PABALAT is Salvador J. Ching’s 16th solo exhibition at Art Lounge Manila. Translated, it may pertain to the wrapper, particularly of gifts. But it may also mean the cover of books, or the ornate cutout wrappers of local Bulacan pastillas de leche, or the dying folk craft of making them. As such, the title opens up the exhibition to all manner of associations connected with wrapping.
Wrapping is the art of both protecting, concealing, and presenting a gift. It connotes value, not just of the monetary value ascribed to the gift, but conversely, how the giver values the recipient. It tells of the person’s esteem, but also of his taste and personality as choices are made as to how a gift will be presented. It also is a product of the social relations wrapped with gift-giving. With series titles like Alay, Offering, Bagahe, Pagsuyo, Pambalot; it is not a stretch to imagine the exhibition as connected to the act of gift-giving.
In the marginal notes written in graphite by Ching on his paintings, he expounds on the different social relations and situations which pertain to gift giving. Our culture is replete with references that illustrate the different dimensions of gifts. A “pasalubong” from a loving mother to a child is different from a gift an employee would give to his boss on his birthday, for example. Or a dowry is way different from a gift you would give to a friend on a whim of sudden nostalgia. A peace offering is something that symbolizes efforts to repair a damaged relationship. An “alay” is something more appropriate to deities and the divine. A “pabaon” for a loved one leaving on a trip out of town. Be they acts of remembrance, of care, of generosity, or as efforts to curry social favor or further status, gifts are integral part of our culture, and perhaps, Ching trains our attention towards these with PABALAT.
PABALAT as an exhibition, could be associated with the gifts of our history and our culture. Ching has created a wonderfully colorful presentation worth thinking about, and appreciating for as he says “as Filipinos, what can we pass on to our children and the rest of the world, but the good in our culture?”
The exhibition will run from September 23 — October 7, 2022 at Art Lounge Manila — Podium, Ortigas Center. The opening reception will be on October 7, 2022 at 6:00PM. For more information, visit the Art Lounge Manila website, www.artloungemanila.com.
