Courtyard

Courtyard

Pablo Gallery Fort

Taguig, Philippines

08/24/2008

MANILA, Philippines – Officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Sunday conducted a security inspection at the Manila City Jail a day after a riot among prisoners caused the death of one inmate. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV

In this project, Salvatus finds a news report about a deadly riot inside the Manila City Jail in 2008 and retells it in a different perspective in his new show – Courtyard in Pablo Gallery Fort.

Working with communities and experiences, Salvatus reinvestigates the incident with various media. Making a re-enactment of some sort, he presents the story in a Crime Scene Investigation-type of exhibition. Different visual images are juxtaposed in the said courtyard—from drawings, to installations and objects.

Changing the relationship of the past to the present, the account of the riot now becomes a found object that Salvatus tries to visualize using “evidence” he collected inside the Manila City Jail. Using interviews, photographs, and his immersion experience inside the compound, he comes up with his own visual conclusion and combines them with his personal ideas—ideas that make a strong impression and emotional tension, establishing an intimate and charged dialogue with the audience—will they be familiarized by it or be alienated?

Mabuhay Magazine - Philippine Airline's inflight magazine (April 2009)

In the Press: Metro Society (June 2009)

WOP Residency Report

Here is my 2-month artist residency report of my Neo-Urban Plan project at WOP Green Papaya Art Projects

http://neourbanplanner.blogspot.com/2009/05/neo-urban-plan-report-green-papaya-art_08.html

Tutok Eduk

“TutoK-EDUK” presents works in various media by Brenda V. Fajardo, Roberto Feleo, Gerardo Leonardo, Buen Calubayan, Noel Soler Cuizon, Karen Ocampo Flores, Boyet de Mesa, Kirby Roxas, Don Salubayba, Mark Salvatus, and Wesley Valenzuela.

The exhibit paves the way for TutoK’s inquiry into the state of education. Beginning with this exhibit by artist-teachers— artists who hone artistic skills and minds through academic channels, as well as artists who are active in cultural work among sectors and communities. The premise of course is that education is a continuous and dynamic process; that beyond the job, artists are essentially sustained by it as a vehicle for mutual exchange and development. Tutok’s focus on EDUK will provide more insights and discussions in its upcoming projects on education issues.

To be scheduled on the last two weeks of the exhibit will be a series of talks and workshops projected as critical interventions for the benefit of artists and art practices. Tutok’s program also plans to interface with summer educational programs for artists that will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines , the Printmakers’ Association of the Philippines (PAP) Workshop at the Folk Arts Theater and the UP College of Fine Arts .

“Tutok-EDUK” is curated by Don Salubayba, and is presented by TutoK in cooperation with Tala Gallery. Essays for the exhibition and catalogue are by Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez.

The exhibit will run from April 16 to May 7, 2009. Opening cocktails is on April 16 6:00pm. Call Tels.63.2.4411267 and 63.2.4010337 for more information.

Fudge Magazine (April-May 2009)