Pinoy bulul gets star treatment in Paris

When we did a quick trip to Paris we didn’t expect to stumble upon a tribute to Filipino pre-colonial art in the process. We had accompanied Dr. Malony Santos with friends to the Eiffel Tower but didn’t feel like climbing the tower. On the way home, we passed a gigantic billboard announcing an exhibition of Philippine art called Philippines, Archipelago of Exchanges. Held at the Quai Branly Museum, it was running from April 9 to July 7, 2013.

Apparently the project had its beginnings in the minds of Constance de Monbrison, curator of the Musée du Quai Branly, and Cora Alvina, past director of the National Museum of the Philippines, now with Metropolitan Museum. From Stephane Martin, president of the Quai Branly, we read that since there had never been a major exhibition of pre-colonial art in Europe, the time seemed ripe for one. 

As the focus was pre-colonial indigenous art, the predominance of wooden sculpture would be expected since it involved hardwood that had stood the test of time. We found an entire collection of bululs belonging to the 18th-19th century. The Filipino rice god existed everywhere in the Cordilleras in all shapes and sizes, for various usages from decorative, symbolic position in society, wealth, power, all dictated by sacrifice, ritual and ceremony in respect of the environment that would bring man a good harvest.

The design of the presentation was of utmost importance. Being that the Ifugaos, for example, have more than 1,500 deities, the simplification of the design was difficult but it had to be done. The various influences can be seen in commercial activity and we discover in bulul pieces the existence of Chinese porcelain, Venetian beads, a mixture of local hardwood with leather and rattan. For the eyes, the Ifugaos used brass or porcelain.

Meanwhile from down south came various other items like warrior costumes from the Bagobos of Davao del Norte; silk tapestry from the Tausugs of Sulu; ceremonial containers in bronze with silver inlay from the Maranaos of Lanao province. There were also gold ornaments from Surigao, Butuan, Cebu and Iloilo.

More than displaying objects, the exhibition featured lectures and film showings. The lectures came from such personalities like David Medalla, Manuel Ocampo, the female artists of Lake Sebu, David Frederic Camroux speaking on “The Philippines Today.” Film showings came from John Torres, a familiar name to Filipinos, screening his film Lukas Niño, and Pierre Boccanfuso showing his two films.

In viewing the exhibition and the importance the French gave to the project, we couldn’t help feel proud that the innate concept of our early people of a civilization with the theme of exchange was being celebrated. Centered on the highlands of Luzon and Mindanao with the sea in between, says Constance, proved that “the ocean linked people together more than it separated them from one another.”

According to Cora, the participation and collaboration of Philippine institutions made the exhibition possible. There was the Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Tourism and the Customs Bureau and the three main museums of the National Museum, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Ayala Museum worked together, not in the least by securing loan of objects from their own personal collections.            

The exhibit drew crowds, including students who were entertained by visual games interspersed with captions and text. Storytelling went over big with the youth as in the myth of the raising of the sky in Palawan. It is said a giant hoeing his garden and bothered by a very low sky scratching his back asked his wife to pound on the rice and with each stroke, the sky moved up and up. The end of the tale that brought applause from a group of youngsters was when the sky moved up, it brought along the jewels of the giant’s wife. What lesson does this impart? That one should not be greedy? That’s food for thought. Contact Quai Branly at www.quaibranly.fr.

We know that with the world population getting younger, we should address them more and more. It is said that some schools here and abroad have included anthropology in their curriculum. There is much they will imbibe from Filipino life before Magellan, the Japanese and Americans in a time before we were called Filipinos. There is much that these animistic tribes who looked upon nature and the environment as their partners and protectors can teach us. Their art, songs and rituals were carved by this environment. It is time we listen to their call.

The world is listening, especially educators in the Philippines. We shall give you what they think next week on Live Feed.

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