PWERSA NG MASA Lagusnilad Bas Relief Sculpture by Gerilya National Commission for Culture and the Arts X City of Manila X Gerilya Lagusnilad Underpass, City of Manila 2022
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, through its Arts in Public Spaces Program, and the City of Manila unveiled today the bas relief at Lagusnilad. Attending the ceremony are outgoing Manila City Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso, Vice-Mayor Honey Lacuna, NCCA Chief Administrative Officer Susan Dayao, Visual Artist Egai Talusan Fernandez, members of Gerilya, representatives from NCCA Special Projects Unit, and representatives from Escuela Taller de Filipinas.
The project is a continuing collaboration with the Local Government of Manila and their present initiative of upgrading the physical state of Manila City, Ang Bagong Maynila, which started in 2019. This has sparked the notion of installing public art at refurbished Manila sites to highlight the city's rich history and cultural heritage. The bas relief sculpture is part of the Masigasig na Maynila mural and features a design that depicts various workers from different sectors in the Philippine Society, a design fit to the original theme of visualizing the history and culture of Manila. Artist collective Gerilya was tapped to execute the bas relief sculpture. Formed in 2008 in UP College of Fine Arts, Gerilya was involved in various art-related activities and forayed into various platforms and media including comics, street art, graffiti, animation, fine art exhibitions, and illustration commissions.
The Arts in Public Spaces Program (APS) NCCA aims to introduce the arts to various public spaces and promote community participation in the development of artworks, crafts, and cultural performances. It also seeks to instill a sense of community pride by celebrating local cultural icons and artists.
Photos by Paul Sugano / NCCA Public Affairs and Information Section
