Thursday, July 2
at 4:00pm
NCCA Gallery
633 Gen.Luna St. Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
Vitamin Shit
Group Exhibition
Bryan Araneta
Frances Abrigo
Marius Black
Michael Adam Flores
Sharla O’Hara
Mara Herrera
Tad Pagaduan
Jhemuel Salvador
Rem San Pedro
Joum Valera
Have you ever shat your pants? No? Well I have. Not exactly pants though, they were shorts. I was still in elementary school then and I had way too many chocolate filled Cream-O’s the night before. And let me tell you it wasn’t pretty. I won’t go too much into the details, but for me, shitting my shorts was actually a good experience.
Okay, okay, I’m not suggesting anyone to literary shit their pants. Though as I said, the experience taught me something valuable that day. Beyond the terror of the feeling that I just pooped all over myself, there existed the fear of ridicule that I’d get afterwards. I was bullied then and was afraid it might get even worse after that. Among other thoughts swirling in my mind at that time was, “How long would it take until my parents arrive to come save me?” (which felt like it took forever). As the classes kept on I was all alone at the boy’s comfort room waiting and still worrying if my parents are furious at me for this mess, to an extent that I even wondered if they would show up at all to pick me after this embarrassing experience, but thankfully they still did.
When my parents arrived they weren’t mad at all. The disowning-of-a-bastard-son speech never came (though I think this said experience turned me into a bastard nonetheless) as I remember it now they were happy being able to rescue me. Besides they were the ones who let me eat all those Cream-O’s the night before, and who knew I was lactose intolerant? I felt no judgement from my parents, “It’s okay, we all make mistakes” I read in their smiles. There I was, with thoughts of getting crucified, but instead I was loved.
After I got fresh clothes on, my teachers still sent me back to class that day. I thought to myself then, “Back to class?! Are these people shitting me??!” I already felt it was like the end of the world that day! And people still expect me to go back to class??! I thought I could have a safe pass to go home after that but no, that was not the case here. I couldn’t believe they were asking me to go back in there. That was the real shocker for me, not the shitting my shorts part, but going BACK to class after you get cleaned up, now that takes courage! It felt like if the apocalypse were postponed we all still have to go back to school the same day because it’s only lunch time. Going back to class after such humiliation was my worst nightmare realized. But you know what? It wasn’t.
As I sat back in class, I did not feel disgust over myself, I felt fresh! With new shorts, underwear and uniform on I felt I was the freshest kid in class. Of course everyone had the stink eye on me, but I was actually comfortable and that I’ve never felt better. I sat there thinking; for someone who gets rescued from such a situation, it was refreshing! The entire experience humbled me down. And what of my fear of the class bullies and their taunts? There was none! First of all who would mess with a kid who recently shat their shorts? Second, even if they did shit talk me I know I’ve been through worse to give a shit at that point. In my mind to survive something like this, I can survive almost anything! Moments later my seatmate sums up her courage and asks me, “What happened?” and as a kid, I did my best to explain to her that, “Shit happens.”
Vitamin Shit is a group exhibit about being fearless, about defying the odds when creating an artwork. That there is always hope, we artists face our fears and keep on going even if we lack the materials to finish an artwork. Thus making us more creative, creating new art alongside new medium. It’s about turning shit into sugar, of turning our own worse experiences into vitamins that remind us how to survive.
There are things that we over consume that seem harmless but can hurt us in the long run if we don’t know our own limits. We have to learn more about ourselves for this is how we can reclaim our own voice over the shit storm everyone throws at us and tries to shove down our throats. We must refuse to be traumatized by such events in our lives we see as humiliating and let them be lessons worth learning so we can make better choices when the challenges arise.
We can use art and our own experiences to enlighten others.
Again, when I thought it was all over, the world didn’t end.
– Marius Black
Manila, June 2015
Invite:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1480888022203469
