Salubayba plays with the phrase “sala sa Init, sala sa lamig”, a common Filipino saying that conveys ambivalence, unpredictability and indecision. This expression also alludes to the volatile environment of the country, both literally and figuratively: a tropical weather on the one hand, and on the other, a political culture sustained by accommodation and largesse. Salubayba explores dualities and ironies in Philippine culture and contemporary society brought about by colonial mentality and the desire to create identity. He appropriates vernacular myths and local tradition as framework for historical narratives and as critique of the socio-political climate of the nation. The “Bayan ni Juan” series, inspired from the Filipino bayanihan practice, reflects on how people bear the burden of the current problems of the country and respond to issues of government corruption, cultural disembodiment and personal struggles. In his set of drawings called “Talking Heads”, he probes how people think. Inquiry into relationships is revealed in “Consociation” through the system of connections: on how people relate to each other in the vast network outside the realm of kinship. He further works on social commentary using folklore as metaphor through the wedding banquet of the tikbalang juxtaposed with the manipulated and re-animated videos of the Marcoses. OCTOBER 23-DECEMBER 06 2013 . VARGAS MUSEUM . UP DILIMAN.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 05:04:13 +0000