Submerged histories and shimmering hopes: A voyage to ‘Dagat ng Pag-ibig’ at the 61st Venice Biennale

In the sun-drenched corridors of the Arsenale, where the weight of history meets the whisper of the tide, the Philippines makes a sophisticated, quiet splash at the 61st Venice Biennale. 

Sea of Love / Dagat ng Pag-ibig is a fluid, atmospheric homecoming featuring the contemplative work of Manila-based artist and filmmaker Jon Cuyson. The pavilion sheds the loud, often frantic tropes of national identity for something far more poignant: the intimate, salt-stained reality of the global Filipino. 

Under the sharp, empathetic baton of California-based curator Mara Gladstone, the space becomes a sanctuary of “submerged histories,” mapping the invisible labor and emotional currents that bind our archipelago to the rest of the world.

Cuyson, a visual poet who navigates the complexities of migration with the precision of a master mariner, uses the ocean as both a metaphor and a literal stage. His minimalist paintings and cinematic textures speak to the endurance of those who cross horizons. 

“The sea is a space of connection, but also of deep longing,” Cuyson reflects on his process. “I wanted to capture that delicate tension between the love that drives one to leave and the love that anchors them back home.” 

It is a sentiment Gladstone amplifies through a layout that mimics the ebb and flow of the tide. “We wanted the audience to move through the space as if they were navigating their own journey,” Gladstone shares. “It’s about finding those silent frequencies of kinship that exist even in the vastness of displacement.”

To witness this installation is to feel the spray of the Pacific mingling with the Mediterranean air—a triumphant assertion of our contemporary mythos. The pavilion moves away from grand spectacles, choosing instead to focus on the “minor key” of everyday resilience and the humble mussel as a symbol of Filipino tenacity. 

As the world converges on Venice, Dagat ng Pag-ibig stands as a luminous testament to our capacity to find beauty in the depths of the unknown. It is a sleek, soulful voyage that proves that while the Filipino may be a citizen of the world, their heart remains an unshakeable anchor, forever tethered to the rhythm of the waves.