Opening of Motions of this Kind: Propositions and Problems of Belatedness

Opening of Motions of this Kind: Propositions and Problems of Belatedness
April 11, 2019/ 6:00 p.m./ Brunei Gallery, SOAS
*Message of Senator Loren Legarda read by Dr. Cristina Juan

Good afternoon to all the guests present today.

We are gathered here to witness a milestone, the opening of Motions of this Kind: Propositions and Problems of Belatedness, the “first institutional exhibition in the UK dedicated to recent contemporary art practices in the Philippines.”

We Filipinos have come a long way in the contemporary art scene. Since the first time the Philippines had exhibited in the Venice Biennale in 1964, I am glad to note that we have since made a comeback to the Olympics of contemporary art in 2015, after a fifty-one year hiatus. And we have consistently participated since then, in Art and in Architecture.

And now, we have this. Motions of this Kind delves into the “belatedness” and “latency of knowledge,” the “ebb and flow of ideas.”

Every work of art represents a new way of perceiving and creating our world. Through each work of art, we are able to establish contact with others, shape our perspectives and perceptions and share our innermost impressions. This exhibit is an exemplification of such perception, of such notion of sharing.

Noteworthy is the fact that we have been able to support the promotion of Philippine Studies here in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). It is my hope that we are able to continue these endeavors, as we constantly pursue the assertion of our distinct creative identity in the global art conversation.

Congratulations.