Leslie de Chavez in conversation with Tony Godfrey

Tony Godfrey. Good afternoon Leslie!

Leslie de Chavez. Hi Tony, good afternoon!

TG. I am fascinated by your recent set of sculptures, Begotten Jewels (Lot no. 1). But can you explain what the title means and why there are now only 24 pieces. Originally I know you planned to make 30 small pieces.

LdC. Well, the work is actually an offshoot of the installation piece from my Silverlens show titled “I Like Art Fairs and Art Fairs Like Me“, where as an element/part of that piece, are found objects wrapped with plaster of Paris bandage.

TG. The title is, I presume, ironic. Personally speaking, I loathe art fairs. My hope now I am retired I never have to go to one again in my life. Art works taken out of their social and historic context, displayed badly, crammed together with too many disparate art works, all reduced to the level of dried goods.

LdC. The title “Begotten Jewels” aims to suggest reinvention, reconfiguration, and maybe curation (if you like) of ordinary/banal objects that are considered residues of capitalism as manifested in our consumerist lifestyles. “Jewels” because these are objects that used to have meanings and value – as well as memory, history, and attachments.

TG. If they are bandaged one could read them as damaged – or to be discarded.

LdC. Yes, one could read them like that as well. The sheer quantity of things we’ve accumulated, saved, and kept through the years became apparent during the pandemic lockdowns. Since all of us were forced to stay home, the amount of objects that we were supposed to, let say, let go of, give away, discard, and fix, have become not just an idea or a thought but a sort of reality we need to confront and deal with.

And I don’t want to easily give in to adding more to the environmental problem these objects will cause should I just discard them.

I was thinking of connecting the idea of number of days in a month that’s why at first I thought of doing 30 pieces, but then when I thought of the title relating to jewels, I came to put more weight on the idea of “value.”

TG. Ok, so it is about the responsibility of acquisition and ownership in a world which has too much stuff in it already. Is that 24 as in the measurement for gold: 1-24 carats?

LdC. Yes. I intend to relate it to the measurement of gold and jewels, “carats.”

TG. “I Like Art Fairs and Art Fairs Like Me” was a very elegant and very complex work with 36 small bandaged elements displayed on a grid on a. suspended platform with to either side mirrors the end of long (fake) sticks. The mirrors had the words of the title inscribed on them. There was also a bench at the end of the corridor the work was installed in which was inaccessible as the work blocked the passage. We can talk about that work later. I liked it very much but remained puzzled as to exactly what it might mean – and I didn’t want to look up the catalogue to be told what. Lot No 1 also suggest auctions: that this is the first of a series of other collections of bandaged items to be put up for sale. am I correct?

LdC. You’re right. After I finished this work (Begotten Jewels: Lot No. 1), I realized that I can make this into a series, but in a diverse iterations. “Lot no.1” came from the auction structure (lacking proper label here), a wordplay on the title, but also to suggest the idea of objects participating in the exchange of value, of how they gain and lose them through time and context, of yes, “acquisition and ownership”. And yeah, I was also thinking of how I can give these objects a new life and put it back in the market to be put up for sale.

TG. As Begotten Jewels (Lot No. 1) is about exchange and the market the fact that it is for sale is part of it. As is the price. What is the price?

LdC. I haven’t thought of the price, actually.

TG. Would you be tempted to send another such “lot” to Sotheby’s or Christies or one of the local auction houses?

LdC. Come to think of it, yeah why not? I could send one of these “lots” to one of these auction houses but its adventure to these context would be part of the conceptual framework of objects of art vis-a-vis life/value in the market, hahaha. Which mean, it could be a separate work, intended to penetrate the same platform or form of circulation that gives these same objects value.

TG. I look forward to bidding! As a European of a certain generation they reminded me of something you probably aren’t aware of: Franz West and his pass-stucke or adaptives – bandaged or papier mâché objects you were allowed to fondle and play with as if they were psychic/physical extensions of the self. Will people be allowed to touch and hold the pieces in Singapore? In the Silverlens show the 36 objects seemed very precious and inaccessible. BTW I can send you some images of myself and my teenage daughter posing with pass-stucken in the Franz West show in Venice 1990.

LdC. No. I’m not familiar with Franz West’s pass-stucke or his bandaged objects.

(Begotten Jewels: Lot No. 1) was produced in such a way that it characterized fragility, and never in the context of play, participation or interactivity with the audience. The least that the viewers can do is probably figure out or identify for themselves some objects that they recognize from the set, just by looking at them.

TG. Toy soldiers, old tools, cutlery etc.

LdC. Actually, the selected objects in Silverlens were laid out in a grid format but it was supposed to be interactive. I told the staff of the gallery that they may suggest to the viewers that they’re allowed to rearrange the objects according to their liking.

I was meaning to put an instruction on the wall, actually.

One could also use the single stick and mirror on the left side to view/reflect the black and white digital print reproduction of Amorsolo’s Market Scene under the hanging platform.

TG.is always difficult to gauge how much information to give viewers. Maybe we can return to that later.

TG. The painting you are sending to Singapore The Rehearsal in Denial uses gold paint or gold leaf, was this to connect it to the sculptures or is gold just a medium you have used a lot recently?

LdC. Yes, a medium I’ve been using a lot recently

TG. Because you like the medium, or to suggest financial value?

LdC. As a medium, I am for its association/affinities with our colonial history. Of how this precious material is utilized to insinuate or propagate Catholic religion’s idea of holiness as equivalent to preciousness, and later on with Imelda’s “the true, the good, and the beautiful.” In this work, I dwell more on the idea of the invaluable or irreplaceable or things/ideas that needs to be treasured like life, freedom, and nature.

TG. You have mentioned the issue of colonialism and the Filipino politic, perhaps we can put that to one side for a moment. But first I want to ask about your use of poetry. You take your poetry seriously. Do you publish it in its own right or only as an element of your art works?

LdC. I love poetry. I realized that there are so many things that we cannot articulate in pictures or imagery but can be more effective or meaningful if put into words. I can hardly write, I am not even confident with my skills in writing. I am not confident enough to publish them in their own right. I was supposed to include a book of poetry in my Silverlens exhibition, a series of quatrains. I wrote one hundred of them but in Tagalog (Filipino). I stamped them on copper sheets, but was not able to finish them because I ran out of metal sheets and could not go to Manila to buy more because of the series of unpredictable quarantine restrictions implemented in the city. The work could have been in two books, 50 pages each.

The poems were my meditations/reflection on the socio-political happenings in the country amidst the pandemic. I’d like to call it “Tayabas Copperplates, Book I & II” a parallel articulation on the earliest known evidence of written literature in the history of the Philippines known as the “Laguna Copperplate.”

TG. You write about art too, but unlike everyone else I know in the Philippines in Tagalog, not in English. This use of a native language is a political statement, right?

LdC. Yes, it is.

TG. So let’s talk about your background and your “position.” I believe you were born in or near Lucban, a town in the mountains south of Manila. To me it is rather like a hill town in Tuscany with narrow streets. But it always seems to be raining when I go there – unlike the towns in Tuscany. Were you born in the town or the countryside nearby. What sort of family were you born into? Was there a history or knowledge of art making?

TG. I was born in Pasig, Metro Manila, but grew up and studied elementary and high school in Lucban. It is a small town, and because Lucban is located at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, the weather is always cool and most of the time rainy. Lucban is an agricultural town and famous for its local fiesta, the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival. This festival originated as a thanks-giving tradition of the town to the patron saint of the farmers, San Isidro Labrador.

I came from a middle class family. My parents ran a small bicycle shop in Lucban until my college days. Lucban is known as the summer capital of Quezon province because of its beauty, colorful traditions and artistic vibrancy, and a few years back was designated as the Art Capital of Quezon province.

TG. It is evident from your work and our conversations that you are angered by the corruption in politics here and that you loath the Duterte administration – like most artists. Was your family politically active?

LdC. If active, meaning they made sure to be updated regularly of the many things happening around us, yes, they were and are active. And they’re frustrated too, with the current administration. Within the family, we can converse with/about current events and issues, and they don’t shy away from giving opinions as well.

TG. They are also, I believe, devout Catholics and you are too. Even though some of your paintings attack the clergy as corrupt, you are a regular church attendee. As you know, it intrigues me, coming from a country where few artists follow a formal church to see how many artists here remain wholly within the Catholic faith and practice many artist. Is your faith an aspect of your work?

LdC. Not really. I believe I have come to separate my faith from my idea of using art to make commentaries about Catholic religion.

TG. You went to study in Manila at UP. You were not I believe influenced by the most famous teacher there, Roberto Chabet. Were the social realist painters a more potent influence? And what sort of works did you make as a student?

LdC. Honestly, I was not aware of the different schools of thought back then. I was in Chabet’s class for a couple of subjects in my third and fourth year in UP. I was busy trying my best to finish college on time because I did not have the luxury to really spend more money or time for studying. So, I just went and got through Chabet’s class, but did not really pay attention to his teachings or philosophy about art. I was already outside UP when I become interested with social realism, not really the social realist painters or group. Only when I began taking a closer look at the social realist works that I get to know these artists, one by one.

TG. What was the first work where you felt you had discovered your own artistic voice? How soon after leaving college was that? and can we see an image of it?

LdC. It was after three or four years after graduating, probably. The works I made from my first solo show in 2003 paved the way to the kind of artistic trajectory I pursued from that time on. The piece titled “The King” is one of them.

TG. Before we discuss that piece can you tell me what year exactly did you graduate and when did you return to Lucban? Unlike almost all other young artists, you did not stay in Manila where the “art scene” is centred.

LdC. I graduated in 1999, then returned to Lucban in 2007.

TG. So in fact you stayed in Manila for seven years after college. Who were you close to then? How did you survive financially?

LdC. After graduation, I worked as a graphic designer, first, for a small design studio in Cubao, then in the publications department of a science and mathematics institute in UP (UPNISMED), then finally, in Ayala Museum, in Makati. It was during my time in Ayala that I frequently got to go out and discuss about Philippine art, history, and art in general, with curator Bobi Valenzuela, who I considered my mentor and very close friend. And in 2001, I went fulltime with art and opened my own design studio so that I can do graphic design works independently/part time.

It was after I came back from Korea that I decided to return to Lucban. My stint in Korea gave me a new energy, direction, as well as confidence that I could pursue art outside or away from Manila. It was also during this time that I started Project Space Pilipinas not only as an artistic platform but also as an extension that fuels my practice.

TG. Ah what happened in Korea? What year was that? Why were you there?

LdC. I was in a residency program of the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Goyang (IASK), Korea, for a year (2005-2006).

TG. Did Korea change your life?

LdC. Yes. Korea was a turning point in my life and career. It was towards the end of the residency in 2006 that Arario signed me up in their gallery.

TG. What sort of work were you making then? Did the Korean audience respond to your Filipino orientated subject matter?

LdC. I was already producing socio-political works when I arrived there. It was because of these kind of paintings that Arario took me in their team. I believe they responded well because they were also curious about the kind of art and subject matters that we Filipinos, tackle in art. And there was also a growing tide of interest in the South and Southeast Asian Art during that time. I made sure to relate to them some historical experiences we’ve had in common with the Americans in terms of colonial history and cultural imperialism.

TG. I was aware of this years later when I was with you for an opening in Seoul. I saw they could instantly connect your references to the Marcos dictatorship with their own experience under a military dictatorship.

LdC. Yeah, that’s true.

LdC. They too, have a social realist movement almost in the same period parallel to that of the Philippines in 80’s called, Minjung Art.

TG. Why, after returning from Korea, did you not stay in Manila?

LdC. I tried for a year, but felt Manila was not conducive any more for my art practice. Since then, it has become even more congested, expensive, and precarious.

TG. I presume it was cheaper to have a studio in Lucban than Manila?

LdC. Yes, having a studio in Lucban was way cheaper than in Manila. And it is easier and more affordable, to get help and assistance during productions of sculptural and installation works.

TG. Did you set up Project Space Pilipinas immediately on return?

LdC. I spent a year working in my Mandaluyong studio, I acclimatized first, literally and metaphorically, before I put up Project Space Pilipinas. That whole year was spent brewing the vision-mission behind PSP as well as the strengthening of my newly built artistic networks as well as renewing my past connections in the local art scene.

TG. OK. Let’s stop there and talk more about it tomorrow.

Thursday, 30^th September

TG. Good afternoon Leslie! How are you today?

LdC. I’m good, doing some reading (review) and thinking. Kind of research mode.

TG. Ah, you are in in-between exhibition mode. Let’s talk about The King. Its iconography is very clear: Jesus and Coke. Is it a sort of self-portrait or an everyman Filipino?

LdC. Yes. It is not my self-portrait per se, but of every Filipino.

TG. I remember curating a show for a Filipino artist in Singapore and when we finally late at night finished installing, I took him and the team to McDonalds. He regarded it as a great treat, not cheap convenience food. The burger is aspirational in the Philippines, as is the US as a work destination. The Dude is eating food a poor person can eat in the UK or US but is only really readily available to middle class Filipinos. Correct?

LdC. Indeed! Throughout our history there’s always a strong desire for many Filipinos to emulate the American lifestyle.

TG. If I compare the painting to those of the social realists it has a different rhetoric to them; one more related to pop art even. The brush work is dispassionate. Your way of not blending the brush-marks on flesh has what Brecht would call an A effect. You employ irony, not expressionist exaggeration.

LdC. It was an attempt, or rather a conscious effort to distinguish myself from the early social realists in the Philippines.

TG. And a successful one.

LdC. I really hope so.

TG. Which social realists were you most influenced by, or, rather, acting against most?

LdC. In the early 2000, I was amazed by the mural works by Sanggawa, an artist collective composed of Mark Justiniani, Elmer Borlongan, Karen Flores, Federico Sievert, Joy Mallari, and Manny Garibay. That’s why their influence is also evident in my large-scale works like Signus and Detritus. I made those works as some sort of exploration on how I could push more or reinvent Filipino figurative painting in terms of rendition, symbolism, and narrative.

TG. Was Signus done in Korea? Was it a commission?

LdC. I was working on a study for a large-scale painting during the first quarter of 2005. It was as if I was preparing something big, a “dream painting” if you like, although I was not exactly sure how I could accomplish or complete the work considering that during that time I didn’t have a studio, nor the resources to fund a big work like that. I just dared say to myself, “I will make this big work, no matter what!” Around May, came the opportunity, an invitation to do a residency in Korea, a very well supported residency that could really provide me the time, space, and the funds to produce the works that I had dreamt of doing.

So, there I created Signus not as a commissioned work but just a piece that I wanted to be realized given the resources I was given.

LdC. Signus was also the painting that led Arario gallery, or specifically Mr. Kim its owner, to invite me to be part of their roster of artist.

TG. Under the table are the poor of this earth, drowning. Above the table the powerful, heavy in sleaze. At the centre of this depraved last supper Captain America embraces a traditional politician – who always wear these traditional white shirts. Trapo (traditional politician) is in Filipino slang a euphemism for a corrupt one. Below them, the painter associates with the poor and drowning – but of course he is dependent on purchases by those at the table. Obviously, the allegory goes into much greater detail.

LdC. Very well read. I know the work is almost literal, very accessible indeed.

TG. But it is very complex. Did you ever provide a key?

LdC. What do you mean by: “Did you ever provide a key?”

TG. An explanation such as Courbet gave for his manifesto painting The Studio of the Artist listing who everyone was and what they represented.

LdC. Ah, not really. But whenever people asked me at that time. I just give them some historical background, a story, characterization, or some sort of context.

TG. The problem with any key or explanation is that, if too detailed or specific, it closes down meaning. Am I right in assuming the trapo is not a specific person, but a type?

LdC. Yes, you’re right.

TG. Detritus six years later is even more pessimistic. Was this the painting you made for the Singapore biennale?

LdC. Yes, that’s the one. There is a kind of “recentness” in Detritus in terms of narratives, and histories unlike Signus which was more of a historical contextualization of the Filipino.

TG. It certainly reeks of Manila in all its smelly, dilapidated clutter of wealth and poverty.

LdC. Yeah, all in one picture. A horror vacui as many would say.

TG. Were you in anyway influenced by cartoon book artists such as Francisco Botong?

LdC. He was one of my favourite artists when I was in high school.

TG. Horror vacui is definitely a Filipino trait. I have seen so many interiors here that are absolutely choc-a-bloc with stuff. I guess it partly stems from the Catholic Baroque, and partly from American capitalism’s lust for products.

LdC. True, ha ha, very Pinoy!

TG. Do you still look at Botong?

LdC. Yes. I consider him as one of the best figurative painters we’ve ever had.

TG. Maybe we should choose an example of his work to show our readers? Can you pick one?

LdC. Of course! I even appropriated this piece by Botong:

In my work Revolutionary Past for Future Doubts:

TG. By 2012 you were firmly ensconced back in Lucban, surviving by selling your work in Korea, Singapore and the Philippines. What was Project Space Pilipinas? and why did you set it up?

LdC. PSP is an artist-run initiative I started in 2007. I envisioned it to be a platform for young emerging artists to further their artistic endeavours through exchanges, collaboration, discourse, exhibition, and residency. I set it up after the experience I had during my residency in Korea, learning the importance of having/providing a space, time, and modest support (at least) to pursue an artistic practice.

TG. What space did you use initially?

LdC. PSP was first opened in Mandaluyong [a district of Manila] in 2007, then I transferred it to Lucban in 2012.

TG. Using your old studio in Lucban?

LdC. Even the space in Mandaluyong was my former studio. And yes, Lucban was my former studio as well.

TG. In Lucban did you invite artists from outside the town or focus on the artists working in it or nearby?

LdC. I am very conscious of the position of PSP in the local art scene. I don’t know, but unlike the past artist-run spaces in Manila, I’d like PSP to contribute in the decentralization of art and art making in the country. Therefore, part of our consideration is always to invite artists coming from other regions in the country as well as outside the Philippines to do collaborations with us.

TG. How many residencies have you been able to sponsor since 2012? And how many exhibitions have you mounted? There have been publications too and a festival.

LdC. Quite a number already. We’ve done exhibitions, residencies, exchanges, collaborations, festivals, and, yeah, publications. I will send you a list. (see endnote^[1] for details)

TG. The studio became vacant because you had bought a house outside Lucban. Correct?

LdC. Yes, our house was built from 2011 to 2012. During these times, I still maintained the studio in Mandaluyong and Lucban. When we finally transferred to our new house, I gave up the Mandaluyong space, then transformed the Lucban studio into PSP.

TG. Before we discuss the changes the new house/studio may have led to, can I ask at what point did you start making installations? and why?

LdC. It was in 2000 when I started to go out and learn (and unlearn) from Bobi Valenzuela. Among the many things he taught me as an artist is not to be confined to painting alone. So, when we collaborated for my first solo show in 2003 titled, Bahid (Stain) with Bobi as the curator, I’d already established the diversity of my practice which included installation, drawing, video, and painting. During this period, I was looking at and studying the art and practice of Santiago Bose, Roberto Feleo, and Charlie Co, through Bobi Valenzuela. I don’t really want to claim it as some kind of mentorship, because there never was any formality about it. I was just being enthusiastic about learning new things about art, but more especially in the context of Philippine art history and contemporary Philippine art.

TG. On principle then you never do exhibitions of paintings and nothing but paintings – which, of course, is what the market would like! Presumably most of your paintings sell but most of your installations don’t! A common situation in South-east Asia – witness Geraldine, Agus Suwage, etc.

LdC Yes, because I do believe that painting alone can be very limiting. I remember Bobi telling me that an artist’s first solo exhibition is usually a “make or break,” and that it is important for one to establish the kind of artist that he/she wants to be, the kind of ideas and forms he/she want to discuss and articulate with. Therefore, for my first solo show, I presented a series of paintings, an installation composed of video, photographs and sound, together with a series of drawings on paper.

TG. I presume your paintings begin with sketches or drawings but the installations begin by collecting objects and then improvising. Am I correct?

LdC. With the paintings, yes, that’s how I proceed. But with installation works, sometimes I start by deciding on the idea/concept that I’d like to tackle, or sometimes I find or accidentally find some existing materials that already embody ideas and a history which I can use as departure point.

TG. So, the associations of an object or what it represents are crucial?

LdC. Always. I hardly ever use objects for their poetry or strangeness – or absurdity, if you like.

TG. If you had to choose one or two installations from the past ten years which would you choose?

LdC. Maybe the one we exhibited in Shanghai? The five Michael Jacksons with water feature in it? I Just Can’t Stop Loving You from 2014. The work which was also part of a group exhibition in Lopez Museum in Manila.

TG. The image of a black man trying to wash away his skin pigmentation resonates with a country rife with adverts for skin whitening!

LdC. Yes, that’s right! Haha

TG. And in a culture rife with proselytising also the image of washing away your sins.

LdC. Yes, that works as well in Household Virtue No.1, a series of cast legs of crucified Christ, made of soap (lye, glycerine, seven tropical fruit scents), with the text above that says “Laging maghugas ng kamay” or “always wash your hands”

TG. It is a work that uses religious imagery without becoming sacrilegious – which is true of the painting the king. Christ stands as a witness.

LdC. I couldn’t agree more. I am actually very cautious also, whenever I use iconography.

TG. One that resonates with me is the big installation you showed at Ateneo with all the heads of Ferdinand Marcos.

LdC. You mean the piece Palingenesis:

TG. Yes, the imagery is overt in Palingenesis: the heads of Marcos attached to chains or flails. You must be pissed that his son Bong Boing Marcos is standing for president and has a good chance of being elected. Perhaps it is as shocking as if the AFD in Germany, (the Neo-Nazi party) were poised for electoral success and their leader was the grandson of Adolf Hitler. Marcos and Marcos-ism is like a virus stuck in the Filipino body politic. You are so caught up in the myth of the “strong” leader who will sort out the chaos.

LdC. It’s really frustrating, I know. Thanks to the Filipinos love for action stars, movies and TV series, which, as you know, would always feature the hero, the saviour, and the Mr. Nice Guy.

TG. Who are normally also Pinoy Rambos touting big machine guns.

LdC. Yes! Rambo and the Terminator.

TG. Yes, endlessly coming back! What can you do? As citizens support better candidates. As artists just bear witness. Art rarely changes opinions – though it can subtly over the years nibble away at ideologies.

LdC. Yes, I am aware that Art will never be enough. We can only offer a possibility for change through our brainchildren, but will hardly make a dent, yet maybe other forms or practice which truly involve or engage with the people can do something.

TG. Is that something you could consider. I don’t know what. Posters for better candidates? Cartoon books lampooning the trapos? Social actions?

LdC. I’ve also been practicing this kind of socially-engaged for more than five years now through our programs and projects at Project Space Pilipinas, as well by collaborating with artists who do or lean toward social practice and relational aesthetics. Most of our programs now at PSP is geared towards the development of our local audience by offering exhibitions, collaborations, and participations that would contribute in the development of their visual literacy.

TG. Coming back to your house. Like many artists you live in a gated community. At first, I found this strange: it is a thing rarely seen in the UK, though I lived in one – on a street once notorious for crime. Does it bug you or is it just a necessary precaution in a country with a serious crime problem? Is the estate you are on a good place to work – away from the bustle of Manila or the claustrophobia of Lucban?

LdC. It is not necessary, but as you can see, it is a problem and a reality everyone needs to deal with in this country. I must admit it is a good place to work if given the opportunity.

TG. And have you finally built a proper studio?

LdC. Ha ha ha ha, not yet. But I really, really want to for a long time now!

TG. You still spread your work all over the ground floor and the garage!

LdC. Yesssss!!! Ha ha ha!

TG. Is there one more recent painting we could show and discuss? One you like or have problems with.

LdC. How about this work:

TG. That was a fantastic work – one you had problems selling because it isn’t a regular painting that could be framed or hang neatly on the wall. The main image if I remember right is a Goya of dubious provenance once owned by Imelda Marcos. You need to see the tiny hanging image with its reference to the American mistress of Ferdinand Marcos, to get the full association. Do you have a detail of that?

LdC. No, unfortunately I do not have a detail of that hanging image of that controversial character in the love/life story of the Marcoses.

TG. But I do! Taken at Art Fair Philippines 2017 where you first showed it. Front and backside view of one element of an intriguing complex work.

Did you sell this work in the end?

LdC. Not yet. This piece is still with Arario Gallery.

TG. How many installations or non-regular paintings like this do you manage to sell?

LdC. Well today, I just heard from Silverlens that they’ve sold the Rosary installation piece from my recent solo show in their gallery titled, “Latigong Tinik ng Bitukang Halang”.

TG. More heads of Marcos!

LdC. Actually in this piece, I produced 59 pieces clenched fist-size heads of Duterte and only one head by Ferdinand Marcos. But yeah, at least one of this kind of work sells whenever I have solo exhibitions.

TG. That is not too bad. Collectors are getting a bit more adventurous – and getting bigger spaces.

TG. Last question: What are you working on next or what are you planning to work on next?

LdC. I am currently working on my pieces for my solo show in Vienna, Austria next month. The exhibition titled, The world must not be as it is, is my continuing reflection/meditation on the shifting conditions brought by the pandemic to our social, political, mental and cultural states. The title was taken from the 1978 artistic/political “call to act” proposal of Joseph Beuys known as “An Appeal for the Alternative.” The exhibition will showcase a series of paintings, sculpture/installation, video, and works on paper.

TG. Thanks Leslie.

1. ENDNOTES

   Project Space Pilipinas is an artist-initiated platform committed to art and cultural practices. It provides venue, assistance and support for artists, cultural workers and individuals with artistic interests. With a holistic framework, it hopes to serve as a vehicle for the various practices of art through traditional, alternative and emerging approaches. Its primary objectives are to provide creative opportunities and make art accessible to various audiences. Its core programs include artist residencies, exhibitions, education, and collaborations.

   Core Programs: The Core Programs are open to local and foreign art practitioners as well as individuals and groups interested in the different projects.

   • Artist Residency: Designed to serve as a springboard to further artistic endeavors through substantial art interactions and creative discourse. At the same time the Artist-in-Residence Program is envisioned to establish effective networks in creating opportunities for possible collaborations with foreign artists.
   • Exhibitions: The Exhibitions Program provides opportunities for creative productions, art and cultural exchanges, and outputs for innovative, exploratory, and relevant projects. Project proposals are accepted from artists, curators, groups, and other interested parties.
   • Education: Valuing the need for continuous learning, the Education Program organizes forums, artist talks, workshops and seminars related to art and its production.
   • Collaborations: Working on a collaborative and collective conscious practice, the Collaborations Program initiates projects and activities involving art and cultural practitioners including individuals and groups with shared concerns.

   Founded: Manila, Philippines, 2007

   Director: Leslie de Chavez (Founder)

   Program Managers: Jacqueline Ali, Christopher Zamora, Dyan Corachea

   Studio Manager: John Mark Galutera, Allyza Tresvalles

   Address: No.6 Jose Eleazar Street, Lucban, Quezon, 4328 Philippines

   Contact no: +63_9175603642

   Email: [email protected]

   Neo-Emerging Artist Residency, Manila (NEAR Manila/Lucban), Past Resident Artists:

   • Carlo Gabuco (Manila, Philippines, 2007)
   • Christopher Zamora (Manila, Philippines, 2008)
   • Jinsuk Che (Seoul, South Korea, 2009)
   • Michael Alvin Adrao (Manila, Philippines, 2009)
   • Crisanto de Leon (Manila, Philippines, 2009)
   • Roedil Geraldo (Bacolod, Philippines, 2009)
   • Israel Mark Gonzales (Bacolod, Philippines, 2009)
   • Amer Mira (Manila, Philippines, 2010)
   • Soyeon Park (Seoul, South Korea, 2010)*
   • Byungsung Kho (Seoul, South Korea, 2010)*
   • Soyoung Lee (Seoul, South Korea, 2010)*
   • Juyeon Lee (Seoul, South Korea, 2010)*
   • Tristram Miravalles (Bacolod, Philippines, 2011)
   • Caloy Gernale (Manila, Philippines, 2011)
   • Marc Vincent Cosico (Laguna, Philippines, 2011)*
   • Junyeong Jang (Seoul, South Korea, 2011)*
   • Ranelle Dial (Manila, Philippines, 2011)
   • Guinnevere Decena (Bacolod, Philippines, 2011)
   • Patricia Thoma (Berlin, Germany, 2012)
   • Chong Kim Chew (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012)**
   • Suddin Lapo (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012)**
   • Nugroho Heri Cahyono (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2012)**
   • Choiruddin (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2012)**
   • Iggy Rodriguez (Manila, Philippines, 2012)**
   • Zean Cabangis (Manila, Philippines, 2012)**
   • Andi Ramdani Imron (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2013)**
   • Iqro’ Ahmad Ibrahim ((Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2013)**
   • Zelin Seah (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2013)**
   • Fadly Sabran (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2013)**
   • Mervin Fabro Pimentel (Pangasinan, Philippines, 2013)**
   • Yeoh Choo Kuan (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2014)**
   • Wisnuaji Putu (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2014)**
   • Didi-tujusembalintujuh Jember (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2014)**
   • Paul Eric Roca (Lucena, Philippines, 2014)
   • Jomar Galutera (Manila, Philippines, 2014)
   • Wahyu Catur Natalianto (Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 2014)
   • Johannes Wiener (Vienna, Austria, 2020)
   • Christina Lopez (Manila, Philippines, 2022)

   *exchange artist (Art Space Plastic / Stone & Water Residencies, South, Korea)

   **exchange artist (Southeast Asian Artist Group Exchange Residency, SAGER)

   Exhibitions:

   • POINT-BLANK: Carlo Acerden Gabuco solo exhibition, Cultural Center of the Philippines (2008)
   • ARTRIANGLE: Paintings from Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta, Manila, & Singapore, HOM Malaysia (2008)
   • TENGGARA: Recent Paintings, Kuala Lumpur, Jogjakarta, Manila, NOVAS Gallery, Liverpool UK (2008)
   • INFECTIOUS: Christopher Zamora solo exhibition, West Gallery, Quezon City (2009)
   • Open Studio: Jinsuk Che, Byongho Koh, Youngeun Lee, PSP Mandaluyong City (2009)
   • SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: Christopher Zamora solo exhibition, PSP Mandaluyong City (2009)
   • Open Studio: Michael Alvin Adrao, PSP Mandaluyong City (2009)
   • PLASTIC SYNDROME: Group exhibition, Art Space Plastic, Incheon, South Korea (2009)
   • Open Studio: Seoksu Art Project with Marc Vincent Cosico, Seoul, South Korea (2010)
   • ART TRIANGLE 3: Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, National Art Gallery, Malaysia (2010)
   • REFLECTION: Group exhibition, Philippines + Korea, Bupyeong Arts Center, South Korea (2010)
   • WE WAS THERE: Group exhibition, Philippines + Korea, Yuchengco Museum, Philippines (2011)
   • BLACK GATE: Carlo Gernale + Tristram Miravalles, PSP Mandaluyong City (2011)
   • FRESHLY BREWED: Group exhibition, Republikha Art Galley, (2011)
   • Open Studio: Junyeong Jang, PSP x Stone & Water Exchange Program, PSP Mandaluyong City (2011)
   • QUICKSAND: Christopher Zamora solo exhibition, Republikha Art Gallery, (2011)
   • YOGYAKARTA: SAGE 2, Group exhibition, Sangkring Art Project, Jogjakarta Indonesia, (2011)
   • GLITTERING SURFACES: Patricia Thoma solo exhibition, Boston Gallery, Manila, Philippines (2012)
   • MANILA: SAGE 2, Group exhibition, Boston Gallery, Manila, Philippines (2012)
   • SAMA-SAMA: SAGE 3, Group exhibition, Boston Gallery, Manila, Philippines (2012)
   • NO RANDOM NON-SENSE: Group exhibition, Boston Gallery, Manila, Philippines (2013)
   • CONCURRENCE: Group exhibition, West Gallery, Manila, Philippines (2014)
   • UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING: Group exhibition, Finale Art File, Manila, Philippines (2014)
   • RELOAD: Group exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • iii: Paul Eric Roca, Jomar Galutera, Guinnevere Decena, PSP-Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • MULTIPLE LANGUAGES: Group exhibition, Silverlens Galleries, Manila, Philippines (2014)
   • PAPERVIEWS14: On Immanence, Group exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • STRANGE GAZE: Insung Lee & B-Cone, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • PULSE: LUCBAN ARTISTS’ GUILD, Group exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • IMPARTIAL ORIGINS: Group exhibitions, VivaExCon 14, Bacolod City, Philippines (2014)
   • SIGHTINGS: John Mark Galutera solo exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • BALANCE: Wahyu Catur Natalianto solo exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2014)
   • UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Leslie de Chavez solo exhibition, PSP-Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2015)
   • IMAGO MUNDI: Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, Group exhibition, Venice, Italy (2015)
   • FIRST LUCBAN ASSEMBLY: PAMUMUHUNAN, PSP, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2015)
   • BARTER: Jason Dy SJ solo exhibition, PSP/Brgy.Piis, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2016)
   • DENY ME, BE DOOMED: Karize Uy solo exhibition, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#1: CRAFT-MINE-CRAP, Leslie de Chavez, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#2: REMEDYO, Eric Zamuco, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#3: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION, Christopher Zamora, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#4: HYPERVISUAL, Karl Castro, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#5: PHENOMENON, Gregory Halili, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#6: ROAD TO MOUNTAIN, Poklong Anading, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#7: THE WHITE ELEPHANT PROJECT, Jomar Galutera, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#8: NO PAINTING, Lyra Garcellano, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#9: DEAR EATHLINGS, Geraldine Javier,PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#10: MUSEO BANAHAW, Mark Salvatus, PSP Lucban, Quezon Philippines (2017)
   • SaLang#1 vol.2: NOT ONE LESS, Jason Dy SJ, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang#2 vol.2: DYIPFIE, Dansoy Coquilla, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang#3 vol.2: PETALS SIGNALS IN THE SKY, Mondrian Fan Club * David Medalla/Adam Nankervis, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang#4 vol.2: DIRT TO MAN, Tristram Miravalles, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang#5 vol.2: ANATOMY OF POISON IN THE BLOODSTREAM, Mike Adrao, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • CHRONIC CONDITIONS, Finale Art File, Makati City, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang#6 vol.2: CROSSED, HATCHED, Paul Eric Roca, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2019)
   • SaLang#7 vol.2: FROM THE DARK DEPTHS, Kiri Dalena, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2019)
   • SaLang#8 vol.2: LAKO, Marc Vincent Cosico, PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2019)
   • SALANG, SaLang Vol.1 group exhibition, West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines (2019)
   • CHRONIC CONDITIONS II, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2019)
   • KAHAWIG/KAHALINTULAD, Lucban Artists Guild x PSP, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2019)
   • Kabit Sabit: Load Na Dito, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2019)
   • FACES OF ECOCIDE: Johannes Wiener, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2020)
   • PAG-IBIG! SANA ALL!, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2020)
   • QUARANTINED LIVES, online/onsite video art, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2020)
   • PAIMBULOG, Lucban Artists Guild x PSP, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2020)
   • SA ARAW-ARAW NA GINAWA NG DIYOS: Bea Rabe, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2021)
   • HITHERTO I: To Ride A Jet Ski And Plant A Flag (group show) PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2021)
   • HITHERTO II: I Dream of Burning Your Idol (group show) PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2021)
   • HITHERTO III: House Party (group show) PSP Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2021)

   EDUCATION:

   • SAGE 2: Artist Talk, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2012)
   • PALIHAN sa Lucban, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2013)
   • SAGE 3: Artist Talk, Gallery Orange, Bacolod City (2013)
   • TAMBAY HOURS: Artist Talk, UPAA Quezon Chapter, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2013)
   • STRANGE GAZE: Artist Talk, Insung Lee & B-Cone, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2014)
   • INGRESS: Roundtable Discussion on Art and Society, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2014)
   • FIRST LUCBAN ASSEMBLY: PAGPAG, PSP, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2015)
   • LONDON BIENNALE MANILA POLLINATION, Bulwagan ng Dangal, University of the Philippines (2016)
   • PAGHILOM ART TALK: Artletics, Alfonso Cavite, Philippines, (2017)
   • SaLang ART PRESENTATION: Lucban Academy, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • SaLang ART TALK: Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines (2018)
   • Linangan 1: Paul Eric Roca, Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon (2019)
   • Artist Talk: Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila (2019)
   • Artist Talk: Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc. (CEFI) Lucena, City, Philippines (2019)
   • Linangan 2: Jowie de los Reyes, Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc., Lucena, City, Philippines (2019)

   COLLABORATIONS:

   • Southeast Asian Artist-Group Exchange Residency (SAGER) 2011-2013
   • House of Matahati (HOM Trans), Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
   • Sangkring Art Space, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
   • Art Space Plastic, Incheon, South Korea
   • Seoksu Art Project, Stone & Water, Seoul, South Korea
   • SAGE Jog
   • Perahu Art, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
   • Boston Gallery, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines
   • Yuchengco Museum, Makati City, Philippines
   • Republikha, Pasig City, Philippines
   • Orange Gallery, Bacolod City, Philippines
   • West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines
   • Finale Art File, Makati City, Philippines
   • Silverlens Gallery, Makati City, Philippines
   • Artletics Inc.
   • Sining Bugkos
   • CANVAS Inc.
   • Discussion Lab
   • Lucban Artists’ Guild
   • UP Alumni Association, Quezon Chapter
   • Mite-Ugro, Gwangju, South Korea
   • Project Bakawan
   • Ateneo Art Gallery
   • Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Manila
   • 1335 Mabini Gallery
   • Tin-aw Art Gallery

   PUBLICATIONS:

   • Traffic Vol.1 & 2, 2018/2019

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