Heritage, culture and art take centerstage anew as the Chanum Foundation stages the 12th Tam-Awan International Arts Festival (TIAF) from Oct. 5 to 9.
In partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the festival is themed “Hapit di aammod: Wisdom in shapes, colors, and words”.
Over 300 artists, culture bearers, workers, and artisans from the Philippines and other countries will converge for a five-day artistic display at Tam-awan Village.
Hapit di aammod translates to “voice of the ancestors” in Tuwali, an indigenous language spoken in Ifugao.
Renowned solar artist and Chanum Foundation president Jordan Mangosan said “Art is a very powerful tool to preserve visual records of time and experiences and it is a visual aid for people to see the world in different and innovative ways. Art is a vehicle that can transport ideas and the wisdom of cultures to the current generation.”
For 12 years now, TIAF has been offering workshops in various schools in the region to educate and enlighten artists and the public about indigenous laws, customs and beliefs in the Philippines and in the international community.
The TIAF will open on Oct. 5 with workshops on acrylic painting, jewelry-making, sand art and mono print workshops and a series of seminars led by lawyers Fernan Dizon, Exequiel Valerio, and Jeremy Bayaras on copyright, resale rights and copyright registration in a bid to empower artists and artisans.
Performances and artist jams are scheduled in the evenings for the duration of the festival.
Artists from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will also collaborate in the creation of murals for community projects.
On Oct. 6, the day opens with workshops on coffee painting, digital and stone art and a lecture by Jaet Braza on okir designs of Southern Philippines
On Oct. 7, a tapuey making demonstration is scheduled with a virtual talk by Dr. Oliver Rabara on the “Philosophy of art: Making sense of shapes”, followed by another lecture by Valerio on copyrights on artificial intelligence generated artworks, and Cordillera rituals by Ike Picpican.
Workshops on Oct. 8 include statue-making, followed by a lecture on the “Globalization of creativity in Baguio by former University of the Philippines Baguio chancellor Dr. Raymundo Rovillos, and a talk by the Philippine Art Educators Association on documentation of cultural practices, and indigenous knowledge on dance movements
On Oct. 9, the festival will see the unveiling of murals and art collaborations and closing ceremonies marked with rituals and thanksgiving.
The TIAF embarked on a series of art caravans benefitting the Santol Central School in La Union, empowering teachers and students in workshops on acrylic paint, wire rings, pastel, sand art, stone art, and screen printing.
TIAF is backed by the city government of Baguio and the province of Benguet with the Department of Tourism-Cordillera. – Redjie Melvic Cawis
April 24, 2024
