MANILA, Philippines - What makes art or design distinctly Filipino? This question has always been asked, posing a challenge to visual arts and national identity. A few decades ago, this was not much of an issue but through the years, historical buildings, churches, monuments, homes, iconic structures, architectural designs have been devastated by earthquakes and other natural calamities or intentionally torn down.
Trilogy is an exhibition that brings the audience into the world of heritage: How it is created, nurtured and brought back to life. Is heritage the building? Is it the city? Is it the memory of what was then? Or is it the person who is the keeper of knowledge passed on from one generation to the next? Perhaps it is all these, for heritage defines identity. It is who we are — when we learn to accept it. Through the objects, buildings and environments that were created throughout our people’s history, we are made to experience how it is to be Filipino.
Trilogy is composed of three stories: The world of the craftsmen of Betis, Pampanga, another that illustrates how Vigan celebrates an entire city’s heritage and the last one that tells us that what had been lost in Intramuros during the war is worth restoring.
Trilogy invites everybody to participate in the work of creating, preserving and restoring our heritage for it to be passed on to future generations of Filipinos.
The exhibit will run starting today until Oct. 28 at the Art Pavilion, 2F LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia St., Bel-Air II, Makati City.