Geovanni Abing
Opening
August 21, 2020
Geovanni Abing
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Exhibit Note
The oxymoron is Geovanni Abing’s critique of the world undergoing the crisis. What is oddly normal derived from “new normal”—an overriding concern among societies struggling to come back to the usual way of doing business?
This is what Abing attempts to put in his visual discourse. Even before the pandemic, biodiversity loss and wildlife trade were already our world’s pressing issues. Modernization per se is not bad, but its collateral effect can be. The environmental ramifications of uncontrolled development, like pollution and climate change, are obvious but somewhat ignored because of the resistance by those who benefited from it. We experience the aftermath: the human psyche is collapsing and we hear about class conflicts and more alienation.
Just as Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” painting reminded the world about the atrocities of war, the artist’s oeuvres stir us into a realization that the outcomes of persistent human activities–including most emerging infectious disease–cost us dearly. How are we really doing? We are still reeling from the devastation of Covid-19 but we hear of alarming reports about increased poaching, illegal logging and forest fires from the Greater Mekong to the Amazon. Many countries have cut funding for conservation.
“I deal with normalized behaviors that are hard to adapt (or do we need to adapt?),” Abing said. Aside from dealing with the natural environment, the artworks also create dialogues on violence, personal struggles and religious fanaticism that shuns science. Many of the artist’s works use symbols of industrial ruins, wire and barbed wire and pop objects presented in a surrealistic mode. Whether they show less or more elements in the composition, they wittily introduce a world where convergence of multiple perspectives is the norm.
The collage artworks in this online exhibit reveal the artist’s unique touch using an intriguing medium—upcycled magazines and books combined with paint. Not only should the artist choose carefully from the cutouts the range of colors for his tones and shades; he must also position specific objects that form both the central figures and background. The process tells about Abing’s ability to transform many realities from discarded prints. It requires a high level of focus and visual acuity.
Abing is the grand prize winner of the Don Papa Rum Art Competition 2020. He is a finalist of this year’s ongoing Philippine Art Awards. He was also featured in Status magazine and is among the top ten Filipino artists on Instagram by Spot.ph.
Exhibit Note: Lucell Larawan
Poster: Mark Hilton
Catalog: Ma Rk
Studio assistant: Melvic Jane Calizar
Studio pets: Frida, AK, Pablo, Basquiat 🐕
#strangelynormal #soloshow #artph
