National Museum holds last 'HoCus' lecture on Philippine history, art
Published Feb 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Jenny Ortuoste
The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) held last Saturday (Feb. 22) the final lecture in the Quadricula: HoCus II exhibition showcasing artworks inspired by Philippine historical events and personages.
Poster for the final HoCus lecture held at the National Museum of the Philippines (Photo courtesy of NMP)
According to NMP Deputy Director-General Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, the canvases of the HoCus shows, particularly the first HoCus exhibit held also at the NMP in April 2017, served to inspire the restoration of La Inmaculada Concepcion Church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Dr. Labrador delivered the lecture titled “Using HoCus as Inspiration: The Guiuan Heritage Project” with artist and church conservator Rafael Guy P. Custodio as co-lecturer.
Custodio is one half of the HoCus team, the other half being lawyer-historian Saul Hofileña Jr.
HoCus is an acronym taken from the first syllables of their surnames. Hofileña is the author of “Under the Stacks,” a bestselling book on Philippine history.
According to the NMP in a Facebook post from September 2017, the museum spearheaded the restoration of the church in Guiuan after it was severely damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda in November 2013.
NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns “created a Guiuan Heritage Conservation Team involving researchers of the NM from relevant disciplines: ethnology, archaeology, geology, zoology, botany, and fine arts,” NMP wrote, with Dr. Labrador as project manager of the restoration.
La Inmaculada Concepcion is a Marian church dating back to the 18th century, and is listed as a National Cultural Treasure in the Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties.
HoCus paintings: first of their kind
According to Custodio, HoCus has a unique collaborative method, where Hofileña dictates to him what to render on each canvas, from how each human figure is positioned to the colors to be used.
“Quadricula” greets guests as they enter the exhibit galleries. (Photo by Dr. Jenny Ortuoste)
Hofileña, who has a large collection of Philippine historical documents, books, and other materials, said he visits Custodio “everyday to bring him images culled from old books and photographs.”
“The purpose of the paintings is to remind us of our nation’s tragic history, that is why when the paintings are released for exhibition, a book describing what each painting wishes to convey is likewise simultaneously released,” Hofileña said.
HoCus works on permanent display
According to Hofileña, six HoCus paintings are now on permanent display at the National Museum of Fine Arts, with five more paintings to be installed at the National Museum of Anthropology after an agreement was signed by lawyer Daniel Hofileña, exhibit curator Gemma Cruz Araneta, and NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns.
Araneta, in her opinion column for the Manila Bulletin, wrote last Feb. 6 that “the ‘Quadricula’ or ‘HoCus II’ exhibition has enjoyed unprecedented success in the National Museum of Fine Arts.”
Viewers on opening day study “Los recien llegados” (The Recent Arrivals) — oil on canvas (Photo by Dr. Jenny Ortuoste)
Every time she visits the exhibit she curated, Araneta wrote, “I am amazed that many young people take time to read the labels of each painting… I was wrong to think that HoCus would appeal only to people of my generation.”
READ MORE: Symbols galore
Moreover, lawyer Guiller Asido, administrator of the Intramuros Administration, “has recently in principle agreed to exhibit the HoCus paintings at the newly-opened Museo de Intramuros located inside the Walled City, a place that is perfect for the historical paintings,” Hofileña said.
Anghel de cuyacuy
He added that the HoCus joint signature is the “anghel de cuyacuy,” an “indio” (native Filipino) angel dressed in a white tunic and wearing a squash hat who is always seated, and reading a book while jiggling (cuyacuy) a leg.
As imagined by Hofileña, he is an angel who “would rather read a book and be enlightened than fight Satan’s murderous horde.”
Guiuan church restoration
Custodio worked with NMP personnel on the church restoration, which was completed after three years of work. Last December, Labrador attended the rededication of the church with Church prelates and other dignitaries.
Some P111.9 million was spent to restore the structure and interiors, with funds from the national government and a US$300,000 contribution from the United States government through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program.
Poster for the final HoCus lecture held at the National Museum of the Philippines (Photo courtesy of NMP)
According to NMP Deputy Director-General Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, the canvases of the HoCus shows, particularly the first HoCus exhibit held also at the NMP in April 2017, served to inspire the restoration of La Inmaculada Concepcion Church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Dr. Labrador delivered the lecture titled “Using HoCus as Inspiration: The Guiuan Heritage Project” with artist and church conservator Rafael Guy P. Custodio as co-lecturer.
Custodio is one half of the HoCus team, the other half being lawyer-historian Saul Hofileña Jr.
HoCus is an acronym taken from the first syllables of their surnames. Hofileña is the author of “Under the Stacks,” a bestselling book on Philippine history.
According to the NMP in a Facebook post from September 2017, the museum spearheaded the restoration of the church in Guiuan after it was severely damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda in November 2013.
NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns “created a Guiuan Heritage Conservation Team involving researchers of the NM from relevant disciplines: ethnology, archaeology, geology, zoology, botany, and fine arts,” NMP wrote, with Dr. Labrador as project manager of the restoration.
La Inmaculada Concepcion is a Marian church dating back to the 18th century, and is listed as a National Cultural Treasure in the Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties.
HoCus paintings: first of their kind
According to Custodio, HoCus has a unique collaborative method, where Hofileña dictates to him what to render on each canvas, from how each human figure is positioned to the colors to be used.
“Quadricula” greets guests as they enter the exhibit galleries. (Photo by Dr. Jenny Ortuoste)
Hofileña, who has a large collection of Philippine historical documents, books, and other materials, said he visits Custodio “everyday to bring him images culled from old books and photographs.”
“The purpose of the paintings is to remind us of our nation’s tragic history, that is why when the paintings are released for exhibition, a book describing what each painting wishes to convey is likewise simultaneously released,” Hofileña said.
HoCus works on permanent display
According to Hofileña, six HoCus paintings are now on permanent display at the National Museum of Fine Arts, with five more paintings to be installed at the National Museum of Anthropology after an agreement was signed by lawyer Daniel Hofileña, exhibit curator Gemma Cruz Araneta, and NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns.
Araneta, in her opinion column for the Manila Bulletin, wrote last Feb. 6 that “the ‘Quadricula’ or ‘HoCus II’ exhibition has enjoyed unprecedented success in the National Museum of Fine Arts.”
Viewers on opening day study “Los recien llegados” (The Recent Arrivals) — oil on canvas (Photo by Dr. Jenny Ortuoste)
Every time she visits the exhibit she curated, Araneta wrote, “I am amazed that many young people take time to read the labels of each painting… I was wrong to think that HoCus would appeal only to people of my generation.”
READ MORE: Symbols galore
Moreover, lawyer Guiller Asido, administrator of the Intramuros Administration, “has recently in principle agreed to exhibit the HoCus paintings at the newly-opened Museo de Intramuros located inside the Walled City, a place that is perfect for the historical paintings,” Hofileña said.
Anghel de cuyacuy
He added that the HoCus joint signature is the “anghel de cuyacuy,” an “indio” (native Filipino) angel dressed in a white tunic and wearing a squash hat who is always seated, and reading a book while jiggling (cuyacuy) a leg.
As imagined by Hofileña, he is an angel who “would rather read a book and be enlightened than fight Satan’s murderous horde.”
Guiuan church restoration
Custodio worked with NMP personnel on the church restoration, which was completed after three years of work. Last December, Labrador attended the rededication of the church with Church prelates and other dignitaries.
Some P111.9 million was spent to restore the structure and interiors, with funds from the national government and a US$300,000 contribution from the United States government through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program.