MANILA, Philippines—Three fascinating exhibitions by artists with distinct practices are opening this month at Silverlens Galleries.
Therese Regalado’s first solo exhibition, Material Research, looks into the coming together of materials, textures, and forms through persistent inquiry and curiosity. Her workflow is spurred by puzzle-solving, like piecing together a game without fixed mechanics which Regalado then opens up to allow for reorientation. These objects, she says, really are built through magic: for her, the maker, a belief in the life and energy of materials and for us, the user, a conviction in our interest and intelligence. In many ways these assembled things convey experiments in faith.
Whether or not one is able to touch them, however, it is apparent that inherent in the structure of the fixtures is a range for generous pivot. This investment in give reveals Regalado’s fixation on the bisagra or the hinge — a joint that connects, fastens and secures several parts. It’s a fascination with the swinging and moving of parts, one that always intends for things to be more than just one thing; or materials that persuade despite intention, projecting and animating lives of their own.
Meanwhile, “Working on the Mountain” by Eric Zamuco is taken from the title of a book of essays by N.V.M. Gonzales. In this series of work, the mixed media artist ponders on the metaphor of geologic accretion and formation found in ancient temples and applies it to objects in the thick of instability and ruin.
Each assemblage called “Templo” is a self-contained compound of metal rods inserted through overlapping glass panels and wood like acupuncture points marking a body. Zamuco makes use of a collection of odds and ends stocked from his studio yet widely diverse in their material. In one work, shards of a glass bottle are encased like precious emeralds. In another, a black-and- white image of decapitated fish heads printed on a glass panel surprises, as the viewer is left to guess its connection to the other objects in the grouping
room of phases is a new solo exhibition by Maria Taniguchi. This marks the third individual presentation by the artist with the gallery; her previous shows include: Maria Taniguchi (2014) in Singapore and Manila, and Maria Taniguchi (2017)
In Taniguchi’s work, each canvas is created using silkscreen, using a thin layer of paint. Labor and resource in these works persistently insist themselves in the attempts at repetition. The abstraction assured by the grid and achieved by the gradation is cultivated against considerations material and bodily. It is within this framework that Taniguchi, in developing a set of paintings that comprise a singular work, articulates a method of engaging with space.
room of phases by Maria Taniguchi will be on view from 14 October and run until 13 November 2021, alongside Working on the Mountain by Eric Zamuco. These exhibitions will be accessible on our website, www.silverlensgalleries.com by 13 October 2021.
Gallery visits are strictly by appointment only. The gallery will be open for physical viewing on 14 October through 13 November 2021. Schedule your visit through bit.ly/Visit-Silverlens. For more information, please contact info@silverlensgalleries.com or at +63 917 587 4011.
