the street is our gallery

Manila Savagery is the title of the latest mural by Angge Lorente and Crist Espiritu, which incorporates images that evoke foreign cultures from its colonial history.”These cultures, have played a huge part in the development of our conceived notion of the “Filipino Identity”. The artist holds the proverbial mirror in front of the every day pedestrian and by doing so instigate a process of introspection; perhaps a process of analyzing one’s beliefs and attitudes and realize where they sprung from.”

Like most of his artworks, Crist Espiritu’s mural utilizes mundane images to tackle a existential concepts. By presenting a being (fish) in various stages of its mortality scattered around his piece, Espiritu forces us to see the dreary nature of existence. For the artist, being at peace with this bleak realization parallels the correlation between the Filipino spirit’s resilience and our violent history. Espiritu sees Filipinos as beautiful creatures of hope born of chaos and savagery.

With these mural both artists hope to deliver a lasting work of art that serve as a reflection of our colorful and chaotic history. Perhaps embracing the chaos of one’s origins is in itself a huge part of being a Filipino.

Related Links: 

Manila Biennale

Crist Espiritu @crist_espiritu

Angge Lorente @anggelorente

Glitch Glitch