‘Constructions of Truths’ at MCAD Manila

Proposing alternative ways of seeing 
By Ho See Wah

Thảo-Nguyên Phan, ‘Becoming Alluvium’ (film still), 2019, single-channel 4k, video projection, colour, 16min 28sec. Image courtesy of MCAD Manila.

In a world where technology enables the over-saturation of images, ‘Constructions of Truths’ at Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila invites us to question how these images affect our perspectives of real life. Curator and Director of MCAD Manila Joselina Cruz questions, “When we are inundated with images everyday, what happens with our perception of the world and its realities? Are we able to distinguish realities from constructed ones? Are we able to reconcile what is believable and what is not?” These questions are answered through the artworks that call to attention the ways images can be manufactured to present alternative realities, provoking our normalised modes of viewing. 

Numerous collaborators were involved in the making of this exhibition. In partnership with the Han Nefkens Foundation, and in collaboration with Edouard Malingue Gallery, Kurimanzutto, The Ruya Foundation and Silverlens, ‘Constructions of Truths’ presents nine artists from the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and beyond the region. 

Ho Tzu Nyen, ‘The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia’, algorithmic editing system, 5-channel sound, 1 PC, infinite. Image courtesy of Asia Art Archive.

An analytical work is ‘The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia’, an ongoing project by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen. The work, which also exists as a website, was prompted by Ho’s curiosity about the idea of Southeast Asia and what binds it together. Ho then speculates on the many terms that are associated with Southeast Asia for each letter of the alphabet, such as how ‘a’ constitutes ‘anarchism’ and ‘altitude’. As the various images and ideas overlap, the work provides an incisive look on how myriads of imageries and “truths” can exist together, and even be in competition with one another. 

Martha Atienza, ‘Man in Suit’ (film still), 2007, single-channel video, 15min 2sec. Image courtesy of the MCAD Manila.

Filipino artist Martha Atienza employs a more comical outlook with ‘Man in Suit’ to reveal the often unconsciously biased ways that we interpret images. The film features men performing labour-intensive work, from a tricycle driver picking up passengers to a farmer plowing his rice fields. Unexpectedly, these men are all wearing suits. The simple and idiosyncratic scenes easily lend a humorous tone to the work. At the same time, ‘Man in Suit’ provides a straightforward commentary on the illusion of success as viewers realise how readily we correlate appearances, such as the kind of clothing one wears, with affluence. The artist thus urges her audience to look beyond the surface, and to rethink widely accepted notions that have been taken for granted—in this case, what defines success. 

Thảo Nguyên Phan, ‘Becoming Alluvium’ (film still), 2019, single-channel 4k, video projection, colour, 16min 28sec. Image courtesy of MCAD Manila.

‘Becoming Alluvium’ by Vietnamese artist Thao Nguyên Phan is an amalgamation of film footages, drawings, watercolours, and 18th-century lithographic illustrations that proposes multiple ways of seeing. Inspired by the Mekong River, these visuals come together with a narration to present stories from Lao and Khmer folktales. Concurrently, the film also gives prominence to contemporary situations of environmental degradation and political realities. Timelines, stories and the real world collide together to disturb our conventional approach to taking in images, and subsequently to be open to the multilayered complexities a single image can bring.

As a whole, ‘Constructions of Truths’ is about disrupting our passive intake of images and its meanings. It is this criticality that enables us to negotiate the several “truths” presented to us on a daily basis, and to hopefully be more discerning citizens of the world. 


’Constructions of Truths’ at MCAD Manila is on view from 6 February to 12 April 2020.