ARTS / CULTURE
Michael Cacnio opens doors to everyday stories with latest exhibit
Behind closed cabinet doors, Cacnio’s brass figures reveal scenes of family and everyday life. His exhibition ‘Stories Within’ at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell invites viewers to open each enclosure and discover the stories held inside.
Viewers must open wooden cabinet doors to discover the brass sculptures in Michael Cacnio’s Stories Within, an exhibition running from 20 to 30 October at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell in Makati City.
Presented by Galerie Joaquin Rockwell and Art Lounge Manila, the exhibition brings scenes of domestic and family life into intimate, enclosed spaces. Each sculpture rests inside a cabinet, making the act of opening its doors part of the experience of viewing the work.
The arrangement introduces a physical encounter into what is often a largely visual experience. Before viewers can see a sculpture, they must reach for a door and reveal its contents. The cabinet becomes both a frame for the work and a boundary between what is concealed and what is shared.
Inside are Cacnio’s characteristic brass figures, whose smooth, featureless faces leave posture, gesture and accompanying objects to convey emotion and suggest a story. Their anonymity allows viewers to bring their own associations to the scenes.
The cabinets’ dark wood finishes draw attention to the brass figures within. Resembling miniature rooms, these enclosures suggest private spaces in which memories and everyday stories are kept. Opening them lends a sense of discovery to otherwise familiar subjects.
The exhibition’s emphasis on touch and participation also shapes the pace of the encounter. Rather than taking in the sculptures from a distance, viewers approach each cabinet individually and choose to look inside. This simple action gives the works an intimate scale, encouraging closer attention to their details and the relationships they depict.
Through this interplay of enclosure and revelation, Stories Within offers a way of encountering Cacnio’s sculptures that connects the physical act of opening a door with the more personal experience of recalling a memory or recognizing a familiar moment.
Galerie Joaquin Rockwell is on the R3 Level of Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City. For inquiries, contact @galeriejoaquin on Instagram or Galerie Joaquin on Facebook. Information about Art Lounge Manila is available at www.artloungemanila.com and https://www.artloungemanila.com.