‘Florante at Laura’ exhibition at 1/Of Gallery

July 22, 2008

Florante at Laura, an exhibition inspired by the epic poem of Francisco Baltazar (also known as Balagtas) of the same title, will be shown at 1/Of Gallery in Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, from July 20 to 31, 2008.

Celebrating the visual arts and literature, the exhibition features 22 figurative paintings inspired by different sections of the literary masterpiece and a sculptural introductory piece, all based on the edition edited by National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario.

The artworks, reflecting a variety of styles, were made by Mark Arcamo, Buen Calubayan, Caña, Salvador J. Ching, Convocar, Marc Cosico, Cris Cruz, Leonilo Doloricon, Egai Talusan Fernandez, Alfred Galvez, Juan Sajid Imao, Jon Jaylo, Jerome Malic, Wilfredo Offemaria Jr., Vincent Padilla, Jonathan Rañola, Laya Roman, Don Salubayba, Fernando Sena, Rex Tatlonghari, Roger “Rishab” Tibon, Inna Vitasa and Janice Liuson Young.

The exhibit was first staged during the Komedya Fiesta 2008 1^st National Festival in February at the University of the Philippines Jorge B. Vargas Museum.

Meanwhile, the UP Diliman Chancellor’s Office, under Chancellor Sergio S. Cao, has just published a UP Centennial edition of Florante at Laura which will be available at 1/Of Gallery. The full-color, softbound book features a reconstruction of the Balagtas text by Almario, an English translation by poet Marne Kilates and all the artworks featured in the exhibition.

In the book’s introduction, Cao says that the UP Centennial edition of Florante at Laura is not only a tribute to its acclaimed author, but is also an offering meant to broaden the appreciation for a Filipino classic.

“Indeed, there is no better way to mark a university’s one hundred years of history in molding young minds than by honoring one of the country’s most enduring literary legacies. This book will certainly help us rediscover Balagtas. It is sure to deepen our interest in a celebrated masterpiece and make us realize how one man’s work can transcend the ages and inspire people of another lifetime,” notes Cao.

Almario, who is also the dean of the UP College of Arts and Letters, calls Balagtas the “First Filipino Poet”, claiming that the latter – through Florante at Laura – demonstrated a  poet’s power. For the first time, notes Almario, a poet dared to challenge his readers (in the exhortation “Sa Babasa Nito”) to carefully consider his written words because these would be of immense use to them. “In a way, Balagtas broke free from the shackles of colonialism and paved the way towards freedom for the likes of Rizal, Bonifacio and many generations of contemporary poets,” Almario points out.

            For more details, call 901-3152.