The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art exhibition catalogue (APT2)

Sanggawa (a contraction of the Filipino phrase isang gawa, or one work) was conceptualised and founded in December 1994. Comprising several artists, the initial group began with Mark Justiniani, Karen Flores, Elmer Borlongan, Federico Sievert and Joy Mallari. Other artists who contributed to the collaboration for various pieces were Manny Garibay, Mikel Parial and Jeho Bitancor. The collaborative work by Sanggawa initially found its form in mural-making. This choice of medium implicitly directed the group's subjects and themes toward issues and concerns that rock Philippine society. As critic Alice Guillermo wrote on the group's monograph, 'The large scale of a mural is not a thing apart but is a function of its communal character, drawing its energy from the vital issues and concerns of a community and society'.1 The individual histories of the members are central to the formation of Sanggawa. Federico Sievert, thirty-five, has been in and out of the Manila art scene. A second generation social realist painter, Sievert's powerful paintings have won several awards, notably the gold medal at the 35th Art Association of The Philippines Annual Art Competition. From 1984 to 1994 he retreated to doing layout work in the publication section of the Cultural Centre of The Philippines. Elmer Borlongan, thirty-one, received the Thirteen Artists Award from CCP at the same time as Justiniani. His works' commentary on vignettes of Philippine society run the spectrum from the eerie to that of sobering intensity. Joy Mallari, thirty, found her niche in animation, doing background work for animated television cartoons, but continued to be active in group exhibitions. Karen Flores, thirty, uses the image of the woman as the pivot from which her works swing, particularly now as a mother and struggling artist. Mark Justiniani, thirty, received the Thirteen Artists Award from CCP in 1994. Like Sievert and Mallari, Justiniani began to experiment outside the medium of painting in late 1993 to express his sociohistorical themes. Each of the artists has been linked to more active, sociopolitical art groups in Manila, mainly ABAY (Artista ng Bayan, or Artists for the Nation), a protest organisation active during the 1980s, and Grupong Salingpusa, a 'kibitzing' (tag-along) informal group of socially aware student painters. The focal point of Sanggawa is that their works are collaborative. Although each of their pieces can hold its own as a semiotically powerful tool for social action, it can be argued that many others can also. What must be noted is that Sanggawa proposes the idea of the anonymity of the artist. Ideally, a collaborative work should show no trace of where one artist's work begins or where it ends. Palo-Sebo 1995 Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 198x300cm Collection: Queensland Art Gallery The word Sanggawa then signs for the group. In theory, therefore, Sanggawa's members can change by bringing in new members or dropping existing ones, with no loss to the group's primary focus-to collaborate and produce a cohesive work perceived to be created by one artist. This underlying approach to the group's being undermines the prevailing idea of the individual as the source. Instead, the group's members work on the idea that Filipino culture is 'groupist', shying away from overt Western individualism. This idea also demystifies the assumption that individual artists are the sole sources for art and expression. The group's mural works (they are currently working on an installation piece) target events in Philippine society. Culled from the exhibition 'Vox Populi, Vox Dei' (The voice of the people is the voice of God), the murals raise questions by juxtaposing everyday objects, icons and personalities while using popular local gatherings as both the backdrop and setting. Salubong (To meet) brings together two women, the spiritual Virgin Mother (significant for many Filipino Catholics) and another kind of virgin (the 1994 Miss Universe pageant was held in Manila) who extols a totally different set of virtues. The meeting of the two shows the pendulum at which human needs swing to and fro, for men and women. The use of women as the main figures signals SANIIIWA Collective of young Filipino artists a feminist subtext-the status and position of Filipinas. In yet another response to a social occurrence, Palo-Sebo 1995 (a local game, the object of which is to be the first to climb to the top of huge pieces of upright bamboo slathered with oil) takes place at historic Edsa Avenue.The local game, which takes place during fiestas, has its own players-players in a recent election. Each pole swings from one point to another, as each of the players-Cardinal Sin, President Ramos, Imelda Marcos, Gringo Honasan, Cory Aquino-works to strike a deal on their way up. Most of Sanggawa's works, being murals, are of necessity reacting to topical events. At the same time they challenge viewers to review their situation from a more powerful perspective-that of retrospect. Sanggawa's works are firmly entrenched in this historical moment, their rhetoric regarding society a valuable report from artists living in this generation. The group's formation, however, cuts through historical narrative, examining the tenets of modern and contemporary art-making. Yeyey G.Cruz, Associate Editor, MEGA Magazine, Manila, The Philippines 1 Alice Guillermo, Vox Populi, Vox Dei [exhibition catalogue]. A RT I s T s: so UT H AND sou T H- EA s T A s I A I 99