MANILA -- The country's pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale will officially open its doors to the international community on Saturday, following its vernissage (private viewing) last May 24.
The Philippines' entry, dubbed as "The City Who Had Two Navels", highlights two “navels” that are in constant dialogue: first, how colonialism impacts the formation of the built environment; and second, how the process of neoliberalization alters the urban landscape.
Curator Edson Cabalfin was selected among 12 proposals submitted to the Coordinating Committee.
His concept, which raises questions on "Can we truly escape the colonial?" and "Is neoliberalism now the new form of colonialism?" encourages the spectators to speculate and contemplate on the idea that the Philippines does not exist in a vacuum, but is implicated within power relations, and is inextricably intertwined with other nations and people.
The Philippine Pavilion is a joint project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda.
During her speech at the vernissage, Legarda described the Philippine installation as an "artistic narrative" of the country's history and identity.
“As we view the realization of Dr. Cabalfin’s curatorial concept in this beautiful space, let us allow ourselves to question what we see. After all, this has been our goal from the beginning -- to let our country showcase our creative talents and at the same time challenge the truths of the world by opening up conversations through our national pavilion,” she said.
This year’s exhibitors are Yason Banal; the University of the Philippines - Mindanao; the University of San Carlos; the University of the Philippines - Diliman; De La Salle -College of Saint Benilde from Metro Manila; and TAO-Pilipinas, Inc., a non-governmental organization of architects and planners based in Quezon City.
The 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale organized by La Biennale di Venezia will run in Venice, Italy from May 26 to November 25.
First navel
The concept's first navel, or the "(Post)Colonial Imaginations," presents major expositions and world fairs showcasing the Philippines, including the 1887 Exposicion General de las Islas Filipinas (Madrid, Spain), the 1904 St. Louis Fair (St. Louis, Missouri, USA), the 1998 Expo Pilipino (Clark Airbase, Pampanga), and other expositions during the colonial and post-colonial periods.
In a recent press conference, Cabalfin said this section looks at how Philippine displays in expositions "reproduced colonial narratives of the exotic and the primitive."
It presents the first question.
Second navel
Meanwhile, the second navel, or the "Neoliberal Urbanism”, presents the development of Philippine cities as embedded within processes of neoliberalization.
Cabalfin said cities are placed in a hierarchy under the neoliberal agenda based on their ability to compete for capital following principles of privatization, deregulation, free market, and minimal state intervention.
Some examples include mixed-use developments and business process outsourcing offices, enclave central business districts, peri-urban residential subdivisions, and informal settlements as part of urban growth.
By exposing contemporary issues in Philippine cities, the pavilion poses the second question: Is neoliberalization a new form of colonialism? (PNA)
