Project Space Pilipinas, Grounding Art in/and the Community
By Leslie de Chavez

'My Own Words' is a monthly series which features personal essays by practitioners in the Southeast Asian art community. They deliberate on their locality's present circumstances, articulating observations and challenges in their respective roles.

Project Space Pilipinas has been operating independently for 17 years. What began as a humble artist initiative, serving as a platform for artist residencies and exchanges, has evolved into a leading force in numerous artistic and cultural developments within and beyond our region. Through exhibitions, collaborations, residencies, workshops, and public events, our programmes aim to enhance the understanding and significance of art in the community and our daily lives.

‘Hitherto’ exhibition at Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban. Image courtesy of Project Space Pilipinas.

Artful Weekend’s ‘Botanical Art Workshop’ by Aissa Domingo with participants from Barangay 5, Lucban, Quezon. Image courtesy of Project Space Pilipinas.

Prior to the pandemic, we organised several exhibition projects that significantly bolstered our local community's interest in the arts. Witnessing the transformative impact of showcasing various non-traditional art forms on the locals' appreciation and encounters, we recognised the necessity of continuously refining our programme designs. This is to ensure that our vision grows alongside the community and the team member’s individual artistic practices. Some of these programmes include the ‘SaLang’ and ‘Hitherto’ exhibition series, the Artful Weekend workshops and exhibition walkthroughs, and the HabhabXYZ conversation series.

While our programmes for 2022 were exclusively dedicated to women artists and cultural workers, 2023 took on a different focus with the theme ‘Thinking/Doing in Terms’, emphasising community engagement and public presentations. The aim was to transform our physical art space into an artistic laboratory for incubating ideas, actions, and interventions. This initiative encompassed the reexamination, reinvention, strengthening, and refinement of existing rituals, traditions, histories, and narratives within the Lucban community. We opted to prioritise meaningful interactions with our immediate community in Lucban rather than solely focusing on exhibition-making.

“The aim was to transform our physical art space into an artistic laboratory for incubating ideas, actions, and interventions. This initiative encompassed the reexamination, reinvention, strengthening, and refinement of existing rituals, traditions, histories, and narratives within the Lucban community.”

One of the primary projects is ‘Project Paglalarawan: Sandaang Mukha ni Hermano Puli’ which entails an open call for 100 drawings depicting the portrait of Hermano Puli, also known as Apolinario dela Cruz, based on a written biographical text about him. Hermano Puli, a significant but hardly discussed figure in Philippine history, hailed from Lucban, Quezon. This project aims to (re)shape our collective memory by popularising local history through a collective portrayal. However, we have come to realise that such a project requires a considerable amount of time, coordination, and organisation. Given its historical basis, meticulous fact-checking and timing are crucial. The process of verifying facts and important details took longer than anticipated. Consequently, we faced the dilemma of whether to present the project on or before Hermano Puli's death anniversary, thus missing the ideal implementation date. And so, the project is still in progress.

Habhab XYZ’s ‘The Drawn Line’ conversation/workshop with Mark Justiniani. Image courtesy of Project Space Pilipinas.

Open air screening of ‘Across the Wall of the World, A River Sings a Beautiful Song’ at the Municipal Building of Lucban, Quezon. Image courtesy of Project Space Pilipinas.

We ensure that each exhibition project at PSP includes at least one public programme. But in the most recent edition of the Hitherto exhibition series, titled ‘A Recording Ritual of Dustgrapher’, we organised three public programmes. These comprised a botanical art workshop with artist Aissa Domingo for the Artful Weekends, ‘The Drawn Line’ a conversation/workshop with artist Mark Justiniani for the Habhab XYZ series, and an open-air screening of video works by artists Christina Lopez, Nicolei Buendia Gupit, Jill Paz, and Vanessa Scully, titled ‘Across the Wall of the World, A River Sings a Beautiful Song’. The screening was a public art presentation shown on the LED board installed in front of the Lucban Municipal Building.

All three programmes were well-received and had a significant impact on the community. The botanical art workshop, initially sponsored by a specific barangay in Lucban, garnered attention from other barangays, prompting them to request similar art programmes for their constituents. Following the conversation/workshop led by Mark Justiniani and his partner Joy Mallari, they suggested direct one-on-one portfolio reviews with participants, to teach aspiring artists how to understand and enhance their craft. Additionally, the open-air screening of video art in public spaces attracted the interest of the local government unit, who encouraged us to curate another series of video art screenings, after witnessing how such a unique presentation captured the attention of the locals.

These public programmes have solidified our presence and significance within the community. We have come to understand the importance of strategic programming in broadening our audience base, improving their visual literacy, and maintaining positive relations with local policymakers. Here, we have observed how audiences can be categorised into distinct groups: some prefer to engage with art through hands-on experiences like art workshops, while others enjoy exploring ideas through talks and conversations, and reflecting upon their own beliefs and understanding of art. Additionally, there are those who may only develop an interest in art through chance encounters in their daily lives.

‘Mag-anak: Larawan at Alaala’ cyanotype printing workshop with Yuri Tan. Photo by Allyza Tresvalles for Project Space Pilipinas.

‘Linas at Himas’ terracotta art workshop with Joe Geraldo and Mikiboy Pama. Image courtesy of Project Space Pilipinas.

Other notable projects we have implemented include ‘Mag-anak: Larawan at Alaala’, a cyanotype printing workshop with young artist Yuri Tan; and ‘Linas at Himas’, a terracotta art workshop with Bacolod-based artists Joe Geraldo and Mikiboy Pama. These unique public programmes, tailored to the context of Lucban, have proven to be among the most successful initiatives we have undertaken in the community. The cyanotype printing workshop, held as a collateral programme for the solo exhibition of Danish-Filipina artist Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen at PSP titled ‘Mag-anak’, as well as the terracotta workshop, do not require participants to have prior experience or artistic skills to fully engage in the activities. It is incredibly rewarding to witness participants' reactions as their family photos gradually develop on paper, or as they proudly craft items like tea cups, vases, pipes, and figurines from terracotta clay using their own hands. Their genuine happiness adds deeper meaning to the work we do.

It has been overwhelming when we make plans for the myriad things we want to accomplish, whether they are for personal, family, art and/or community endeavours. More often than not, these plans fuel the desire to dive into the adventure of exploring more possibilities, especially when things seem to align with our envisioned path. Ultimately, we have learned that engaging in art and cultural work within our community involves intuitive action, thought, and collaboration. This entails considering context, ideas, materials, resources, history, and audiences, accordingly. And through this process, we empower each other and co-create a better community and a better world.

The story is part of CHECK-IN 2024, A&M’s fourth annual publication. We are seeking friends and patrons to help us realise the project. Click here for more information about the CHECK-IN 2024 fundraising campaign and what you can expect in return for your generosity.