2012 Ateneo Art Awards Shortlisted Artists: Making sense of the city

Mark Valenzuela

MANILA, Philippines - “Zugzwang,” the title of Valenzuela’s nominated show, refers to a forced move in chess that puts the player at a disadvantage. Its meaning is more readily apparent in works like “Aquarium” which features a row of unclothed women seated on a high ledge, displayed for viewing as in some girly bars and massage parlors. Their position is precarious both figuratively and literally. In “Pond,” the danger is palpable as we are confronted with a crate full of fierce fish, mouths gaping and teeth bared, as if ready to chomp on anything that falls in. Valenzuela uses terracotta, a medium of arts and crafts popular in his native Dumaguete. In his hands, this material — used for millennia to make bricks, pots and figurines — becomes a thoroughly contemporary art medium. He stays true to its qualities, allowing his sculpture to retain the earthy feeling of terracotta but endowing upon it the sensibility of the contemporary. The familiarity of the medium draws us in, allowing us to contemplate what could be rather disturbing images. This is the power of Valenzuela’s work: aesthetically appealing and layered, the titles of the pieces reveal only what we already perceive, leaving us to decipher the artist’s intention or make of it what we will.

MM Yu

Yu is no stranger to the art awards; she won in 2007 and was shortlisted again in 2010. Her aesthetic sensibility is what sets her apart; not only is she able to see the beauty in trash heaps and discarded furniture but through her photos, she allows us to appreciate them as well. It is perhaps her sense of humor that endows her with the ability to see things differently. “Pulling someone’s hair back” is one of those pieces, rare today, that actually brings a smile to your face, if not a little chuckle. The group of photos shows what would be taken if someone pulled down on your ponytail at that moment when you were clicking your camera. What is visible is mostly sky, clouds and the tops of whatever was being taken. In most cases, they are recognizable images so ubiquitous that we need only a portion to identify them, the head of a cartoon bee, the upper half of the letters SM. It is many things: it is an observation of the city we live in, a lovely patchwork of blues and a reference to a time when you had to hold the viewfinder up to your eye to take a photo. The photos exhibited have been taken over the course of a decade, which leaves you wondering if these were failed pictures brought to new life by a clever mind or if they were intentional. Neither answer would diminish the viewer’s enjoyment of the piece. As blogger Trickie Lopa says, “The joy derived from MM’s work comes from the transformation she has wrought on the banal and decrepit, realities we can’t help but confront. MM’s lenses tint them differently.”