Art Exhibit Reaction Paper

Caitlin Keely S. Ong 11207760 LBYMKT2

C31 MW 2:40-4:10

A Paper on the exhibit “Without A Murmur” Last Wednesday sadly we weren't able to have our statistics lesson with Miss De Mesa again. I was actually looking forward for the lessons last week since it's already a preparation for my future subjects. Considering I'm a marketing major, I'm expecting loads of surveys about consumer behaviour and the likes. So, instead of wasting our free time for the subject, Miss Poblador informed us about an art exhibit in DLS-CSB, School of Design and Arts building. We didn't really know what the theme of the exhibit was since our professor only gave us the title which is "Without A Murmur". It doesn't really give away that much clues of what to expect. This is also the first time that I'm going to visit the SDA building. I've been telling myself to go there a couple of times already but I can't really find the time to. It's a good thing that Miss assigned us this required paper. It's a win-win situation after all! So here it is the main point of the paper; no more beating around the bush: the exhibit experience. I can't say that I'm a really huge fan of conceptual art but hopefully what little knowledge I have will help me appreciate what I'm about to see. Walking in the museum wasn't what I've expected. There's more space than there are art pieces! Maybe because I'm used to museums like those filled with paintings and relics like the National Museum. Well, as we've learned in class, "space" is part of art itself. We went through different pieces, visual and audio, by Filipino artists. These include At Maculangan, Lani Maestro, Roderico Jose Daroy and Maria Taniguchi. Honestly, after the first walk-through inside the exhibit, I thought to myself: "Wow, you really don't know a thing about art!". I did not understand a thing about what I just saw. During the first walk-through my head was like: "Why is there a video of airport scenery? That's art? I can do that myself!" "Why is there a video of two men digging a hole in the backyard? Where's the art in that?" "Why is there a projection of the moon in this dark room? I can just simply look at the real thing!" "These sounds really don’t make any sense." Sorry, but yes. That's how clueless and bored I was. It's a good thing though that we were given a guided tour on the second round. Phew! After this tour I'm no longer the clueless one. I hope! First of all, the guide told us that all first impressions of the exhibit are accepted and very 1

much appreciated. (Well, let's just say I kept my mouth shut during that part. It was totally embarrassing.) The main theme of the exhibit was that it was time based; visually manifested. So, the clip with airport scene by At Maculangan tends to make the viewer feel like it's been going on and on for like forever when in truth, it's only 8 minutes long. The scene was also well-coordinated. The workers are seen to be following a cycle, like ants in an art farm. On the other hand, the sound installation "her region" by Lani Maestro is all about being mysterious and uncoordinated. The whispers or murmurs are meant to produce muffled words. This is the main point of the sound installation. It's for listeners to learn to take time to listen and to understand and appreciate language and its meaning. It's not enough to just hear, we must listen! The moon projection, "mon afrique", is also by Lani Maestro. It is said to give viewers a melancholic feel to it. It encourages them to just sit there and reflect about their day or even about their whole life. The video with the two men digging in the backyard was shot in real time, meaning there were no cuts and edits. It was shot continuously. They were really digging for clay that will be used to make slabs that are included in the exhibit. But, sad to say the slabs didn't arrive on time for the opening because it was nonstop rain in that area during that time. Next are the installation ("Anus of the Sun") and painting (which is 10 years old) by Roderico Jose Daroy. They were related in the sense that all of them were made of organic materials. His theme kind of revolves around the idea of "controlled decay". I'm not really sure what that means but, I'm going to find out soon enough. He wants the viewers not only to look at art. He wants us to experience his work. There are still other works that I haven't mentioned in this paper. Just visit them in the museum. It's open until February 13, 2013 anyway. In my opinion, what I did here doesn't really do the works of these great Filipino artists that much justice. Maybe I'll give myself a percentage of credit for effort in understanding their meanings. Well, as they say, art is a matter of opinion. “The exhibition “Without a murmur” provides a space where art nudges each other towards an exploration of its internal complexities, and perhaps, a slow acceptance of the spaces wherein these considered thoughts can enter the other artworks.” -

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Taken from inside the exhibit walls.