In celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas presents the art exhibition Pahinungód: Arts and Revolution.
The 1896 Philippine revolutionaries upheld values that are rooted in local beliefs and sensibilities. Tungkulin sa bayan fueled many forms of struggle for independence, armed or not. This value is reflected in the word pahinungód, a Visayan word derived from tungód, shared in various Philippine regions of Cebu, Panay, Samar, and Leyte.
Pahinungód means oblation, obligation, an act of offering oneself to others, thus making it an intense form of volunteerism. This spirit motivated the likes of Andres Bonifacio to take up arms against the oppression of the Spanish colonizers.
The 1896 revolt against Spain, ignited by the Katipunan, ended the three centuries of colonial rule. This culminated in 1898 with the declaration of Philippine independence by Emilio Aguinaldo, the President of the First Philippine Republic. This struggle for Philippine independence and nationhood against colonial invasion continued when American and Japanese colonizers landed to our shores.
In the wake of World War II and the granting of Philippine independence by the United States of America, many modern artists were cognizant of the ideals of the revolution and hence, tasked themselves to define national identity. This led to a strengthened post-colonial discourse on independence and inspired masterpieces that echoed the artists' sensibilities. Some of the finest examples of abstract art are found in the BSP collection, represented by the works of artists featured in this exhibition by Jose Joya, Cesar Legaspi, Hernando R. Ocampo, Martinez, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, and Edwin Wilwayco.
This exhibition, to be delivered in three modalities – onsite in the BSP headquarters in Manila, projection on the BSP building facade along Roxas Blvd. and a virtual exhibition via the BSP museum’s webpage – hopes to initiate discourse through select abstract art pieces from the BSP collection that evoke feelings of struggle, victory, and hope.
