Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM), in partnership with the National Historical Commission of the Philippinesβ Museo El Deposito (MED), opened last month Open Secret: Glimpses of Folklore in Revolution and Resistance in San Juan City, as part of the 92nd celebration of the National Heroesβ Day in Philippines, marking the first time that the Culture and Heritage Unit (CHU) of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) mounts an exhibit outside Cebu, its home base.
The Open Secret exhibit highlights the important influence of folklore on ordinary peopleβs participation in the revolution against colonial rule. It presents a unique view of the formation of the 1898 Philippine Republic. The exhibit is a black light show – darkened spaces serving as galleries for paintings rendered in neon acrylic. The artwork glows against the black lighting. The exhibit engages young and budding Cebuano artists from CIT-Uβs CAMVAS (Creative Alliance of Multimedia and Visual Arts Students) and UP-Cebuβs FASO (Fine Arts Student Organization). They display their interpretations of various figures and images from Cebuano folklore and culture. The following talents are exhibiting on Open Secrets: Ezra Carillo, Lexi Velasquez, Anne Beatrice Aparicio, Valerie Demecillo, Godfrey Sigamata, Clea Louel Laurel, Stephanie Jan Bacalla, Michael John Gedy, Raili Ann Kapuno, Reshney Marie Arcillas from CAMVAS and Aljun P. Alvarez, Mea Surigao, Gabriel Rupert Panim, Jean Mansueto from FASO.
The Open Secret exhibit in San Juan Cityβs Museo El Deposito runs until October 31. Casa Gorordo Museum is the centerpiece project of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.βs (RAFI) Culture & Heritage focus area. The Culture & Heritage Unit of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-CHU) through its three flagship programs β Casa Gorordo Museum, Research & Publications, and Gabii Sa Kabilin β aims to develop a strong sense of cultural identity among local communities by promoting awareness of their heritage and enabling them to articulate their stories.