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DUMAGUETE (2012)
Garbo sa Bisaya Awardees 2010 - Photo by Manny Montelibano
CEBU (2008 and 2010)
In 2008 and 2010, VIVA ExCon happened in Cebu. This was a
time when the next generation of artists, the students who attended
the first three VIVAs, had become professors already. Dennis
Montera led the organization, with the support of Ruben Cañete
as the curator and a wide range of artists from UP Visayas Cebu
and University of San Carlos, with different disciplines that came
together to work. In addition, Garbo sa Bisaya was first introduced
with the intention to honor artists, cultural workers, writers,
curators and those whose work had an impact that contributed to
the growth of local art practice. There were discussions of changing
the name of VIVA ExCon to The Visayas Biennale. There was also
a discussion to give the ExCon a home and Cebu, the Queen City
of the South, had all the resources, its art biome was more complete
so the thought was every two years, it will happen in Cebu. But the
plenary went back to its origin and its strength which is a travelling
biennale. This concern was brought up because resources in other
areas of the Visayas were scarce. All that was done was for this event
to progress for the artists in the Visayas. The conferences were well
organized, art workshops were available for students and interested
individuals, and performances every night. In Cebu 2008 and 2010,
VIVA got even bigger. This is the second time that this event was
hosted by the same group twice. The first one was in Bacolod.
On the other side of Negros, where the sun rises from the sea,
Dumaguete (2012) hosted VIVA. Siliman University and Foundation
University were the main venues for the event. Headed by Babu
Wescenslao and Yvette Malahay-Kim, the artists and students from
both Universities participated in the conference. The exhibition was
curated by Dr. Patrick Flores. The concern of changing the name
of VIVA ExCon to the Visayas Biennale came to a conclusion and
it was finally decided that the biennale will continue to be called
VIVA ExCon. The organizers continued the Garbo sa Bisaya which
honored artists and cultural workers Victorino Manalo, Raymund
Fernandez, Peque Gallaga, Florentina Colayco, Peewee Roldan,
Antipas Delotavo, Mark Justiniani, and Paul Pfeiffer. Norberto
Roldan, refused to be recognized, but all the other awardees had
their works exhibited at Siliman University. “Pagpahiluna” meaning
looking after was the theme. This edition also had an exhibition
at the Vargas Museum called Handumanan. There was a small art
market at the boulevard. At the same time, art organizations and
groups had exhibitions in galleries, cafés, and other alternative
spaces. On the other hand, there was an attempt to create more
public art around the city but it was not carried out due to lack of
resources.
And so the art making in the Visayas continue to evolve because we
see each other every two years, present our Island Reports, reignite
our camaraderie and celebrate together. VIVA ExCon’s impact on the
attending artists became a beacon of light, a source of motivation to
pursue art because they can see that they’re not alone in this world
– the community pursues art as one entity.
I personally loved the idea that VIVA ExCon goes from one island
to another every two years. We are an archipelago after all but what’s
more important is that this manner of approaching the biennale
elevates the artworks of the artists. It exposes them to other artists
from other places, it engages them to share, and the mindsets of
all who attend are opened to the circumstances of other islands. It
fights the apathy that is slowly eating art communities so when I was
tasked to organize it years after it was founded, I safeguarded this
concept because this promotes unity, awareness, camaraderie, and as
we’ve all experienced, precariousness.
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