Tutok Karapatan's Perspektiba 2 @ Amrhein Gallery

Artists’ Group Slates 2nd Part of Exhibition on Political Killings

References:
Karen Ocampo Flores, TutoK Project Director (09189002682)
Mideo M. Cruz, Perspektiba Lead Curator (09278818515)

A broad network of artists advocating human rights is set to open an art exhibit on political killings, the second in a series, at the Amrhein Gallery, St. Scholastica’s College, this coming January 9, 2007. Dubbed Perspektiba 2, the forthcoming exhibit by Tutok Karapatan (TutoK) will run until January 22, 2007.

TutoK had wrapped up early December its successful exhibit on the same theme, dubbed Perspektiba 1, at the Beato Angelico Gallery of the University of Santo Tomas. The exhibit at St. Scholastica’s College – which will open at 3 p.m., Jan. 9 – is the second in what is expected to be a three-part Perspektiba series, which is one of TutoK’s main projects for 2006-2007.

Co-presented with the Department of Fine Arts of St. Scholastica’s College, Perspektiba 2 will feature works by artists Benjie Torrado Cabrera, Buen Calubayan, Antipas “Biboy” Delotavo, Gerry Dueñas, Benjo Elayda, Lyra Abueg Garcellano, Lito Mondejar, Claro Ramirez, Iggy Rodriguez, Don Salubayba, Mark Ramsel Salvatus III, and Yko Umadhay III.

Jan. 22, the second to the last day of Perspektiba 2,is expected to be a big day, with a forum in the morning and live performances at late afternoon.

Multi-media artist Jose Tence Ruiz will be the main speaker in the forum, which will be held 9-11 a.m. at the Mechtilde Building. Painter Iggy Rodriguez, who heads the artists’ group UGATLahi, and Lito Mondejar will speak as reactors. The forum will be moderated by painter Karen Ocampo Flores, who is also TutoK’s project director.

At 4-6 p.m. that same day, there will be live performances at the Plaza Moriones – in front of the Main Building of St. Scholastica’s College – by Vivian Limpin, Michael Ian Lomongo, Wawi Navarroza, Edwin Quinsayas, and Umadhay.

Multi-media artist Mideo M. Cruz is the lead curator for Perspektiba. Rodriguez is the co-curator for exhibition, while Ma. Victoria Deocampo of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) is the co-curator for live action. Don Amorsolo is the project coordinator for St. Scholastica’s College.

TutoK was formed in late 2005 after an artists’ workshop in Quezon City on women, art and healing, as a response to what the participants described as the “deteriorating” human rights situation in the country.

Based on data from Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), there have been more than 800 victims of extrajudicial killings from January 2001 – when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power through a popular revolt – to December 2006. At least 340 of the victims are confirmed to have been affiliated with cause-oriented groups, Karapatan data further show.

Meanwhile, Karapatan has recorded more than 200 cases of forced disappearances for the same period.