Blurred Borders

Translating chants and weaving sounds to performative painting and contemporary handwoven textiles, the Philippine Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale breaks boundaries

- Franz Sorilla IV

Taking cues from the rich Cordilleran heritage of weaving and chanting, Filipino participating artists at the 59th International Art Exhibition, la Biennale di Venezia, mount a grand contemporary exhibition with visual art, textiles and sound as media.

Opened last April 23, the Philippine Pavilion located at the Arsenale di Venezia takes art lovers to a whole new level of experience in the ongoing Venice Arts Biennale. Titled, Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana, which translates to “All of us present, This is our gathering”, is an immersive installation art that celebrates the longstanding heritage of Filipino weaving and chanting.

Originally conceived by virtual artist Gerardo Tan and ethnomusicologist Felicidad A Prudente, the exhibition translates the weaving sounds from different parts of the country into visual art in video and textile materials, through the hands of weaving artisan Sammy N Buhle from Ifugao. First seen at the Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines Diliman in 2019, the initial exhibition eventually developed into a larger scale of immersive experience through curators Yael Buencamino Borromeo and Arvin Flores, making it worthy to represent the country in this year’s Venice Biennale.

The exhibition title is derived from the opening lines of a Sogna, a chant performed by the Madukayan Kalinga prior to a peaceful dialogue among the members of the community. Tackling themes of commonality among people, the importance of peace and harmony in community-building, and the possibility of bridging different forms of art, the exhibition explores cultural expressions of both traditional and contemporary forms.