‘In Situ’ explores relationship between art and locale

“In Situ, Performance as Exhibition, The Philippine Edition” brings the power of performance to a transformative exhibition, using the body as the primary medium. This initiative focuses on the shared presence of the artists and the audiences set against the backdrop of the urban and the rural in the Philippines.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with Belarmino&Partners is organizing this project. Supported by the New Carlsberg Foundation and the Danish Arts Foundation, “In Situ, Performance as Exhibition” is curated by international Filipino curator Vanini Belarmino. It will feature eight works by Danish visual and performance artists Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, Molly Haslund, Sophie Dupont, and Filip Vest, alongside choreographer Kai Merke. Conceived to facilitate cross disciplinary encounters, “In Situ” will reimagine artists’ existing works in Metro Manila, Los Baños in Laguna, and La Union from 15 to 26 October.

“The main intent of this effort is to present art in public spaces, so that we can reach wider audience and introduce art to more people. The more fascinating aspect of this partnership with Belarmino&Partners is that, with each piece featured in In Situ, the audience can participate in the performance rather than just watch or enjoy it from a distance,” CCP artistic director Dennis N. Marasigan said.

The project will see the pairings between Danish and Filipino artists unfold in an exciting and exploratory process. First-time collaborators include renowned Filipino choreographers and performers Christine Crame, Ea Torrado, and the Daloy Dance Company, along with emerging multidisciplinary artists Sasa Cabalquinto, Jeremy Mayores, and Kyle Confesor, engaging in what the curator refers to as artistic “blind dates.”

Performances will be situated in outdoor locations such as Mount Makiling in Los Baños, the shores of La Union, the bustling streets and parks along Roxas Boulevard and CCP Complex, the walled city of Intramuros, the pavement and courtyards of the iconic brutalist and art deco buildings of Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Manila Metropolitan Theater.

Adapting the performances for the sites, “In Situ” will offer the public direct contact and engagement with the works and artists as they are presented in this constellation of natural and urban landscapes.

“In Situ” is part of an ongoing series that builds on the success of previous site-specific works initiated by Belarmino in Southeast Asia. Following the preliminary three-year research and artist meetings conducted by the curator in Denmark between 2021 and 2024, this staging follows the recent Singapore iteration in April, which featured a different set of performances by Danish and Singaporean artists.

This collaborative exhibition invites audiences to actively participate in the evolving conversations among the artists, spaces, and local communities, offering fresh perspectives on how art can shape, and be shaped by the places in which it exists.