The Hiraya Gallery together with SM City Cebu commissioned a young Filipino artist, Randalf Dilla, to create the conscience-raising mural depicting the atrocities perpetrated by the Martial Law regime.
Salvaged Memories, Salvaged Lives which measures 8ft by 18.5ft features the word “salvaged”, a curious word on which the Urban Dictionary has remarked: In the Philippines,“to salvage” means “to kill” that person, which is the opposite meaning of the word, which is “to save.” What can one say? Only in the Philippines.
Dilla’s second mural, #WHATNOW, measuring 8feet by 17feet, was conceived with a raging and overwhelming emotional temper, a vision whirling with conflicts between institutions despite the dictum of the separation of Church and State. Alas, it is a disturbing portrait of a country in a perpetual state of upheaval and turmoil, pathetically left behind by other Asian countries, while governed by grandstanding leaders heedless of the people’s plight. The painting is currently on display at the 2nd level (near Our Home) of The Northwing, SM City Cebu.
At the amazing young age of 28 (at the time of the artwork’s execution) Dilla had obviously not been born during the Martial law regime. Dilla researched assiduously and distilled the wealth of materials into a few selected but significant elements.
Tyranny of Hindsight runs until January 31, 2016. For more information you can call 523-3331, email [email protected] , and visit Facebook page /hirayagallery or website www.hiraya.com
