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Political Art in the Philippines
Comparing Kalbo to Benitez
I love having discussions about Filipino culture with my partner. I want to learn a lot more about her home. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of political turmoil in the Philippines right now, especially between “Diehard Duterte Supporters” (DDS) and the opposition. My partner showed me this piece of artwork created by Tarantadong Kalbo. It’s captioned “Tumindig,” which basically translates to “stand up.” I decided to take our discussion and turn in into a full piece, with some editing and additions. My direct thoughts are italicized for clarity.
Art is a very important tool in politics. We speak through art. We organize through art. Art can be used to rally the masses, or it can be used to feed propaganda. Sometimes there’s a battle between both sides, using art.
The message in the original piece is somewhat clear. Stand up, even if you’re doing it alone. Now let’s get to the symbolism. The raised fist (the one standing up) is a gesture used by many activists opposing the govt. In contrast to that, the ones kneeling resemble the pose Duterte does a lot when he was still campaigning, and the imagery has become symbolic of his administration.
The message from Kalbo’s piece resonated with a lot of other artists and so they tried to revise the original piece by adding in…
