Where Does the Philippines Stand If We're Not Moving Foward?

There are two ways to look at a nation's resilience. We seemingly remain calm, smiling through TV screens despite a passing storm that has taken with it years of hard work—just a fine example of how the Filipino idea of masking pain with smiles hides perturbed realities. In Impasse, artists come together in facing the reality one by one—from personal to societal, from environmental to socio-political. What's there to look forward to when all that's present is a standstill. What appears to be an oasis becomes quicksand and there seems to be no moving forward—from climate change, transport crisis, poverty, societal injustice, and more.

Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Installation view of Impasse
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Mariano Ching
Mobile Series No. 20
Mixed Media
24 x 19.48 x 6.85 cm
2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Gab Ferrer (in collaboration with Isya Ferrer)
There's The Rub (detail)
Dyed cloth and rubbercut print on cloth
119.38 x 140.97 cm (each)
2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Ella Mendoza, Tabo System, Terracota and stoneware, 10 pieces with dimensions variable, 2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Russ Ligtas, "There's No Place Like Home," Repurposed birdcage, toy soldiers and wooden figurines, epoxy, thermoplastic adhesive, Approximately 60.96 x 60.96 x 91.44 cm, 2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Mark Salvatus
News
Shoes, newspaper, cable tie
Dimensions variable
2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Cris Mora
Unraveling
Found object
71.12 x 43.18 cm
2019
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Installation view of Impasse
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Installation view of Impasse
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
koloWn, Amazon Botanical Garden, HTML, kolown.net/goldensigbin/garden
Cartellino Tin-aw Art Gallery Impasse
Installation view of Impasse