IN FOCUS: RESPONDE — ORANGE PROJECT, BACOLOD

Orange Project

DATE

03/2026

ARTICLE

Maria Chen

PHOTOS

Courtesy of the Artist

Responde at Orange Project: Eight Artists Reflect on the Power of Thoughtful Response

A new group exhibition in Bacolod explores how contemporary artists engage with political and social realities through reflection rather than reaction.

At Orange Project in The Art District, the group exhibition Responde gathers eight Filipino artists to consider a simple but urgent question: how do we respond to the complexities of the present moment?

On view until 21 March 2026, the exhibition marks the gallery’s first group show of the year. Rather than amplifying the culture of instant reaction that dominates much of contemporary discourse, Responde proposes a slower, more reflective form of engagement. The participating artists—many shaped through the mentorship of Manny Garibay at Linangan Art Residency—approach their work as a deliberate response to the political, social, and emotional landscapes of today.

CREDITS

All works courtesy of the artists

In the Philippine context, where corruption, historical injustices, and deep social divisions continue to shape everyday life, the exhibition frames artistic response as both a creative and civic act. Across varied practices and mediums, the artists share a commitment to looking beyond the immediacy of outrage and spectacle, choosing instead to dwell in reflection, ambiguity, and sustained inquiry.
Among the participants, Bacolod-born artist Hanna Joy Sayam presents works that blend surreal imagery with systemic critique. Her dreamlike scenes—often populated by human-animal hybrids—explore how systems of power quietly shape behaviour and social conditioning.

Mixed-media artist Jade Gacuan approaches art as a process of personal discovery. Drawing from her experiences and Northern Filipino roots, she experiments across materials and techniques to create layered visual narratives that grapple with identity, uncertainty, and belonging.

Painter Janrey Llegue offers a perspective grounded in the realities of working-class life. Originally trained in graphic design, he turned to painting during the pandemic, producing works that reflect on Philippine labour, religion, and everyday social structures.
The work of Hevin Pablo similarly navigates contemporary tensions through introspective visual language, exploring how artistic practice itself becomes a way of processing collective uncertainty.
Themes of mortality and existential reflection surface in the work of Marvin Quizon, whose paintings often feature skeletal forms, decaying animals, and broken objects. His imagery confronts viewers with the fragile boundaries between life, suffering, and transformation.

In contrast, painter Marte Goyon draws on childhood memories and family life, creating vibrant compositions that evoke warmth, nostalgia, and the emotional textures of everyday experience.
Interdisciplinary artist Chanel Pepino brings a research-driven approach to her practice. Working across painting, performance, installation, and video, Pepino explores the intersections of Roman Catholic imagery, Philippine culture, and personal narrative.

Meanwhile, self-taught artist Marrenz Antonio reflects on environmental displacement through expressive figurative scenes. His work Stranded juxtaposes a distant city skyline with three dogs seeking refuge—an image that quietly addresses the collateral damage of rapid urbanisation.

Finally, the work of Salvi introduces a darker symbolic dimension to the exhibition. Combining classical realism with surrealist imagery, his paintings examine the human condition within systems that both confine and seduce.

Together, the artists of Responde propose that contemporary art can be more than expression—it can be a way of thinking through the world. In contrast to reactionary culture, their works insist on reflection, care, and the patience required for meaning to emerge.

In a time when public discourse often moves at overwhelming speed, Responde reminds us that some questions deserve something deeper than immediate answers—they require the courage to remain present.

until 21 March 2026, Orange Project, Bacolod, Philippines