Thrice Upon A Time
Thrice Upon A Time: A Century of Story in the Art of the Philippines
Singapore Art Museum
14 November 2009 to 31 January 2010
Thrice Upon A Time invites viewers on a journey filled with the stories and art of the Philippines, an adventure spanning over a hundred years.
The Philippines has a rich tradition of storytelling, with stories from her pre-colonial past to present-day tales, and this exhibition presents the epic story of the country and her people through visual art. The role of the artist-as-storyteller is highlighted within this exhibition and ideas about representation, authenticity, identity and history of the nation and its people are explored. Playing with the classic line that begins those familiar stories, “Once upon a time”, the show suggests that the best stories are told over and over again.
The exhibition presents works from the Philippine grand masters to some of her most exciting contemporary artists, including Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco, Ben Cabrera, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Charlie Co and Geraldine Javier. Audiences will also have the exceptional opportunity to see two of Philippines’ most iconic and legendary masterworks, from Juan Luna and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, and a rarely seen painting by the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal.
There are eight sections in Thrice Upon A Time: Epic of a Nation, Magic Realities, Chronicles of Faith, Myths, Legends and Folktales, Larger-than-Life, Filipina: Romancing the Heroine, The Tale Untold and A Poem Painted.