MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A day after President Rodrigo Duterte’s last state of the nation address (SONA), Filipino artists express their views on the real state of the nation through the Kwento Engkwentro — a three-phase art exhibition answering the question: Ano ang state of the nation para sa’yo? hosted by DAKILA, along with Active Vista and We the Future PH.
The first phase of the exhibition was a call to the public to pitch their artwork concepts and ideas (Kwento). The second phase was the artwork production from the accepted pitches (Engkwentro). The art exhibition today will virtually exhibit and publish participants’ artworks to cap off their journey in this creative socio-political commentary (Kwento Engkwentro).
“For the past five years of the current administration, we have seen how our freedom of speech is constantly under attack, suppressing our basic right to express. Still, we remain firm that the real state of the nation lies in the daily lives and sufferings of the Filipino people,” DAKILA Campaigns Director Sunshine Santos Serrano underscores.
With dozens of entries using different mediums and forms, featured artworks tackle governance, police brutality, territorial dispute, pandemic, and other human rights issues close to the contexts of the artists-participants.
“In the rise of #Tumindig posts, we see how Filipinos have become more and more creative in standing up against the social ills afflicting our country. But more importantly, we also see how the power of art transcends to diverse audiences, and sparks a wave of resistance among Filipinos, whether artist or not, both online and onground,” DAKILA member and artist Ralph Eya says.
“The next months will be crucial as we near the next presidential elections. We call on artists to continue creating works that tell the realities of our time. Let this be our weapons in pursuing a governance and society that Filipinos want and deserve,” he adds.
The Kwento Engkwentro exhibit is accessible at wtf.ph/KwentoEngkwentro for free.
