BETTER DAYS
For the fifth straight time, the Philippines is taking part in the La Biennale Di Venezia or the Venice Biennale. Now in its 60th year, the Venice Biennale is arguably the most prestigious and famous international art festival. A total of 88 nations will take part in the 2024 festival, including new participants Benin, Ethiopia, Timor Leste, Tanzania, Panama, and Senegal. The Philippines will once again have its own pavilion, which will be open for public viewing from April 20 to Nov. 24, 2024.
The first time the Philippines participated in the Venice Biennale was in 1964, where painter Jose Joya and sculptor Napoleon Abueva represented the country. Since then, the Philippines has skipped the biennial exhibition until 2015 when it finally made its way back for the 56th Venice Biennale. Proper credit should be given to Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda who worked hard for the return of the Philippines to the “Olympics of Contemporary Art.” The persistence of the indefatigable Sen. Loren, alongside the parallel efforts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Department of Foreign Affairs, paved the way for the Philippines to be showcased once again as a key player in the art world.
In the 2024 edition of the Venice Biennale, the Philippine Pavilion will feature the works of Mark Salvatus as curated by Carlos Quijon Jr. Entitled “Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito (Waiting just behind the curtain of this age), the exhibition embodies the enduring spirit of Apolinario de la Cruz, who is more popularly known as Hermano Puli, a local hero of the Quezon province who famously fought for religious freedom during the Spanish colonization. It draws inspiration from the landscape of Lucban and Mt. Banahaw.
Five Filipino artists were also selected for the main exhibition, “Foreigners Everywhere” namely Pacita Abad, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Nena Saguil, Joshua Serafin, and Maria Taniguchi. The theme is very much familiar to us since Filipinos can be found in practically every corner of the world. In 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that there were close to two million Filipinos working overseas. We can say that the contributions of Filipinos are essential in every field, notably in the maritime industry, healthcare, arts and entertainment. Here at home, a significant portion of our population consists of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The Philippines has also been part of the Venice Architecture Biennale since 2016. In the 2021 edition of the exhibition, the Philippines was given its first ever award in the Venice Biennale. The collaborative exhibition “Structures of Mutual Support” of the GK Enchanted Farm community and architects Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr. and Alexander Eriksson Furunes, curated by the Framework Collaborative was given the Special Mention for Participation for its “exemplary community project that creates a rich archive and experience of collaborative construction practices.” The 2023 edition concluded on Nov. 26, 2023 with the Philippine Pavilion’s exhibition “Tripa de Galina: Guts of Estuary. The exhibition centered around a Manila estuary and its communities, whose narrative stitched together historical roots and envisioned a resilient future amid present environmental challenges.
Since assuming the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Finance in 2019, we have constantly provided our support to the Philippines participation in the Venice Biennale. From 2020 to 2024, we have ensured that there is funding support for this endeavor in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). A total of ₱289.5 million has been allocated in the GAA over the five-year period, ₱194 million of which was based on our own initiative.
Speaking of the arts, on Oct. 15 to 19, the Philippines is also set to embark on another historic journey, this time as the guest of honor in the 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse, the world’s most prestigious book fair. This is only the second time that a Southeast Asian country has been named as guest of honor in the book fair based in Germany — the first being Indonesia in 2015. This brings to the forefront of the international book industry, Philippine literature and culture. The guest of honor program seeks to increase the number of translations from the chosen country into German.
The Philippines also made its debut at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the biggest international fair for children’s content last April 8 to 11, 2024. The National Book Development Board and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People presented a curated selection of 103 books, exploring themes such as culture, diversity, identity, peace, community, and the environment.
Apart from showcasing the works of our artists and writers, the Philippines' continued participation in these international festivals also offers a unique opportunity for us to connect with the world and provide non-Filipinos a glimpse into our culture and history. We have a wealth of talent here at home and people are starting to recognize this over the years. (Email: [email protected]| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara)
(Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 19 years — nine years as representative of the lone district of Aurora, and 10 as senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.)