Analog Childhood
by Toym Imao Art Lounge Manila
Podium Exhibit, September 4 to 15, 2022
Toym Imao is a trailblazer. Using his art to engage, question, and inspire, he has consistently imaged, both publicly and privately, his deep love for the motherland – that personification of all that is good in our history, our culture, our nation. Known mostly for his large-scale public art, his work follows the tradition of the grand storytellers of the country- Guillermo Tolentino, Napoleon Abueva, Eduardo Castrillo, who tap the narratives of nationalism for their permanent public monuments. And though, like them, he does make commissioned, state-funded permanent monuments, Toym reaches to the most people through his public installations which are neither permanent nor state-funded. His large-scale installations are a personal crusade since he returned to the Philippines fresh from his Fulbright scholarship in 2012. They remind us, at opportune times, of the threats that loom over our culture, nation, and society. He engages with civil society institutions – museums like the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, schools like the University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University, and even hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital, to mount his public installations whenever he believes there is a threat to our freedom, our values, or our collective memory; indeed to the very essence of our being Filipino. As they are indeed awe-inspiring and eye-catching, their image captured as photos, is often extended through the front page of almost all major dailies, extending his reach to the entire country, sharing his message wherever they are seen. And in this age of disinformation, and the years leading to it, he has been active, not only in mounting these public installations, but has expertly used his Facebook accounts as a platform for his love for the motherland. As his fellow educator Andre DP Encarnacion has phrased it, “Toym Imao is an essential visual storyteller of our times.”
“Analog Childhood,” Toym Imao’s third solo exhibition at Art Lounge Manila is consistent with this advocacy. Comprising of over forty tabletop sculptures and paintings, Toym’s works are inspired by his childhood recollection of censorship by an authoritarian regime when his favorite Super Robot cartoons – Voltes V, Daimos, and Mazinger Z among them – as well as video arcades, were cancelled for their alleged bad effects on the minds of the youth. Colorful, cheerful, and seemingly safe in their aesthetics, they would be, as Toym has said, what a children’s book would look like, if he were to make one. The playful imagery belie the experience of authoritarianism and a child’s imaginative attempts at creating a story of the triumph of good over evil, expressed in the analog aesthetics of Atari and the cartoon characters and symbols of his beloved Super Robots. Coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law, this exhibit is a timely attempt of us to take stock of the events which mark our time.
As Toym puts it, “It has been challenging for visual artists over the past several years. There’s something like déjà vu as the state has been flexing its muscles over an allied profession in truth-saying, the media. Media outfits and practitioners are being closed down or put behind bars. As artists, we are involved in creating a wonderful lie to help people find the truth. Right now, artists are being red tagged. This is problematic. But as artists, we must reflect the spirit of our times. I hope that my artist-friends are sensitive about what is happening here and around the world. Unfortunately, we are now in the front row in the battle for truth in this era of fake news. We can no longer work independently in the confines of our studios. At some point, we have to think about what is happening. We will have to stand up and be heard. When we acknowledge our togetherness, we can protect our fellow artists. Let us all think about what is strong and beautiful about being Filipino.”
“Analog Childhood” by Toym Imao will be on view from September 4 to 15, 2022 with the Artist Reception scheduled on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 5PM.
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