Artist Kristine Lim opens 'Portraits of Christ' art installation in Intramuros
MANILA, Philippines — In time for the ongoing International Women's Month and the upcoming Lenten season, Filipina artist Kristine Lim opened her art installation “Portraits of Christ” in Baluartillo de San Francisco Javier, Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila.
The art was installed in celebration of Art’s Month in the Philippines last February.
Curated by Ian Belleza, the art installation was presented by the Department of Tourism, It’s More Fun In the Philippines, Intramuros Administration and Art Lounge Manila.
According to the artist's official statement, "Portraits of Christ" taps on the controversy in history and Theology that no one truly knows the real face of Jesus.
"The face that we recognize to be our Lord’s is, in fact, far from what He could have looked like. The different interpretations of the face of Christ have been dependent on the culture, taste, and era of the artist that envisioned and forged it. It has also heavily relied on the income that the churches can get based on the responses to the religious visuals that people were presented with," it said.
The installation event started with a dedication ceremony by Pastor Monique Lopez–Ong, Head Pastor of Revelation City Church and host of ABS-CBN’s "Real Talk."
Present with Lim to formally open the exhibit were Atty. Guiller B. Asido, Administrator, Intramuros Administration; Mayor Victoria Lao Lim of Gasan Marinduque; Engr. Dimas S. Soguilon, Department of Public Works and Highways Former Undersecretary; Susanne DS Tiausas, Managing Director of Art Lounge Manila; and Anjila Lim, Kristine’s Singaporean partner and friend who’s currently the Managing Director of AOR Global.
Kristine shared her insights in a statament, "If I tell you that the face of God that you have been worshiping and praying to is far from what He looked like, for sure, you will argue with me. Anger and fury would be unsurprising emotions I'm ready to accept from people who would be offended after I say that line."
"For centuries we have been fed with information that doesn't faithfully reflect the truth, but it has been embedded in us so deeply that it is what we believe. We would fight even to death, even with friends and family, to be right with what we perceive as right. History books, news, media, even the books that our children read in schools have been our source of truth. But I stand with the absolute Truth, and there is no better source but the Bible. Victorious men wrote history, but the Bible are words of a victorious God. Both are 'victorious,' but it doesn't mean they both uphold what's accurate and true," she added.
“Portraits of Christ” is on display in Baluartillo de San Francisco Javier, Fort Santiago, Intramuros in Manila until April 1, 2022.
