.)
