LESSON 6: SUPPORT SYSTEMS, INSTITUTIONS, AND INITIATIVES ACROSS THE

REGIONS
In the previous lessons, we scanned the historical, cultural, and political contexts of contemporary
art. We learned that the making of art does not take place in a vacuum, but is shaped by its various
contexts. In this lesson, we zero in on the institutions that make up the support systems that shape the
forms and meanings of art. This lesson will also take us outside the classroom through a cultural mapping
project that will make us realize there is often a wide range of cultural assets and resources in the
community. Cultural mapping visualizes these assets. A student's contemporary art production based on
cultural assets of the community helps promote creativity as well as pride of place.

I - Overview of Support Systems in Contemporary Art:

Support systems of the arts include (a) institutions (b) organizations and collectives (c) media and
(d) alternative platforms. These support systems provide the environment for facilitating production and
the circulation or distribution of art. Historically, as we have seen in the historical overview and the
lesson on contexts, support systems are often linked to patronage. In Lesson 2 we learned about how the
patronage of the Church and the Colonial State provided the impetus for the production of religious
images especially from the 16th to early nineteenth centuries, for example.
Today, as artists and cultural workers exercise their agency or self-will in their respective
practices, much has changed in today's landscape of support systems. The latter creates a public for art by
initiating events and activities that are not necessarily about money exchange. These newer type of
support systems ensure that artworks become more accessible to the so-called art world and the broader
public. We may again recall from previous lessons how artists' organizations such as the Art Association
of the Philippines and the Philippine Art Gallery helped form a public for Modern Art in the 1950s. They
held exhibitions and competitions in support of works that the viewers were not very much acquainted
with at that time. Today, as will be discussed below, there are many other organizations and initiatives
run by artists, with little - if at all - support or patronage from the State, or collectors.

II - Types of Institutions, Organizations, and Platforms:

FAQ What are the different types of institutions, organizations, and platforms?
Support systems can be government-initiated, community or municipality based, privately
supported, university oriented, artist-run, or Internet-based. They can also be combinations of these.
Collectives and artist organizations are composed of individuals who share similar or related practices.
They are committed to experiment and develop their particular forms. The Anino Shadow play Collective
and the Sipat Lawin Ensemble are groups that challenge our concepts of theatre productions by mixing up
performative media and even trying out new modes of public engagement. Organizations can also
emphasize their regional affiliation, as in the Black Artists of Asia which, at its height were made up of
artists from Negros. Groups like the Southern Tagalog Exposure find a common thread in the members’
shared ideology. Pursuing progressive as well as digital media, their material is configured toward
promoting the rights of "marginalized sectors and their struggle for social justice," according to the
statement from their website.

III - Educational Institutions:

Educational institutions such as schools and universities offer formal artistic training and grant
degrees upon completion of an academic program at the tertiary or post-graduate level. The academe is an
extensive training ground for artists, curators, scholar-critics, and other practitioners in the arts, thereby
imbuing individuals who pursue academic activities the status of experts. These activities include
teaching, writing for various publications like academic journals, books, and encyclopedias, engaging in
creative work, to name only a few. The academe as a platform for producing and disseminating
knowledge in art also makes it a validating institution.
Several universities and colleges offer courses on Fine Arts, Design, Multimedia Arts, Art
Management, Curatorial Studies, and similar courses related to artistic and cultural production. Aspiring
artists enroll in the various art programs of the school to gain in-depth training, receive mentorship from
artist-teachers, and camaraderie from peers. Several artist collectives and organizations trace their roots to
affinities formed during college days. On the other hand, an exemplary case of an institution offering
focused artistic training as early as the secondary level is the nationally mandated Philippine High School
for the Arts (PHSA) in Los Banos, Laguna. It provides holistic training to selected high school students
who study various fields on a scholarship with free board and lodging within the campus carved out of
Mt. Makiling. They major in the Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Theater Arts, Dance, and Music.
Artistic exposure and training can be enhanced beyond the art school through residencies. Artist
Residencies are based on a program supported by foundations, cultural organizations, or private entities.
Here, the artist spends a period of time in a studio or community where he/She will develop an art project,
like an exhibition or a performance. It may be collaborative, involving fellow local, national and foreign
artists or people from the community. Casa San Miguel, located in the Pundaquit fishing village in San
Antonio, Zambales offers training in rnUsic and the visual arts at the grassroots level. 'It has also opened
residency opportunities for artists outside of the said village. In some cases, Artist Residencies provide a
less structured program by allowing artists to engage in exposure or other exploratory activities that do
not necessarily require a final project.

IV - Non-Government and Academic Sectors:

Non-government and academic sectors have also actively taken part in the staging of
contemporary theatrical performances in the country foremost of which are the PETA (Philippine
Educational Theater Association) Kalinangan Ensemble which stages original works and translations for
community theater performances; the Tanghalang Ateneo that stages both Filipino plays and adaptations
of the classics; Teatro Tomasino of the Uniyersity of Santo Tomas which stages original plays written by
students; and, Dulaang UP which stages the classics in both English and Filipino, original plays wri!
tembyfiipin s, and even traditional sarswelas and musical theater.
In the 1970s, dance choreographers such as National Artist Leonor Orosa Goquingco (awarded
1976) thought of creating a fusion between classical ballet (a western art form) and Philippine folk
dances. She created the Filipinescas Dance Troupe which toured many cities around the world. With the
coming of Martial Law, the then first lady's cultural programs to promote the country's fashion industry
also brought along the Bayanihan Dance Company which showcased Philippine Dances in modified form
to key cities in Europe and the United States. A former member of this said company, Ramon Obusan,
National Artist for Dance (awarded ing 2006), decided to travel the entire country to study and document
traditional folk dances in their native milieu not only for the sake of authenticity, but to provide a social
context to various tribal and ethnic dances and how these interfaced with culture, tradition, and ritual. In
the mid-1970s, a thespian from Manila, Frank Rivera, traveled to Marawi in Mindanao and with the help
of the Marawi State Univesity, formed the Sining Kambayoka Theater Group which made use of
traditional Maranao folktales and more current issues that concerned the Muslim communities of
Mindanao. They used these to form the story lines for theater, pantomime, and dance. Artist-researchers
like Obusan and Rivera have engaged more freely and extensively in cultural research on ethnolinguistic
groups during their time. In other words, the research climate prior to 1997 may have been more liberal or
permissive in the absence of a law protecting the community's "intellectual rights." Under the Indigenous
People's Rights Act of 1997, manifestations of the IP's culture (like songs, dances, and rituals) shall not be
documented without their free, prior, and informed consent.
There are several provincial dance companies which still perform traditional folk dances and
compete regularly in folk dancing competitions. They are the Kalilayan (old name of Tayabas, Quezon)
Folkloric dance group, the University of San Carlos Dance Troupe, the Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Troupe,
the Leyte Dance Theater, the University of the Philippines Filipiniana Dance Group, and the Lyceum of
Batangas Folk Dance Company.
One of the more contemporary dance groups that has made use not only of folkloric dance forms
but also contemporized ethnic folk music is the UP Kontra Gapi group which is currently under the
direction of UP Art Studies Prof. Edru Abraham.

V - Museums:
In the visual arts, museums are traditionally based on a collection of objects. Tasked to preserve
heritage for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations, rnuseums are often linked to
ideas of permanence and authority. The Neoclassical architecture of the National Museum of the
Philippines in Manila exudes an aura of grandeur, leaving beholders with the impression that the objects
inside it are treasures worthy of historical remembrance. A museum may be as large-scale as the National
Museum, which houses an art gallery and ethnographic collection in its main branch. Or it may also
operate at a small-scale like community museums that privilege memory and the local people's pride of
place. An example is the Museo San Ysidro de Pulilan in Bulacan, founded by the town's historical
society comprising of young artists and cultural workers.
Today, Philippine dance has taken on a chameleon-like identity in the sense that it straddles
seamlessly between hiphop, ballet, local folk dancing and even contemporary jazz. It is as though we had
not only appropriated these dance forms from various local and foreign sources but also owned them to
the point whereby we win dance competitions such as Asia's Got Talent and World Hip Hop Dance
Championship with ease.
The state-body National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) provides the
infrastructure for either wholly or partially government-funded projects on Philippine art and culture.
Aside from granting awards and enabling exhibition or performance venues, another official
responsibility of the NCCA is ensuring the nationwide representation and support to regions not normally
perceived as centers of artistic practice. One of the projects it supported is Sungdu-an, a series of cross-
regional efforts that began in 1996 comprising of traveling exhibitions, consultations, and curatorial
workshops. It spans the areas of Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and NCR (National Capital Region). Derived
from the Waray term meaning "confluence," Sungdu-an stimulated a spirit of exchange and collaboration
among a good number of artists and practitioners coming from various places. The title of the 2005
exhibition for example, is Current, signifying recentness on the one hand, the passage of knowledge, on
the other. It also refers to the force or inspiration that continues to propel artists in their respective
practices. Among many other works, soil paintings by Talaandig artists from Bukidnon were exhibited.
Their canvases illustrate the plight of the Talaandig communities and their rootedness to their land, the
latter reinforced by the medium that they employ. Another work exhibited is the cracked and
dismembered terracotta figures of rallyists crouching in defense of truncheons by Kiri Dalena. She
translated these into an installation of wood pieces referencing the clay figures as carved by sculptors
from Pakil, Laguna.

VI - Contemporary Art Exhibitions and Alternative Spaces:

Contemporary art exhibitions need not be confined within the "white cube" (referring to white-
walled closed spaces of galleries in common art world usage) environment of galleries and museums.
Exhibitions can take place in alternative spaces, or the outdoors, in public spaces within a limited period
of time. An alternative space is an independent and/or artist-run initiative that deviates from rigid
institutional models where exhibition parameters are usually less flexible. As an independent undertaking,
such spaces thrive from the realization of organic programs like small exhibitions or discussions
undertaken through joint efforts of its members, and with support from peers. With a paltry budget and a
loose form of management, the projects imbibe a "do-it-yourself" attitude, and as such, their physical life
span as a sustainable space tends to be always at risk. One of the most noted artist-run spaces and
collectives is the erstwhile Surrounded by Water; established in Angono, and later relocated in Ortigas
and Cubao, Metro Manila. The members self-published their zines, conducted informal workshops and
talks, and put up exhibitions on their own. Another example is Project Space Pilipinas (PSP) a collective
formed by Quezon-based artist Leslie de Chavez. It recently established a small structure in Lucban to be
able to host artist residencies and exhibitions. As a collective, they also aim to draw attention to the
contemporary art scene in Lucban, a place more well-known for its exuberant Pahiyas Festival held every
1 5th of May in honor of San Isidro Labrador.
The festival is a mode of exhibition that is transitory and participatory. Closely related to religion,
ritual, culture, and tourism, the festival's ebullience and significance draw the multitude to publicly
accessible and less intimidating spaces. Festivals of contemporary art in some ways have appropriated the
protocols of festivals in order to link art more closely with everyday life. The Neo-Angono Public Art
Festival is one such example. Its name comes from the artist collective that organizes the festival year
after year just before the official town fiesta. It takes place in the lakeshore town of Angono, Rizal
strategically held before the fluvial parade-fiesta in honor of the patron saint San Clemente. We know of
this place as the hometown of National Artists Carlos V. Francisco (Visual Arts) and Lucio San Pedro
(Music), forebears of today's younger generation of lakeshore artists seeking to create a balance between
tradition and change. In the public art festival, the buildings, the streets, and the waterways, are used as
sites for exhibitions, performances, film viewings, and other activities. In the second and succeeding
installments of the art festival, the artists revised the public market's signage.

VII - Market Dynamics and Recognition:

 If museums are spaces of knowledge production, and galleries, of consumption, auction houses
and art fairs are places that specifically respond to the market. In this context, art is regarded as a
commodity and therefore potential property and investment. Galleries provide representation for artists,
exhibiting their works and transacting with patrons or "clients" on their behalf. Art fairs are short-term
events where several galleries exhibit and sell art in one large venue, like a park, or inside a mall or even
a parking area converted into fairgrounds. Although the market facilitates the circulation of art, it is
important not to get lost in its workings.
Contests and awards encourage artists to create new work, keep pursuing their practice, and
recognize outstanding artistic achievements based on certain criteria. Like the other aforementioned
examples in previous lessons such as the GAMABA and NAA, these validate an artist's work based on
the evaluation of a panel of experts.
In terms of Literature, the Carlos Palanca Annual Awards has been the leading award giving body
that has encouraged and acknowledged the works of Filipino playwrights, novelists, poets and script
writers from film and television for almost three decades. The 'Carlos Palanca Foundation, which has
sponsored this yearly harvest of literary works has also served as a repository of contemporary Philippine
literature, which is published in volume form and may be accessed in libraries all over the country or on
the web.
Foundations and corporations helm these activities as part of their outreach or corporate social
responsibility in some cases. They reward artists and at the same time, their image is enhanced with this
gesture of support for arts and culture. These organizations also tend to acquire works of art to build up
their corporate collection.

VIII - Media and Online Platforms:

Television, radio, social media, and print media like magazines and newspapers are platforms that
disseminate artistic efforts and shape people's attitudes toward art. Knowledge imparted through these
platforms is neither natural nor neutral, but constructed according to certain leanings and ideologies.
Although the range of media channels present the promise of accessibility through its ability to reach a
wide audience, it often affords us a rather slim opportunity for engagement.
The popularity of the Internet and social media has revolutionized the way we connect and
communicate with others for instance but also brings up questions of the digital access and
communication savvy. In contemporary art practice, community and formation and networking between
local and international practitioners are ativated online. In the article "Friend Me if You Facebook",
Professor EJ Westlake, wrote that social networking sites such as Facebook "provides a forum for both
immediate and asynchronous social interaction, creating a collaborative, interactive, and performative
text." As we shall see in Unit 3, many institutions and collectives have transacted, campaigned, or even
ran their programs almost exclusively on social media, strategically in this age when the world has
seemingly become smaller, and massive information exchange is immanent.
Magazine, which came out in the late 1950s such as Liwayway and its regional counterparts
Bisaya and Amiyanan published the works of regional writers who were enjoyed by a wider target
audience more comfortable reading fiction in their mother tongue. Since the 1950s and on to the 1970s
and 1980s, there has always been an ongoing debate as to whether English or Tagalog should be the
language that of Philippine literature. Arguably today, language is no longer an issue, as the rule of thumb
is any Philippine language, be it Cebuano or Hiligaynon, Waray, Bicol, or Ilocano is just as formidable as
the use of Filipino or English. This trend also gave rise to the popularity of Filipino Komiks (comic
books) and the Pinoy graphic novel, long before it was a trend in western countries. Francisco Coching,
National Artist for the Visual Arts (awarded 2014) was one of the foremost graphic novelists to ever
create an impressive volume of work in this genre. In literature, one of the more distinguished,
contemporary Filipino writers who wrote both in English and in her mother tongue Cebuano was Estrella
D. Alfon, a fictionist, poet and playwright who was comfortable writing in English as she was in
Cebuano. She was also one of the more renowned feminist writers of her generation. Her works may be
accessed on the Internet and in several textbooks in Philippine literature.

IX - Digital Access and Communication:

In lieu of costly printed publications, various writings on contemporary art can be downloaded
from the website. Planting Rice and Discussion Lab are examples of collectives who thrive on online
exchange. They initiate exhibition projects, facilitate exchanges, and generate an online archive through
their respective websites. Working independently and with limited resources, they collaborate with
institutions and organizations in order to realize their projects beyond the virtual spaces they populate.
Support systems affect the way art is produced, encountered, and valued. As such, their workings
are intrinsically linked with issues of access and power.