DEC13_SUPERDUPERFINAL

Finding Inspiration
in VIVA ExCon
by Rica Estrada
A blessing in the midst of what felt like a never-ending pandemic
was the chance to scour through the Cultural Center of the
Philippines’ (CCP) Visual Arts archives in a more methodical and
thorough manner. In it we found a typewritten document, a few
pages long, detailing the beginnings of VIVA ExCon, its header
reading “Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference
(VIVA ExCon) A concept paper prepared by the Black Artists
in Asia.” It made mention of the impetus for VIVA, two muralmaking
workshops held in Negros Occidental in 1987 which were
sponsored by the CCP Coordinating Center for the Visual Arts and
Outreach Program.
Reading through it, a few of its intentions hold true. Artists today
would still find value in “promoting contemporary visual art forms
reflective of its (Visayan) cultural influences, historical traditions,
and current social situations.” Artists still continue to search for
ways to “discuss regional cultural situations, inter-act on a range of
issues that affect our (Visayan) basic perception of the visual arts.”
Other objectives related to finding a “regional identity” and the
“distinct characteristics of the Visayan visual language,” might not
have aged quite as well. Is there still a need for the articulation of
“identity”? Is there such a thing as a common visual language in the
twenty-first century?
VIVA ExCon 1990 Endorsement Letter
Courtesy of the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division Archives.
168
It was hard not to view two documents side by side, the 1989
concept paper and the 2020 project design, also submitted to the
CCP admin and budget managers could zero in on the vast change
in costing allocations (Php 1300+ for roundtrip airfare to Bacolod!
Php 17.50 terminal fees!), project managers and programmers
could scrutinize the program schedules and timelines (why is it that
three hours on Zoom felt more tiring than the twelve-hour long
conference days?). What was once a Php 15,000 grant from CCP in
1990 became Php135,000 in 2021. Thirty years have certainly gone
by, and with it came changes and challenges that are documented
and discussed in the various writings on VIVA ExCon, a number
also found in the CCP Visual Arts archives.
Another unexpectedly helpful (and necessary) byproduct of the
COVID-19 pandemic era was the ubiquitousness of congregating
online. Just a few weeks before VIVA ExCon 2020 was launched,
the CCP Visual Art and Museum Division (CCP VAMD) brought
together representatives from artist initiatives, art spaces, and
regional museums from outside Metro Manila for an introductory
session on the CCP’s new museum, 21AM, and to plot the needs