Structure of Faith and Tradition
En plein air is a French phrase that translates to “out of doors” and generally refers to creating a drawing or painting outside in contrast to working inside one’s studio. This practice has been popularized by John Constable and later by the artists of the Impressionist movement. This practice has elevated landscape painting as a genre as well when historical paintings were more preferred in that period.
For this year, the competition coincides with the celebration of the Pistang Bayan, hence, the St. Augustine Parish Church is the focal point for the theme “Structure of Faith and Tradition.” Artists are invited to provide interpretations of how the Church has become the symbol of the town’s piety and devotion while creating a myriad of traditions rooted in this cultural structure. As this is inspired by the method of en plein air, artists must still incorporate the natural setting of the Church or its small details in their artwork.
The St. Augustine Parish Church is one of the oldest churches in the country. It is administered under the Diocese of Malolos and located at the Plaza Naning, the heart of the town of Baliwag. It is a Roman Catholic Church made mostly of limestone, gravel and sand, steel, and bricks. This massive structure is reminiscent of the Baroque style. Its original design resembled that of the St. Augustine Church in Intramuros. The church made of stone was first built from 1769 to 1774 during the time of Father Gregorio Giner. The church structure was hailed by Father Joaquin de Zuñiga as the most beautiful church convent in the country at that time when he visited it in 1802. The church is significant as it serves as the main edifice that marked the foundation of Baliwag as an independent town. It also served as a fort and barracks for the American troops during the American Occupation and Philippine-American War circa 1899. However, due to several renovations and reconstructions that were done by the preceding parish priests, most of the original architectural elements and details were destroyed and replaced with new ones such as the Moses sculpture and the portico. Despite these alterations, the Church is still considered one of the significant cultural properties of the town.
Aside from it being a built heritage, the Church had produced another heritage. The Baliwag being one of the oldest parishes established in the country heavily influenced by the rites and rituals relating to the Roman Catholic faith, the Lenten Season is one of the religious activities that the townspeople faithfully observe. This has resulted in other various religious practices and cultural traditions. One of these is the Lenten Procession. Every Holy Wednesday and Good Friday, the parish of St. Augustine Church holds the Lenten Procession traversing the streets of nearby barangays in Baliwag. More than 100 carozzas with rebultos depicting the Passion of Christ and other important saints and holy images in the Bible participate in the procession; hence it is being hailed as the longest Lenten procession. Other by-products of these rituals are evident in the vestments for priests, elegant designs of santos' clothing, and the decoration and arrangement of the carozzas.
Winners
Artworks
Structure of
Faith and Tradition
An Online Exhibition
This built heritage...
... is strengthened by prayers and devotions...
....offered to the Beings that are the catalysts of the community's faith.
These are then manifested in religious rituals...
... and cultural traditions...
....oftentimes kindling mostalgia.
They are either the ruins of the past or the sketches of the future..
Abrupt or meditated,
these paintings echo the Church as a structure of faith and tradition.
Panel of Judges
Santiago C. Cruz is the grandson of Renato "Ico" and Leticia "Lety" Cruz and the son of Dr. Nick and Lisa Cruz. He is a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management and is currently pursuing a second degree and minor in Art Management and Cultural Heritage at the same institution. He has a special passion for heritage structures and cultural preservation, and his other interests include visual arts, design, and architecture.
Architect Gerard Rey Lico is a Professor and Director of the Research Office at the College of Architecture, University of the Philippines Diliman. He practices architecture as a heritage conservation professional and designer of institutional buildings. He is a prolific author of publications on Filipino architecture and cultural studies, curator of architectural exhibitions, and director of documentaries on Philippine architecture. He has been involved in the conservation of landmarks such as the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, and the core buildings of the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman. He also served as a consultant for conservation planning initiatives for other local and national heritage sites across the country. Apart from presently serving as Consulting Architect for the City of Valenzuela, he heads a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented design consultancy practice.
Raquel “Kaye” O’Yek paints, creates performance art pieces, and writes about art for publications and galleries. Her articles about local exhibitions have been published in magazines and broadsheets, with online content contributed to ArtPlus PH. As a product of the LIRA Poetry Clinic, she regularly participates in poetry readings. As a facilitator, she has planned, hosted, and taken part in art events and exhibitions since 2006, such as PVAF 2018 in Santiago City, Isabela, and Panit Bukog 4 2019 in Cagayan de Oro City. She currently serves as Secretary of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts National Committee on Visual Arts, standing as Project Coordinator for Bagong Biswal 2021 and Philippines ASEAN Digital Art Competition 2020 and 2021. She has also helped organize and design selected exhibitions in local galleries and online platforms.
Edgar Allan “EA” Sembrano is a journalist and regularly contributes to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and Daily Tribune. He is a Board member of the Philippine National Historical Society. He served as one of the judges in last year’s GSIS National Art Competition. He co-authored Dakilang Bulakenyo: The Art and Artists of Bulacan published by the Foreign Service Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs in 2021. He researched the history of the St. Augustine Church and the result of this was presented at the SAMPAKA National Conference in 2018 with his paper titled “Paletada: The 18th-century artistic heritage of the San Agustin Church convent in Baliuag, Bulacan.” He is also a Research Associate at the UST Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics.
Mark Gregor P. Dela Cruz is a graduate of Philippine Arts major in Arts Management at the University of the Philippines Manila and holds units for Master of Art in Art Studies major in Art History at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He has been with the culture and the arts sector since 2010 through his employment with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). He has been part of the Human Resource Management Section (HRMS) and Monitoring and Evaluation of grant-assisted programs and projects for the Northern Cultural Communities and for the Visual Artists and Organizations nationwide. Currently, he works as a Planning Officer under the Planning and Policy Section of the Office of the Deputy Executive Director. He is a teacher and consultant of arts at the Cavite Institute in Silang, Cavite. He is a Board Member of the Cavite Historical Society representing the City of General Trias.