Filipino Visual Artists in Austria Holds First Collective Exhibit “Wasser – Water – Tubig”

Art plays a significant role in the lives of migrants, providing them with various forms of expression, connection, and empowerment. Art offers them a means to express their emotions, experiences, and cultural identities. It becomes a powerful tool for them to communicate their thoughts, struggles, and aspirations. Through artistic expression, migrants can process and heal from the challenges they have faced, including both beautiful and not-so fond memories, dreams and trauma, longing and homesickness.

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Art also allows migrants to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage. Through traditional arts, such as music, dance, painting, and storytelling, migrants can keep their traditions alive and pass them down to future generations (living away from their original home).

Engaging in art forms from their home countries helps them maintain a sense of identity and belonging, even in a new and unfamiliar environment.

Taking inspiration from their home country, the Philippines – an archipelago of more than 7000 islands, members of the Filipino Visual Artists in Austria (FVAA) held their first collective exhibition sharing the theme “Wasser – Water – Tubig” on June 7-10 at Vienna’s Wasserturm Favoriten. The exhibit highlighted some reasons why art is important for migrants and locals alike, here are some:

A Support System

Established by Gerardo de Guzman and Imelda Perez Papai in 2019, the FVAA aims to help individuals enhance their skills in painting, photography, and sculpture. “We have designed our membership around helping each develop their confidence in their creative approach, and incorporate art-making into their lives while having fun,” Papai said.

Consul General Ivan Frank M. Olea echoed such sentiment in a speech during the Vernissage, saying that the Philippine Embassy fully supports the endeavors of the group.

Communication and Connection

Art transcends language barriers and serves as a universal language that connects people. Migrants often face language challenges when settling in a new country, and art becomes a powerful means of communication. It enables them to express themselves and engage with others, fostering connections and building bridges between different cultures and communities. Imagine all the artists in the world today, each coming from a unique background and working in a vast array of topics, media, and styles. When artists from these various art cultures communicate with one another, they have “artspeak” in common, which is kind of like a shared language.

There are about 130 to 195 languages spoken in the Philippines, per method of classification. FVAA members hail from different regions of the Philippines while others were Austria-born – speaking different languages while in a foreign country was not a barrier as they communicated through art.

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Community Building and Integration

Art can bring migrants together with local communities, fostering social cohesion and integration. Artistic collaborations, exhibitions, performances, and workshops provide platforms for migrants to showcase their talents, share their stories, and engage with the local community. This creates opportunities for dialogue, understanding, and building relationships, which can lead to greater acceptance and inclusion. These, we have witnessed last year at the first Filipino Arts and Culture Festival in Austria (KUBO) where some FVAA members also exhibited their works.

At the “Wasser – Water – Tubig” exhibit, guests coming from all walks of life and of different nationalities were able to peek into the beautiful interpretation of each artist on water – many representing the islands of the Philippines.

Empowerment and Advocacy

Art empowers by giving a voice and a platform to advocate for rights and challenge stereotypes. Through visual art, social issues can be raised, highlight awareness on experiences, and advocate for social justice. Artistic expression can amplify voices, shift narratives, and contribute to policy discussions related to migration and individuality.

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Skill Development and Economic Opportunities

Engaging in art can provide migrants with opportunities to develop and enhance their skills. They can learn new artistic techniques, improve their craftsmanship, and acquire entrepreneurial skills, which can lead to economic opportunities. Artists may sell their artwork, perform at cultural events, or participate in art-related businesses, contributing to their financial independence and integration. Austria-born Philippine actress Cindy Kurleto shared her creative insight of the process of her handmade earrings undergoing sets of iterations to find the correct weight and balance of each product before releasing them for sale.

“Creativity is in the heart of every Filipino,” Papai quips. And true, FVAA has put together talented Filipinos to showcase their skills and help younger ones develop their own art.

In summary, art plays a vital role in the lives of migrants by providing avenues for self-expression, cultural preservation, communication, community building, empowerment, and economic opportunities. It helps migrants navigate the challenges of migration while celebrating their cultural heritage and fostering integration in their new homes. And these are carried on for many generations to come.

We look forward to the group’s next project!

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