The 60th La Biennale di Venezia marked the return of the Philippines to the prestigious art exhibition, showcasing the country’s national pavilion curated by Carlos Quijon Jr. and artist Mark Salvatus, entitled “Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito/Waiting just behind the curtain of this age.” Inspired by the enigmatic figure of Hermano Puli, a lay priest and mystic who led pilgrimages on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw, the pavilion transported visitors to the mystical atmosphere of the mountain, featuring large fiberglass boulders draped in white curtains, a soundscape capturing the natural music of the mountains, and brass instruments protruding from the rocks like mutant plants. Salvatus’s work aimed to reflect the entanglement of imagination, beliefs, and persistence of Filipinos, echoing Puli’s unfinished revolution and the country’s resilience in rebuilding its pavilions after a long absence from the Biennale.
