Kwarantin, by Junyee, is said to show the care of the people affected by the

pandemic but also their isolation. To me, the use of bamboo is symbolic due
to its being known as a "flexible" material. There is a short story known as "The
Bamboo." It's a tale about a robust tree and a thin bamboo. In a scenario of a
strong typhoon or wind, the tree falls over due to the strong wind, but the
bamboo bends to the wind and survives. Using bamboo as a building
material for an outdoor art installation represents how, even when people are
struggling or suffering, they survive by adapting to their surroundings. Some
of the structures are more bare than others, possibly representing the
Filipinos who were less prepared or fortunate and were in a more unstable
state during the quarantine. The black markings, most likely from the
bamboo, remind me of scorch marks, and they remind me of how people
used to take care of plague-ridden bodies. It adds to the feeling of isolation
from the installation because, at the time of the pandemic, if you hadn't, you
would've been infected.

The imagery of dead ipil-ipil seeds surrounding a rock is something that I can
think of as representing how, through this distress, things can flourish and
that this quarantine connects a lot of people. Ipil-ipil seeds are also used as an
all-natural fertilizer. Perhaps it symbolizes that this can help people rise up, or
other people can support each other and help us rise up.

Even with my idea of what this installation says, there is still a feeling of
nostalgia for me. I grew up taking naps in a bahay kubo near my house;
sometimes me and my family would eat dinner there. It gives me a creepy
feeling to see it used to represent a distressing topic like the recent
pandemic. But there is another angle for me to look at this structure; it could
be comforting due to its familiar look, a reminder that despite there being
hard times, there have been and will be better ones.