Post-acid retardation

MANILA, Philippines - It’s not every weekend you get to witness “a photo orgy narrative of everyday debauchery,” so might as well have a good gaze at it.

For the first time ever, photographer Otto Feraren (Otto.Bot/Otto Retardo/Fish Taco) and partner Meiday queen Mei Bastes team up to spruce up a two-part event at Big Sky Mind this Saturday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m.

To be held at the café’s ground floor, Otto’s “Foto Retardo Show II” is a follow-up to his solo photo exhibit back in 2009. “I just wanted it to be somethin’ silly, true and easy to remember so I called it ‘Foto Retardo Show,’” says the 22-year-old lensman. “It’ll be like watching a film with no dialogue but with live scoring from the party below.”

As to how Otto got started, he says he used to see his dad carry a video camera when he was a kid. “Then when I was 14, I picked up one of those Pentax point-and-shoot cameras and I would just go out to gigs, shoot random people, and local bands,” says Otto. And while his favorite subjects fall under “food, architecture, steezy (style + easy) people, and everyday things,” Otto’s portfolio appears to be more animated, evocative, and decidedly groovy the second time around.

Floored every floor: This two-part event will feature Otto’s art on the second floor, scored by live Meiday music on the first. Exhibit poster by Otto Ferraren, gig poster by Julius Valledor

Downstairs, Mei’s Post-Acid Party is set to split the spotlight among eight bands: The Dorques, The Butchercons, The Strangeness, The Discoball, Twin Lobster, Sell Our Door, Bee Eyes, and Top Junk.

“It’s a little like Meiday but not quite, mainly because of the choice of the bands,” clarifies Mei, who thought his softest-spoken boyfriend could use a more up-and-coming lo-fi soundtrack for his second exhibit.

Otto, meanwhile, opts to leave a lot to the imagination, pulling off shrug after shrug, big smile after big smile. His photos need no elaboration anyway and it’d be retarded to think otherwise.

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The “Foto Retardo Show II” will run for two and a half weeks starting this Saturday, Nov. 26.