ARTIST: Leslie de Chavez / CURATOR: Vanini Belarmino Philippine Pavilion 59th Venice Biennale
[ It is my belief that sad truths and ineptitude in governance are kept at
bay by distance itself.
Journeys go on, interaction with other races is the
daily fare, and visions
of rich memories all happen in a land
oceans away -- yet the words of Filipino historians Reynaldo Ileto and Resil Mojares continue to echo the repression of the Filipino’s identity. One is left to wonder if this is the fruit of the coagulation of concepts forced upon the mind by education, inherited belief systems, or religious standards.
Words written before the advent of maturity, yet all telling
of the somber destiny of the Filipino.
Persecution awaits those that question, disagree, or possess
a different world view. It is perhaps prudent to set aside for now critical thinking for by concealing it in the protection of one’s own mind, the body is spared from a bloody demise.
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
We are afloat, but until when?
A short message from a sliver of light. ]
CURATORIAL CONCEPT
A
t the moment of disarray, uncertainty and extended periods
Filipinos, motifs that might be easily associated with religious icons and
of suspension, there seems to be no other place to return to
structures is evident in this show. The Arsenale space for the Philippine
but oneself. This oneself, however, is not simply being alone
Pavilion, which naturally lends itself to the staging of the scenography
or can merely be confined within the perceived solitary space
for An Examination of Conscience will intentionally offer sections where
in one’s head or body. Whether one chooses to or not, the oneself is
one could encounter and be confronted with certain familiar features in
always accompanied by everything else surrounding it, everything else
a church visit.
that might have come before it, and all else that’s influencing its very
Inside the footprint of An Examination of Conscience, the work posits
existence. The working title An Examination of Conscience is borrowed
that everything else is in midair. This will be made apparent through
from the forty-fourth chapter of Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli me Tangere (Touch
the mirroring of elements of the work, visualizing or verbalizing the
Me Not), a seemingly plain if not at all a dull scene from the seminal
relationship between the seen and unseen; concealed and revealed; the
novel that offers a sense of ambiguity, leaving hints enough to provide
written and unwritten; the spoken and the unspoken; the silent and
the element of suspense, yet with the absence of excitement.
the silenced. It questions the power dynamics between the invisible and visible; the perceived truth and the other reality beneath it; the
Looking at what fate awaits, the protagonist is surrounded by random
presented stories and hidden or forgotten narratives, clouded memory
notions and many possible recommendations grounded on traditional
and recollection. It brings forward what’s in between the powerful
beliefs, the power of science and religion to cure an unknown ailment.
and the powerless, the strong and the weak, the influential and the
As if in the process of flipping through the pages of the book, one’s
insignificant.
encounter with this chapter fast-tracks at a fragmented yet familiar area that provides a suspended act in this installation. It does not offer a
An Examination of Conscience seeks to raise questions about how one
clear beginning, yet it presents a journey, a passage with something that
could address the unknown , the faceless foe and undefined sphere that
suggests a likely ending or resolution.
continuously dominate one’s being, ever present yet always elusive. With the cultural baggage brought by the colonial past, dependency
An Examination of Conscience, as the title suggests, invites visitors
on faith and belief systems - where should one turn to in time of need?
to acknowledge the tension surrounding introspection. It presents a
What need is there to examine the conscience? What side of reality
myriad of visual representations composed in a space that resembles the
can introspection bring? How can we move a community of people
architectural form of a Catholic Church, yet depicting quotidian objects,
needing respite when everything else is suspended?
anonymous people, scenes from the urban jungle of Manila and other random paraphernalia.
In his many years of practice, Leslie has maintained his focus with the ‘process of resurfacing of historical templates, re-examining
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Employing a combination of new and old works by Filipino artist, Leslie
contemporary social discourse and rediscovering introspection as
de Chavez, known for his exploration of ideas related to a complicated
methods to pin down the truth about the many realities’ of the Filipino
colonial history and its contemporary manifestations in everyday lives of
experience - as noted in his artist statement.
CURATORIAL CONCEPT
T
his exhibition aspires to present a fraction of a complex and multi-layered understanding of the Filipino reality today by offering a mediated and staged experience in the Arsenale. While borrowing the title from a Filipino
novel, An Examination of Conscience is something that is universal; an exercise that’s undertaken and shared by many especially during this extended period of uncertainty.
Some of Leslie’s life-sized paintings, beautifully framed and arched, present veiled individuals in full colour and even enjoy the mystical aura of full anonymity adorned with gold leaf. With the monochromatic paintings, on the other hand, albeit the absence of facial covering, the viewers could take notice not only of the absence of colour in the work, but also the removal of the eyes. Such presence of light or colour in the work somehow echoes the power of introspection when done unexposed or perhaps with a degree of privacy. With the other aspect of exposure, missing out on having the joy of vision.
At the heart of the installation, a four-metre long sculpture modelled after the artist earlier work Under the Belly of the Beast takes the place or replicates the form of Jesus Christ on the cross. Instead of a vertically standing structure, this larger than life character appears as if its hanging from the ceiling, hovering or floating with the weight of a whole city on its own abdomen. Across the room, The Big Brother with his exposed brain watches over the belly along with a choir of anonymous and veiled individuals. The space is traced from the ceiling with a translucent fabric made from pig intestines to further accentuate the trail for the possible salvation. It also doubles as a veil to define the area by which one can examine one’s conscience. Text by Vanini Belarmino
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[ The way to oneself A narrow alley One that is enticing... with a glimmer of brilliance A boat on the river to peace A pathway, slender yet certain Made of golden visions Smooth and scaled Shiny, gold-like and molting As if gold shedding from skin Slowly stripping the stains imprinted in the heart The path of introspection described ]
An Examination of Conscience features Lucban-based Filipino artist Leslie de Chavez, where the artist will work towards the building on an exhibition that seeks to complicate the relationship and interdependence of inherited belief systems, religious orientation and science apparent within the conditions of being Filipino.
The work of Leslie is envisioned to ransform the Arsenale space into a continuous yet suspended encounter with oneself. The installation work will comprise of large-scale tondo paintings, stained glass art, sculptures, video, photography and other objects to emulate a semblance of church or a place of refuge.
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
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EXHIBITION DESIGN CONCEPT
General Church Architecture Installation study Yann Follain/WY-TO 10 May 2021
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PROPOSED LAYOUT EXIT
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WY-TO pte. ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
7060
4500
3000
7106
3900
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7056
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4500
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1:100
date 19-May-21
01 - GENERAL PLAN (DIM)
scale 1:250
WY-TO pte. ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
date 19-May-21
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
EXIT
01 - GENERAL PLAN (DIM)
scale 1:100
code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
EXIT
200
2950
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6000 1500
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3750
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WY-TO pte. ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
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date 19-May-21 scale 1:250
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WY-TO pte. ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
date 19-May-21 scale 1:250
03 - SCAFFOLD & PARTITION LAYOUT (DIM) code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
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PROPOSED BUILT ELEMENTS
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FLOOR PLAN
EXIT 6100
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4600 7060
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7106 1500
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ANpte. EXAMINATION WY-TO ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
OF CONSCIENCE VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
date 19-May-21 scale 1:100
01 - GENERAL PLAN (DIM) code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
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ARTWORKS PLACEMENTS
EXIT 1) THE BIG BROTHER 2) HIDE AND SEEN 3) I SWALLOW ME EVERYDAY 4) BANGKULASI 5) HOLY GRAIL 6 & 7) NUMB, GOD IS LOVE 8 & 9) DILIM, MUTYANG DILIM I & II 10 & 11) VEILED, SUBJUGATING THE NUCLEAR 12) UNDER THE BELLY OF THE BEAST 13) PINALAKPAK: AFTER PROMETHEUS UNBOUND 14) UNDER THE INFLUENCE
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WY-TO pte. ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
date 19-May-21 scale 1:250
04 - ARTWORK LAYOUT code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
10m
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VISITOR ROUTE
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ANpte. EXAMINATION WY-TO ltd. architects@wy-to.com www.wy-to.com
OF CONSCIENCE VENICE BIENNALE 2021: PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION
PHILIPPINE'S PAVILION (ARSENALE)
phase CONCEPT DESIGN site VENICE
date 19-May-21 scale 1:250
04 - ARTWORK LAYOUT code VBL2-100-PLAN-01
10m
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ARTWORKS 1, 2
THE BIG BROTHER / HIDE AND SEEN Oil on shaped canvas, 152.5 cm x 122cm / 100 photographts 2007 WEST -NARTHEX, VIEWING DECK, VANTAGE POINT
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ARTWORK 3
I SWALLOW ME EVERYDAY Fridge door 2013 NORTH CRYPT
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ARTWORK 4
BANGKULASI Video work 2018 NORTH CRYPT
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ARTWORK 5
HOLY GRAIL Oil on shaped canvas 60 x 45cm 2013
SOUTH ROOM
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ARTWORKS 6, 7
NAVE
NUMB
GOD IS LOVE
Size: 153 x 122 cm
Size: 153 x 122 cm
2010
2007
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ARTWORKS 8, 9
TRIBUNE SPACE
DILIM, MUTYANG DILIM II
DILIM, MUTYANG DILIM I
Oil and gold leaf on shaped canvas, 122cm diameter 2019
Oil and gold leaf on shaped canvas, 122cm diameter 2019
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ARTWORKS 10, 11
TRIBUNE SPACE
VEILED Oil, gold/silver leaf on panel 153 x 122 cm 2014
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SUBJUGATING THE NUCLEAR Oil and gold leaf on canvas, 240 x 195cm 2016
ARTWORK 12
UNDER THE BELLY OF THE BEAST Wood, synthetic leather, steel chain, paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum sheets, brass, antique wax, bamboo sticks, 4 x2.5m New work EAST -CENTRAL POINT OF THE INSTALLATION/ALTAR PIECE/HEAD
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ARTWORK 13
PINALAKPAK: AFTER PROMETHEUS UNBOUND Found antique wooden chairs, bamboo instruments, single-channel video documentation of a performance Installation 2018 BACK OF ALTAR
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ARTWORK 14
UNDER THE INFLUENCE Cast glycerine, lye, stainless steel bowl and water 2014 BACK OF ALTAR
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HANGING CURTAIN
VEIL CURTAIN Fabricated pig intestines
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AXONOMETRIC VIEW
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EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
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PERSPECTIVE VIEW 1
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PERSPECTIVE VIEW 2
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PERSPECTIVE VIEW 3
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PERSPECTIVE VIEW 4
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VANINI BELARMINO
I
am a creative visionary, curator, producer and writer living
National Ethnographic Museum of Osaka and the British Museum.
and working in Singapore. I obtained a degree in B.A.
Independent Curator for Interdisciplinary Collaborator, Berlin &
Theater Arts from the University of the Philippines and
Singapore (2007-2016)
earned post-graduate diploma on European Cultural Project
Management from the Marcel Hicter Foundation. The focus of my
In January 2007, I joined Walkscreen and Akademie der Künste in
work is on interdisciplinary art practice, cross- border collaborations
co-leading the team of 16 photographers and researchers for the EU-
and pushing the boundaries of art through encounters between and
art-peace project in wall divided societies called Challenging Walls
amongst artists and their audiences.
in Israel and Palestine, former East and West Germany, Cyprus and Northern Ireland.
Formative Years in the Philippines Arts (1990-2001) My formative years in the arts began at the age of 16 while studying
In March 2008, I founded Belarmino&Partners in Berlin and
theatre under Professor Tony Mabesa. This paved way to a continued
Singapore in April 2011. Within this framework, I curated ZENSORS
learning process and close encounter with interdisciplinary arts at the
Germany and Philippines, an interdisciplinary exchange involving
Cultural Center of the Philippines as the protégé of its former President
choreographers, musicians, new media artists, photographers,
and Artistic Director, Nestor O. Jardin. Whilst pursuing graduate studies
filmmakers, visual artists and fashion designers bringing combustion
in art history, my involvement in arts education and contemporary art
of energy inside a performing arts space, park, clubs and a museum.
took a natural course with a job at the Department of Education, Culture
Between 2011-2015, I curated the artistic programmes for ArtScience
and Sports and regular weekends organising and filming a range of
Museum, completing more than 50 art happenings including site-
activities at Tam-Awan Village, an artist village in Baguio City, set-up
specific performances, creative workshops and public forums for
by Philippine National Artist, Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera.
exhibitions like Dali: Mind of a Genius, Van Gogh Alive, Titanic: The Exhibition, Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal, and Harry Potter.
Further Studies, Cultural and Artistic Exchanges, Museum Projects, Asia-Europe (2002-2007) I moved to the U.K. in 2002-2003 to read M.A. in European Cultural Policy and Administration at the University of Warwick. This enabled me to secure a 3-month work placement at the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam at the cusp of shifting political climate in the Netherlands and the European Union.
In October 2003, I joined the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) in Singapore where I established the foundation’s performing arts and young artist exchange programmes: I’mPULSE (music) and Pointe to Point (dance) and managed ASEMUS (Asia-Europe Museum Network). I was a core team member of the ASEMUS Virtual Collection of Masterpieces, led by the National Ethnographic Museum, Leiden and the Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, together with Musee du Quai Branly in Paris and the touring exhibition, Self & Other, led by the
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Following the development of exhibition centric programmes, the museum commissioned me to curate their flagship programme ArtScience Late, a once a month happening aimed at generating fresh interdisciplinary content featuring local and international artists, establishing the museum as a night time destination in Singapore.
Through Belarmino&Partners, I collaborated with the likes of RADIALSYSTEM V, Platoon Kunsthalle Berlin, Welt Museum Wien, Asia-Pacific Weeks, Asian Cultural Council, The Japan Foundation, LASALLE College of the Arts, Goethe Institut, Public Art Lab, Connecting Cities, Amrita Performing Arts among others in realising the various projects over 8 years.
Assistant Director (Programmes), National Gallery Singapore
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I led the shift of Gallery’s live multidisciplinary programming to online broadcasting.
(November 2016-Present) As Assistant Director for Programmes at the National Gallery Singapore, I lead the overall curatorial development and artwork
On my fifth year of working for the National Gallery Singapore, I have
commissions for the Gallery Children’s Biennale
shaped and established the foundation for its artistic programmes
alongside the
direction of the artistic programmes.
aligned with its institutional vision on thought leadership and audience development. To date, apart from delivering 45 artwork
Within 12 months of appointment, I played a key role in launching
commissions and over 400 artistic programmes, this has resulted in
the Gallery Children’s Biennale, as a member of the curatorial panel
the growth in fostering relationships between art and our audiences,
and as chief programmer, working with artists like Mark Justiniani,
as well as our partners in Singapore and abroad.
Tran Trong Vu, Chng Seok Tin, Vincent Leow, Ian Woo, Lynn Lu, Robert Zhao and teamLab to produce new interactive, immersive and
As a member of the Gallery’s Leadership Committee, I work with a
participatory works. I also commissioned the performance installations
modest team of 4 dedicated staff members.
engaging theatre practitioners like Polyglot Theatre, post theatre, and Papermoon Puppet Theatre. This project successfully attracted
Outside my work at the National Gallery Singapore, I took part in
280,000 visitors in 4 months and piqued the interest of museums
an internationally competitive programme of Tate Modern, Tate
across the globe. This resulted in a partnership for the Kinderbiennale
Intensive Making Space, Holding Space and Giving Space in 2017
2018 with the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
and ranked second in the jury selection for the Philippine Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale 2019 for Truth Beneath a Confession with
I curated the indoor artwork commissions for the Gallery Light to Night 2018 working with internationally renowned artists like David Medalla, Lee Mingwei, Pinaree Sanpitak, Ho Tzu Nyen and Ayumi Paul. I pushed the boundaries further for its 2019 edition by introducing a Sensorial Trail focusing on the sense of smell, sound and touch, featuring Sissel Tolaas, Tal Hadad and Andy Chia. I was the festival curator for the launch of Children’s Festival: Small Big Dreamers 2018, which is anchored on the life and works of Singaporean artist, Lee Wen, alongside the continued refinement of a three-year project with Mark Justiniani’s Passages and Bridges, Evolution of Firewalk: A Bridge of Embers- Year One, teamlab’s Walk, Walk, Walk: Search, Deviate, Reunite and Hands On by We Make Carpets.
In my continued work as festival curator for the Gallery Children’s Biennale, the show has continued to garner success and delivered 11 new artwork installations by 13 artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
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Filipino artist, Mark Justiniani.
Current curatorial projects
Intimate Moments II, a solo exhibition by Tito Delgado, Fullerton
Gallery Children’s Biennale 2021
Heritage Gallery, Skin and Walls, Saatchi Art Hallways, Saatchi&Saatchi,
Why Art Matters?
Singapore, 25 September-31 October 2012, the premiere exhibition of
National Gallery Singapore
Saatchi Art Hallways, featuring Andree Weschler, Jahan Loh, Joseph
22 May 2021-31 December 2022
Siow, Tommy Morris and Ziquan Lan.
A Hybrid Edition featuring 9 online and 9 onsite works
Intimate Moments l: ICONS by Chia Ming Chien, Fullerton Heritage
by Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Nona Garcia, Joyce Ho, Dinh. Q. Le,
Gallery, 3 August-24 September 2012, launching of the exhibition
Sandra Lee, Nandita Mukand, Khvay Samnang, Jeremy Sharma, Speak
series, organised by Belarmino&Partners.
Cryptic x ADDADD ZENSORS Manila and Baguio City, Philippines, 12-25 August 2009, Afterlude-Prelude, Responses to Nam June Paik
interdisciplinary art project featuring Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera,
Jointly organised by SFMOMA and National Gallery Singapore
Aureus Solito, Nina Yamamoto-Masson, Lirio Salvador, Diwa de Leon,
with support from Tate Modern
Mayumi Okabayashi, Shunsuke Francois Nanjo and Chiyo Ogino.
23-24 September 2021
Supported by the Asian Cultural Council, Bencab Museum, Cultural Center of the Philippines and Japan Foundation Manila.
Independent Curatorial Projects ArtScience Late,ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, May 2014-January
ZENSORS Berlin, Germany, 21-30 May 2008, an interdisciplinary
2015, a new programme featuring 9 original multidisciplinary
art project featuring Japanese media performance artists Naoto Iina,
performance-installations and durational works, featuring Charles
Daito Manabe, Fuyuki Yamakawa, Dumb Type’s Takayuki Fujimoto,
Wong, Quincy Teofisto, Urich Lau, Kai Lam, Yuzuru Maeda, Lirio Salvador,
together with German multi-disciplinary artist David Canisiu,
Elemento, Wawi Navarozza, Fuyuki Yamakawa, Eko Supriyanto, Solo
Matanicola, walkscreen. Supported by the Japan Foundation’s
Dance Studio, Tim O’Dwyer, Florian Baron Chey Chankethya, Blake
Performing Arts Japan Europe in cooperation with Cookies, Dance
Shaw/ SWEATSHOPPE, Bani Haykal, Andreas Schlegel, Eisa Jocson,
and Media Japan, DMY 2008, RADIALSYSTEM V and 103 Studio/
Shunsuke Nanjo, Kensu Nanjo, Nicolas Charbonnier.
VORSPIEL.
Intimate Moments, Weltmuseum Wien, Vienna, Austria, May 2013,
Challenging Walls (CW), Jerusalem, Israel, 9-12 July 2007, A Project
a Southeast Asian dance film and performance programme for the
by Walkscreen, Akademie der Kuenste, European Union, European
exhibition, Danced Creations: Asia’s Mythological Past and Future,
Cultural Foundation, Jerusalem Film Festival, Jerusalem Foundation,
featuring Gaye Galiluyo, Sherman Ong and Sophiline Cheam Saphiro.
featuring photographers Sibylle Bergemann, Christopher Heaney,
Intimate Moments, PLATOON KUNSTHALLE Berlin, Germany, June
Nicolas Iordanou, Kadir Kaba, Frankie Quinn, Michael Reitz, Steve
2013, an interdisciplinary art initiative and breathing exhibition
Sabella and Ruthe Zuntz.
between Singapore and Germany, featuring Urich Lau, Chow Cheeyong, Sherman Ong, Andrea Weschler, Elizabeth de Roza and
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Shirley Quick.
A STITCH IN TIME
THE HOUSE IS CRUMBLING
David Medalla
Pinaree Sanitak in collaboration with all (Zone)
A Stitch in Time embodies the
A sculptural installation made up of 4,000 Thai Khit pillows,
ongoing dialogue between the artist
assembled into a combination of fixed structures and loose forms.
and his participants, specific to the
Each pillow acts as a building block, with strings sewn into its sides
different places that it has travelled
that allow it to be freely detached and connected. The audience are
to. While the artistic process has been
invited to interact with the work, deconstructing and reconstructing
the same over the past five decades,
it to redefine the environment within the exhibition space.
every stitched memento is unique, creating new stories wherever the work is exhibited.
ONE OR SEVERAL TIGERS Ho Tzu Nyen It tells the story of Singapore through the tale of the Malayan tiger. This creature played a central role in the cosmology and ecology of the Malayan world before coming close to extinction during the age of colonialism. A master of metamorphosis, it continues to capture the public imagination, both as myth and metaphor.
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LESLIE DE CHAVEZ
M
BIOGRAPHY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS anila-born Filipino artist Leslie de Chavez has been
2021 A Lonely Picket in the Balcony, Silverlens Galleries, Makati
widely recognized for his incisive and sensible forays
into history, cultural imperialism, religion, and
2018 Higa sa Hangin (Lying Down in Air), Finale Art File, Makati
contemporary life. Responding to urgent material
City, Philippines
conditions through his deconstructions of master texts, icons, and the
The Allegory of the Cave, Arario Gallery, Shanghai, China
symbols of his times, de Chavez strikes a balance between iconoclasm
2017 SaLang#1: Craft-Mine-Crap, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban,
and an affirmative outlook to the relevance and accountability of art
to one’s milieu. Leslie de Chavez has held several solo exhibitions in
2016 Stirring the Ashes, Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila Philippines
the Philippines, China, Korea, Singapore, UK, and Switzerland. He
has also participated in several notable exhibitions and art festivals,
2015 Under the Influence, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon,
which include the Singapore Biennale 2013, 3rd Asian Art Biennale
Philippines
in Taiwan 2011, 3rd Nanjing Triennial in China 2008, First Pocheon
Unfolding Encounters, Cornerstone Gallery, Liverpool Hope
Asia Biennale in South Korea 2007. A two-time awardee (2010/2014)
University, Liverpool, UK
of the Ateneo Art Awards for Visual Art, Leslie de Chavez is also the
2013 Nameless Presence, Silverlens Gallery, Gillmans Singapore,
director/founder of the artist-run initiative Project Space Pilipinas, in
Singapore
Lucban, Quezon.
2011 God Is Busy, Arario Gallery, Cheonan, Korea
City, Philippines
Quezon, Philippines
The Sleep of Reason, Arario Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010 Buntong Hininga, Silverlens Galleries, Manila, Philippines
“My practice has involved the creation of diverse art forms that
2008 Banana Republic, Avanthay Contemporary, Zurich,
scrutinize various issues in Philippine society such as history,
Switzerland
colonialism, religion, imperialism, miseducation, power struggle,
2007 Red-eyed Brother, Arario Seoul, Seoul, Korea
contemporary culture, politics and social values. My process
entails the resurfacing of historical templates, re-examining
2006 Tropical Delight, Window Gallery, Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea
contemporary social discourse and rediscovering introspection
as methods to pin down the truth about the many realities we
2004 San Ysidro Dismayado, Pahiyas Festival, Lucban, Quezon,
Filipinos experience. As an artist, I believe that responding
Philippines
through art to our continuous victimization from the chronic
2003 Bahid (Stain), Kulay Diwa Galleries, Manila, Philippines
Leslie de Chavez, Arario Beijing, Beijing, China
Ichimaseyo (Do Not Forget Me), Goyang Art Studio Gallery, Korea
conditions of our society can be truly liberating.” SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2021 The Shelf Life of Being, Mono8 Gallery, Manila, Philippines 2020 London Biennale: Masks, Mirages and the Morphic Mirror,
New York, London, Berlin, Lucban
Quarantined Lives, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon,
Philippines
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Ready but Postponed or Cancelled, A+ Works of Art, Kuala
2013 No Random Nonsense, Boston Gallery, Manila, Philippines
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore Biennale 2013: If the World Changed, Singapore
2015 The Creative Campus, Liverpool Hope University (Residency
Pacific Crossings, Triangulations pt.III: Dispatches from
Art Museum, Singapore
Manila, Lost Frames, Philippines
2012 Panorama: Recent Art from Contemporary Asia, Singapore Art
2014 Fernando Zobel Prizes for Visual Art, Ateneo Art Gallery
2019 Yellow Ambiguities, Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila
Museum, Singapore
University, Philippines
Artists With Arario 3, Arario Gallery, Cheongdam, Korea
2011 Leipzig International Art Programme (Residency Grant),
Far Away But Strangely Familiar, Danubiana Meulensteen Art
2011 3rd Asian Art Biennial: Meditation, National Taiwan Museum
Museum, Slovakia
of Fine Arts, Taiwan
2010 Goethe Institute, (Travel Grant, Art Forum 10), Berlin, Germany
+63 / +62, Silverlens Galleries, Makati City Philippines
Rundgang 2011, Leipzig International Art Programme,
2018 Once I had a Vision, The Left Hand of Darkness, MO Space,
Leipzig, Germany
2007 Neo-Emerging Artists Residency, Dangsan Studio(Residency
BGC Taguig City, Philippines
Self Camera: Repositioning Modern Self, Changwon Asian Art
SaLang, West Gallery, West Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Festival, Korea
2005 IASK Goyang Art Studio, Asian Artists Fellowship Program
2017 Voice of Asia, Arario Gallery, Shanghai, China
We Was There, Yuchengco Museum, Manila, Philippines
(Residency Grant), Korea
2016 Between the Street and the Mountain: Four Artists from the
2010 Beacons of Archipelago, Arario Gallery, Cheonan, Korea
Beppu Asia Biennale of Contemporary Art 2005, Beppu Art
Nanjing Biennale, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, China
Museum, Japan
2015 PaperViews 15: Rapid Cycling, Project Space Pilipinas,
Rainbow Asia, Seoul Art Center, Seoul, Korea
2003 Metrobank Foundation Young Painters’ Annual (2nd Prize)
Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
Collection Show 2010, Arario Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1999 Oblecine: Film and Video Art Festival, University of the
The Vexed Contemporary, Museum of Contemporary Art and
Reflections, Bupyeong Art Center, South, Korea
Philippines (Honorable Mention)
Design, St. Benilde, Manila
Artists With Arario, Arario Gallery, Cheonan, Korea
UP President’s Committee on Culture and Arts, 1st Film and
Asia Talk to Asia, Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, Jeju,
2009 We Said Our Piece, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila
Video Art Festival (3rd Prize)
South Korea
2008 3rd Nanjing Triennial, Nanjing, China
1998 UP President’s Committee on Culture and Arts, Most
You Must Change Your Life, Equator Art Projects, Singapore
2007 First Pocheon Asia Biennale, Pocheon, South, Korea
Outstanding Student Artist
2014 Pulse, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
2006 Bikini in Winter, Alternative Space Loop, Seoul, Korea
Gawad Chancellor, Student Achiever for National
Really? Arario Museum in Space, Seoul, Korea
2005 Beppu Asia Biennale of Contemporary Art, Beppu Museum, Japan
Competitions, University of the Philippines
PaperViews 14: On Immanence, Project Space Pilipinas,
2003 Urbanisasyon, Kulay Diwa Galleries, Manila, Philippines
Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
Multiple Languages, Silverlens Galleries, Manila, Philippines
2002 Recent Works, Kulay Diwa Galleries, Manila, Philippines
Complicated, Lopez Memorial Museum, Manila, Philippines
Unbearable Lightness of Being, Finale Art File, Manila, Philippines
Concurrence, West Gallery, Manila, Philippines
Philippines, Arario Gallery, Shanghai, China
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Buklod, Kulay Diwa Galleries, Manila, Philippines
Surface, Ayala Museum, Manila, Philippines
Grant), Liverpool, United Kingdom
(Prize Winner), Philippines
Leipzig, Germany
Ateneo Art Awards, “Shattering States” (Prize Winner), Philippines
Grant), Seoul, Korea
ART-RELATED ACTIVITIES
ART FAIRS PARTICIPATION
2015 Director, First Lucban Assembly: Pamumuhunan, Project
2021 Art Jakarta Virtual, Jakarta, Indonesia (Arario Gallery)
2019 Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Arario Gallery)
Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
2014 Curator, PaperViews 14: On Immanence, Project Space
Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines
2018 Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Curator, Multiple Languages, Silverlens Galleries, Manila, Philippines
2017 Art Stage Jakarta, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Curator, Unbearable Lightness of Being, Finale Art File,
Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Manila, Philippines
Artfair Philippines, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
2013 Collaborator, Southeast Asian Art Group Exchange Residency,
2016 Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
2015 Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Silverlens Gallery)
Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta, Manila
2012 Collaborator, Southeast Asian Art Group Exchange Residency,
Artfair Philippines, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta, Manila
2011 Collaborator, Southeast Asian Art Group Exchange Residency,
2014 Artfair Philippines, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta, Manila
2013 Artfair Philippines, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
Project Manager, We Was There, Yuchengco Museum, Philippines
Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
2010 Collaborator, Seoksu Art Project, Supplement Space Stone &
2012 Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Water, Anyang, Korea
Project Manager, Reflections, Bupyeong Art Center, Incheon, Korea
2011 ManilArt 11, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
Art Hong Kong 12, Hong Kong (Arario Gallery)
2009 Project Manager, Plastic Syndrome, Artist Exchange &
Exhibition, Art Space Plastic, Incheon, Korea
2010 ManilArt 10, Manila, Philippines (Silverlens Gallery)
Project Coordinator, Artriangle, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Art Stage Singapore, Singapore (Arario Gallery)
Art Hong Kong 10, Hong Kong (Arario Gallery)
2008 Project Coordinator, Tenggara: Recent Paintings from
2009 Art Taipei 2009, Taiwan (Arario Gallery)
Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Liverpool, UK
Art Hong Kong 09, Hong Kong (Arario Gallery)
2007 Director, Project Space Pilipinas, Manila, Philippines (to date)
2008 Pulse Miami Contemporary Art Fair, Miami, USA (Arario Gallery)
2005 Co-curator, First Dumaguete Open Biennial Terra Cotta Art
Kunst Art Fair, Zurich, Switzerland (Avanthay Contemporary)
ARCO Art Fair 2008, Madrid, Spain (Arario Gallery)
Festival, Philippines
2004 Assistant curator, In Memory of a Talisman: The Works of
2007 Art Beijing Art 2007, Beijing, China (Arario Gallery)
First Asian Contemporary Art Fair (ACAF), New York, USA
(Arario Gallery)
Santiago Bose, Philippines
2003 Curator, Urbanisasyon, Kulay Diwa Galleries, Manila, Philippines
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Art Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia (Arario Gallery)
ARTIST KEY EXHIBITIONS
A Lonely Picket in the Balcony Silverlens Galleries, Makati City, Philippines 14 May to 11 June 2021
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
ARTIST KEY EXHIBITIONS
Stirring the Ashes Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila Philippines 2016
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
ARTIST KEY EXHIBITIONS
Singapore Biennale 2013: If the World Changed Singapore Art Museum, Singapore 2013
Detritus, 2012-2013 Oil on canvas 240 x 370 cm
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
ARTIST KEY EXHIBITIONS
Arario Museum Collection, Seoul Korea
Under the Belly of the Beast Mixed media installation Size variable 2014
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Artist: Leslie de Chavez www.lesliedechavez.com Curator: Vanini Belarmino www.belarminopartners.com Exhibition and Graphic Design by WY-TO www.wy-to.com