CEBU, Philippines - “Four Weeks” is an art exhibition featuring some of the permanent collections of the Alternative Contemporary Art Studio which are inspired by or expressed, directly or indirectly, the themes of unconditional love, vocation, paschal mystery, and resurrection based on the “Spiritual Exercises” of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
As curated by Joel de Leon and Fr. Jason Dy, SJ, the exhibit is divided into four parts: Condition, Encounter, Passion, and Resurrection.
The first week of the exercises delves on the condition of the “fallen-ness of humanity” and divine mercy as shown in the works on varied media of Sio Montera, Rene Javellana, SJ; Russ Ligtas, Vidal Alcoseba Jr., Eva Misa, Jeffrey Sisican, and Fr. Dy.
The second week of the exercises explores the encounter of Christ, his standard of the cross which opposes the way of the world. Koki Miano, Runyel Compra and R. Escario represent in their two-dimensional works the “worldly woes of man” while Bobby Gonzales’ three-dimensional works on wood offers the “alternative of following God.”
The third week of the exercises transports the faithful to the varied landscapes of the passion of The Christ from the classic and modern genre paintings of Luther Galicano II, Sonia Fernandez-Moras, Ritchie Quijano to the avant-garde and contemporary works of Kenneth Cobonpue and The Junks Collective.
The last week of the exercises presents resurrection as a “faith conviction not just a fate resignation.” Monumental works of Karl Roque and Tito Cuevas Jr. cap the exploration and contemplation of Ignatian spirituality and art.
According to the curators, “like in the dynamics of a spiritual retreat, the fruitfulness of this encounter resides in how the retreatant or viewer grows and transforms after the retreat or exhibit. And we call this – the fifth week.”
“Four Weeks” opened last July 25, or prior to the feast day of St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of the Jesuits. It will wrap up on August 29.
The Alternative Contemporary Art Studio of the Sacred Heart Parish is located at 242 D. Jakosalem Street. (FREEMAN)