IN CONVERSATION: MANNY MONTELIBANO

Manny Montelibano illustrated by Maria Chen

DATE

2025/06/13

ARTICLE

Maria Chen

PHOTOS

Courtesy of the Artist

Listening to the Island: Manny Montelibano on Art, Power, and the Visayan Lens

Rooted in the Visayan region yet resonant with global urgency, Manny Montelibano’s practice is both hyperlocal and expansive. From the countryside of Bacolod to the halls of the Venice Biennale, Montelibano has consistently challenged dominant narratives through his poignant video and inter-media installations, navigating complex intersections of socio-political realities, heritage, and power structures.

This conversation explores how his early life—shaped by farming, cinema, and the echoes of Martial Law—continues to inform his sharp observations on nationalism, identity, and inequality. Speaking from Bacolod, where he has chosen to remain despite the pull of Manila’s art scene, Montelibano reflects on the advantages of working from the periphery, the urgent need for structural support for regional artists, and how sound, time, and place become central to his storytelling.

As he steps into new territories—from exploring AI to orchestrating simultaneous video installations across time zones—Montelibano remains guided by a deep commitment to reflection, community, and authenticity. This interview offers a rare glimpse into the artist’s evolving thought process and enduring belief in the power of art to question, reveal, and disrupt.

CREDITS

All works courtesy of the artist

“My childhood experiences formed the way I think, strengthened the value of work and family, and a world view that involved the constant questioning of reality.”—Manny Montelibano

CNTRFLD. Your journey as an artist has taken you from Bacolod to international platforms like the Venice Biennale. How did your childhood and upbringing in the Visayas shape your view on art and influence your path to becoming an artist?

MB. I grew up in the island of Negros and lives in Bacolod City. My parents used to run a fishpond, a small rice field, and a battery shop. I experienced a life of dealing with people, as well as conversations focused on farming and stories in the small settlements in the countryside. When I was a child, I loved to read and was amazed with photographs I found in the old National Geographic magazines. We had a small television set where I would watch the news, game show entertainment, films and documentaries. In school, we would have trips to the cinema, watch stage plays, play sports, cards, board games, and enjoy local amusements with other students. I would collect used stamps the same as other regular students. I love dancing, performing, and music. I was involved with stage performances. I immersed myself in a variety of experiences.

What amazed me was cinema. As a kid, I did not always have money to watch movies, so I sold dried fish from our fishpond and gather recyclable junk and sell them. I had to raise funds for my weekend movies. On the other hand, this was in the 80’s and there was Martial Law, economic crisis, and political instability. I was exposed to the scenes that was happening at that time. Our house was a small 3-story building near a government hospital and a memorial chapel, and I saw dead bodies from encounters of the rebels and the military, political rallies, rebel parades, among others. These experiences gave me a chance to understand the things that were happening and gave me insights and ideas towards my island. My childhood experiences formed the way I think, strengthened the value of work and family, and a world view that involved the constant questioning of reality.

CNTRFLD. Bacolod, your home base, is not typically seen as a central hub for contemporary art in the Philippines. Why have you chosen to remain there, and how does it inform your work?

MB. I decided to base myself in Bacolod City due to my work at the University of St. La Salle and my family. I had opportunities to work in the film industry in Manila, but I chose to stay, because the working conditions were not good. In Bacolod, time is slower, and it allows me to deepen my perspective and focus on the kind of work that is representative of my personal process and not necessarily subject to existing trends. I have the luxury of conducting my research and attending conferences and workshops. Moreover, our artistic community in Bacolod is very supportive.

CNTRFLD. In your practice, you often address the intricacies of socio-political, economic, and religious structures in the Philippines. How do you see your identity as a Visayan artist influencing these themes, and what role does heritage play in your art?

MB. I have a deep affinity with causes involving socio-political, economic, and religious structures because I am hyper aware of how these affects my life and all those around me. This is exactly why this is articulated in my work. As an artist based in the Visayas, these themes are mostly influenced by a perspective formed by being subjected to these same structures that I deal with. My Visayan heritage is the lens with which I look at my own surroundings and its relationship in the context of global scenarios.

CNTRFLD. Your work, especially through video and inter-media installations, often challenges societal norms. How did you come to use these mediums, and how do they help convey the messages you want to express?

MB. I use multimodal mediums to get my messages across. I believe in the theory, “the medium is the message.” The mediums that I use are as important as the message. I use these channels to surface the layers that are inherent in the content. The complexities of the elements of my messages are better expressed through these layers that I focus on. I also want to produce works that consume less.

CNTRFLD. Could you talk about your recent projects or works in progress? Are there any themes or ideas you’re exploring currently that differ from your past projects?

MB. Currently, I have many things in my plate. Recently, I have been working with a group in Kalibo for a biennial event, the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference, the oldest biennial in the country. I taught film production this summer and I am working on a commissioned work. I also just finished an exhibition in Bacolod and is preparing to install my work at the Philippine Women’s University about Philippine elections in August. I’m also organizing a group exhibition for June of this year and is currently producing a tribute to women. This is the first time I am going into this field.

I have been using thermal images for quite some time now, but I am exploring the possibility of doing a simultaneous video installation in different time zones.

CNTRFLD. As a professor at the University of St. La Salle and an active participant in cultural organisations, what is your view on the support structure for the arts in the Philippines, especially in the Visayas? How does it compare to the international scene?

MB. Recently I quit my job at the University and focus on my art. I worked at the University for almost 30 years. I still teach film workshops every summer. Currently, I am a member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and directing a non-stock, non-profit art organization. Being involved in these organizations for quite some time, there is still so many things to improve in the support structure for the arts in the country. The regions in the Philippines should have more grants. Grants that “really” support meaningful projects. The paperwork is too much for applicants to work on, before they do the real work. Budget wise, there is a low allocation of financial and physical resources, and welfare of artists are not valued. However, recently, there is a law that recognise and support the creative industries which art is included. The questions are… in which direction will our leaders bring this to? Priorities of our government and non-government institutions are less towards the arts. The Philippines is a complex case, and it affects the realities of every sector, including the arts.

In the international scene, there are more opportunities in the creative industries supported by both the public and private sectors. It encourages artists and cultural organizations to continue to promote and develop the arts.

CNTRFLD. Having exhibited both locally and internationally, what do you think the global art world can learn from the Philippine contemporary art scene, especially from the Visayas region?

MB. The global art world can learn, maybe, from how the artists thrive in the regions. Though based in the Visayas, there is freedom to produce art without the influence of commercialism. It is through our humble art communities, that we continue to sustain our existence.

CNTRFLD. Your installation works, such as Biya and Pamunit, offer powerful reflections on the complexities of local and global issues. How do you approach the process of conveying these themes through visual and technical elements?

MB. Biya is a single channel video about game birds, or we call them fighting cocks. It shows layers of culture, tradition, nationalism, violence, Filipino macho traits, and gambling. Pamunit is a Hiligaynon term for fishing. It features a slow-motion video of a man on his back fishing on the side of a highway near the sea. It also highlights the sound of the Formula 1 race. This work specifically, compares priorities in different places. The fisherman patiently waits and pulls the line slowly while the backfire booms of the F1 cars aim to enhance the economy of the place from tourism.

Biya is based on experience. I had the opportunity to observe my relatives who breeds game birds. The subject has a great influence in the process and treatment of the work’s creation. The experience of sound, smell, moment to moment happening, and general feel before and after the event sum up to the translation of elements that resulted in this work.

Pamunit was different, this was composed of two different events that produce the statement: 1 + 1 = 1 + 1.

CNTRFLD. Given your extensive experience, what advice would you give to emerging artists in the Philippines, especially those from regions like the Visayas, who are looking to make an impact both locally and internationally?

MB. Focus, study, research, read, be sensitive, learn, work with your community, be generous, be honest, be personal, and be creative. It is not important to prioritize the impact of the work locally or internationally. It is not important to consider the income of the work or its recognition. What is important is that the artist listens to his muse and translates the inspiration into a meaningful piece.

CNTRFLD. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for your work? Are there any specific goals you’d like to achieve, or new territories you’d like to explore artistically in the future?

MB. I want to produce more meaningful works and sustain my practice. I want to explore more opportunities to collaborate with other artists, collectives, and I want to continue to teach to inspire more artists not only to be artists but to be teachers.

I would like to explore the dynamics of artificial intelligence versus real intelligence. The world is going into a different phase of shifting ideologies where economies are affecting our natural world order and thus going into global destruction. The theme that plagues my mind is revolving around the question of why humanity is continually repeating its mistakes. These might be where my future works will focus on.

About the artist.

Mariano “Manny” G. Montelibano III (b. 1971) lives and works in Bacolod, in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. His work explores the psychology of contemporary socio-political, economic, and religious structures. The artist investigates the subtleties and intricacies of these themes through video and intermedia installations—often revealing macroscopic realities by drawing from fragments of local culture. A flavour of social realism permeates his work, though his oeuvre is not rigidly confined to it.

Montelibano is deeply invested in the process of communication itself, as evidenced by his creative and informed use of technical elements in his installations and his sophisticated video editing techniques. His visual language reflects a keen awareness of the Philippine cultural landscape, transforming these reflections into artworks imbued with broader, more universal meanings.

In the video installation Biya (2008), for example, cockfighting is presented as “a mutated [piece of] macho Filipino identity that shows nationalism in gambling,” as Montelibano puts it—ultimately pointing to a global culture where violence is consumed as entertainment. In Pamunit (2010), slow-motion footage of a man fishing is juxtaposed with the sound of Formula 1 racing cars. The work critiques the economic structures of the Philippines while simultaneously addressing global disparities between wants and needs, all stitched together through a deliberately dissonant experience of time. At times, Montelibano’s work takes a more overtly political turn, as seen in Sorry for the Inconvenience (2011) and Ma’am Said (2011). For the Philippine Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, he created the multi-channel video A Dashed State, which examines global and historical border conflicts through the lens of the ongoing disputes over the Philippine Sea.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City. An active cultural worker in the Philippines—especially in the Visayas region—he is affiliated with various organizations including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Bacollywood Community, and the VIVA ExCon Organisation. In 2016, he received the Garbo sa Bisaya Award at VIVA ExCon.

His works have been exhibited widely across the Philippines, including at the National Museum of the Filipino People, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Ayala Museum, Museo Iloilo, Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibit and Conference, Vargas Museum, Galleria Duemila, NOVA Gallery, Museo Negrense de La Salle, Fort Santiago–Intramuros, and the Ateneo Art Gallery, where his work is held in the collection. Internationally, he has participated in exhibitions in Korea, Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, the United States (New York and California), Australia, France, Singapore, and throughout Southeast Asia. In 2015, he represented the Philippines at the 56th Venice Biennale.

Listening to the Island: Manny Montelibano on Art, Power, and the Visayan Lens

“My childhood experiences formed the way I think, strengthened the value of work and family, and a world view that involved the constant questioning of reality.”—Manny Montelibano

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