DEC13_SUPERDUPERFINAL

It may not be our fondest memory but VIVA ExCon Dumaguete,
despite the difficulties, was one of those moments in history that
tested the gathering of Visayan artists. We were just trying to survive
one day at a time. We didn’t have enough funds for the exhibitions
nor food for the participants. Good Samaritans came to help like
Gerard Uymatiao, who owned a hardware store, lent us several panels
of plywood to hang the artworks… provided we didn’t use nails! It
was a time when only Visayan artists were present at the festival.
The question “Do we continue VIVA?” became a death ringer that
the biennale might not see another year. But VIVA ExCon never
lost its pillars. I remembered Kitty Taniguchi, our counterpart along
with Silliman University, hosted the Bacolod artists and welcomed
us into her home. Bobi Valenzuela spent hours coming up with his
curation, Brenda Fajardo and Ed Defensor guided the discussions
of the conference, Dea Doromal along with Toto Tarrosa financially
supported it along with artists like Yvette Malahay-Kim and Cidni
Mapa, who continue to follow it to this day. This was also the time we
connected with Japan Foundation and Japanese curator Mizusawa
Tsutumo sought me out in Dumaguete to join the exhibition ‘Asian
and Modernism’ to be held in Tokyo the following year. Since then,
Japan Foundation became a constant supporter of the succeeding
VIVA ExCons. It was also this time that the founding members
of the ExCon, the Black Artists in Asia, went on their separate
ways. They all had their priorities; Peewee Roldan was not able to
participate in Dumaguete and the next VIVA in Iloilo.
VIVA, however got to live long, much longer after that pit stop.
After Dumaguete, organizing committees became wiser. They
learned and molded their unique flavor and because of this,
VIVA ExCon evolved organically in the hands of the islands that
protect it. The components of VIVA ExCon remain the same, the
conference and the exhibition. The conference is where the visitors,
artists, cultural workers and curators engage in deliberating projects,
sharing problems, and creating solutions by collaborating, suggesting
and deciding. And from the semi-formal setting of the morning
activities, we go to the more comfortable informal discussions in the
evening coupled with beer or liquor to ease the stiffness of the day
and let out the uncensored, the craziness, the fun...
VIVA ExCon grew in Iloilo with the help of Ed Defensor and Brenda
Fajardo, who were then appointed officers of the newly organized
NCCA. It extended the biggest grant at that time - two million
pesos. From then to this day, NCCA has been a sturdy pillar of VIVA
ExCon. VIVA Iloilo was well-organized and very successful because
of this funding. It was open to everyone; not just Visayan artists and
it kept the same combination of conference and exhibition.
CEBU (1998)
Got to host it next! I could not forget how Raymund and Estella
Fernandez, Jayvee Villacin, Palmy Tudtud, Babbu Wenceslao and
the UP Cebu-based Fine Arts professors called the Pusod Group
organized it very well. It was also this time that Roldan came back
to participate but his involvement ended in this VIVA. He left the
ExCon for the succeeding years.
As VIVA expanded, it embraced the independent filmmakers such
as Lawrence Fajardo and Manny Montelibano. They headed a
collective called Produksyon Tramontina Inc. in Bacolod and they
got to participate.
LEYTE (2000)
After Cebu, Leyte (2000) hosted the next VIVA and was not
ready to feature the films due to lack of equipment. However, the
films were viewed in the boats going to Leyte. The fast crafts were
equipped with VHS players and big television screens for their
passengers. The conference happened in Palo, Leyte. The artists and
groups welcomed the delegates. In this time, there were no smart
phones and yet it was participated by many. Video projectors at
that time were only available in 747 planes so artists used manila
papers, overhead projectors, blackboards, white boards, and slides
for presentations.
Brenda Jajardo, Ed Defensor, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, National Artist Napoleon
Abueva, Dea Doromal, Raul Agner, with other Visayan Artists
Photo by Yvette Malahay-Kim
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