Opening of the Homecoming of Andi Taku E Sana, Amung Taku Di Sana/All of Us Present, This is Our Gathering

MESSAGE OF SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
LOREN LEGARDA

OPENING OF THE HOMECOMING OF ANDI TAKU E SANA, AMUNG TAKU DI SANA/ALL OF US PRESENT, THIS IS OUR GATHERING
FEATURED EXHIBITION OF THE PHILIPPINE PAVILION IN THE 59TH VENICE ART BIENNALE

JUNE 29, 2023 | 4:00 PM
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF MANILA

On April 21 last year, the Philippine Pavilion opened its featured exhibition for the 59th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana / All of us present, This is our gathering. The exhibition initiated a conversation on transmitting culture that involves an interdisciplinary approach, which created a nexus between the traditional with the contemporary, embodying the collaboration among traditional weaving and chanting practices, ethnomusicology, and visual art.

During the span of over seven months, the Pavilion was visited by thousands of guests from around the world who immersed themselves in the exhibition’s multi-sensory explorations of sound material and field recordings of indigenous weaving practices across the Philippines. With such material deeply grounded on traditional practices, artists Gerry Tan, Felicidad Prudente, and Sammy Buhle created a contemporary assemblage of Filipino art and culture by translating the sounds of weaving houses into musical notations and woven textiles, a dynamic interplay of tradition and contemporary.

Today, the exhibition has finally come home – where it seeks to reinforce its aspirations to represent the translation of cultural data into visual communication, collectively promoting Philippine traditions and ensuring their endurance through intercultural exchange.

I cannot emphasize enough the urgency to empower traditional communities, such as those who are weavers of Philippine indigenous textiles, who are prime examples of a culture-based livelihood. The process of creating textiles reveals how communities are built upon their own expression, through sharing and collaboration, to define their culture, to bond its identity. In their openness to diversity and multiplicity, communities are also always at risk. Hence, the need for their protection through policies, and stewardship to ensure order and persistence.

I find inspiration in Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana / All of us present, This is our gathering, which proposes a way to strengthen communities through art and culture. The exhibition title, Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana, comes from the opening lines of a sogna, a Madukayan Kalinga chant that precedes a large gathering to bring about peaceful communication through a dialogue of differences and agreements, expressed in melodic verse. The curators and artists of the exhibition believe that absence through continuity is worth noting and commemorating, as we bring about a gathering to convey the sentiment that nothing truly ends alone by itself.

And thus, through this exhibition, we share with our fellow Filipinos how we can keep the essence of communities alive. Congratulations to those who have organized this opening. To all of us who are present and gathered here today, thank you and mabuhay.

Isang luntiang Pilipinas sa ating lahat.