Norberto Roldan holds 1st N.Y. exhibition, his tribute to the ‘enduring spirit of the Filipino people’
Norberto Roldan, an eminent figure within Southeast Asian art, will present his first U.S. solo exhibition at Silverlens New York from May 2 to June 15.
“How Not to Win a Revolution” showcases the artist’s sweeping exploration of the social, political, and cultural conditions shaping his homeland, all while unveiling the oeuvre of a profound cultural practice.
For almost 40 years, Roldan has significantly influenced the cultural landscape of the Philippines. In 1986, he established Black Artists in Asia, an artist collective aimed at uniting progressive artists outside of political affiliations. In 1990, he initiated VIVA EXCON (Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference), the region’s longest-running and artists-led biennale.
Currently, Roldan serves as artistic director of the Green Papaya Art Projects. For over 25 years, the organization he co-founded has facilitated collaboration and cultural exchange among Southeast Asian artists, while also partnering with rural and indigenous communities.
Roldan’s formative years were spent in a seminary and subsequent immersion in the Filipino culture sector under the Marcos regime. Informed by history, warfare, religion, mass media, and contemporary society, his artwork combines found objects, imagery, and text to delve into the intricate cultural and political fabric of the Philippines. His assemblages and installations intertwine Christian and folk religious rituals with unearthed fabrics, liturgical vestments, and personal mementos. Through recontextualization, he seeks to untangle the past from the present, paving the way for new narratives that offer alternative visions of the future.
Reflecting on his New York debut, Roldan said, “My exhibition is a post-colonial hang-up. While other formerly colonized countries in Southeast Asia and elsewhere have moved forward with better economies and remained culturally resilient, the Philippines is still waging revolutions and remains frozen.”
In the “West Philippine Revolution” phase of his artistic exploration, Roldan’s inquiry extends to present-day concerns, addressing ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, or the West Philippine Sea. Working with Chinese blankets sourced from his hometown of Roxas, Philippines, the artist infuses ancient poetry with modern significance, symbolically staking claim to contested waters to embody a revolution through words.
A series of embroidered artworks, titled “Incantations in the land of virgins, monsters, sorcerers, and angry gods,” capture some of the earliest iterations of Roldan’s 25-year exploration of textile art. The series features vibrant Patadyongs, the traditional woven textiles of the indigenous communities of Roldan’s home province of Capiz in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Infused with the epic chants of the Panay Suludnon people, these artworks pay homage to a community that resisted colonial invaders over three centuries of Spanish rule. By sharing their epics, passed down through generations, the artist amplifies their heritage, now threatened by escalating ecological and economic encroachment.
Presenting a far-reaching narrative of resistance and resilience, “How Not to Win a Revolution” serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Filipino people. By juxtaposing past and present, colonizer and colonized, sacred and profane, Roldan challenges conventional historiography, inviting viewers to engage in speculative reinterpretations to envision new social, political, and cultural possibilities.
Roldan graduated with a degree in BA Philosophy from St. Pius X Seminary and took his BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Santo Tomas.
The exhibition will coincide with Roldan’s first visit to New York since 1992. An exhibition walk-through led by Managing Editor of ArtReview and ArtReview Asia Marv Recinto will take place on Saturday, May 4th starting at 11 a.m. Attendees can register by email at rsvpny@silverlensgalleries.com.
