In partnership with Kwago, HIRAYA Collective for the Blind, and the Municipality of San Juan, Anges is celebrating National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week with an exhibition launch and community gathering to be held in its new space in Ili Norte, San Juan, La Union on July 27, 2024, from 10 AM to 10 PM.
Entitled “Habagat,” the six-month exploratory exhibition will feature 25+ local artists who will highlight the unique perspectives and experiences of individuals living with disabilities while also emphasizing the commonalities that unite us all.
“Habagat, or Southwest Monsoon, is characterized by stormy winds from the west and excessive rainfall that often escalate into disastrous typhoons. For La Union surfers, however, it marks the arrival of good waves to ride on Montemar, Bacnotan, and other spots in the province. While Habagat helps some farmers irrigate their rice fields, it also makes fishing difficult, triggers floods and landslides, and generally endangers residents living near riverbanks. Is Habagat a blessing or a curse?” explains Habagat’s curator Czyka Tumaliuan.
“The group show takes Habagat as a framework and lens to flesh out new perspectives, vocabulary, and culture around disability. It encourages both artists and audiences to embody, distort, challenge, and transform traditional notions of time and productivity through various forms while presenting critiques to the ecologies and systems that continue to (re)produce a valuation of individuals based on labor efficiency and material production leading to a culture of burnout and the commodification of rest and self-care,” she adds.
Throughout its six-month run, Habagat will also feature events, workshops, performances, and intimate talks in collaboration with government bodies, organizations, and local communities, with the intention of re-examining our relationship with disability and collective care.
Beyond just being about the arts, “Habagat” is primarily a prompt and invitation to the community to confront the lived experiences of people with disabilities. It is about learning to hold space for each person’s individual struggles with systems and ecologies that inhibit persons with disabilities to live full and dignified lives.
Eva Wang, founder of HIRAYA Collective for the Blind, is ecstatic to finally launch Habagat and share unheard narratives from various people living with disabilities.
“HIRAYA Collective is psyched to collaborate with Anges for Habagat–a portal of stories, expression, and community care. This is a space where we, the blind community, could be present in the discourse, openly share our lived experiences, and ponder together what seasons like ‘habagat’ mean to both our community and the sighted.”
Habagat’s home, Anges, a space situated a few steps away from Montemar beach break, is a hybrid exhibition space, a community-curated library, and a bed and breakfast. Its goal is to provide an enriching environment where guests can stay and be surrounded by beautiful local art while being a stone’s throw away from the beach.
“We want Anges to be a place for people to breathe, a space where you can take it slow in a fast-paced world,” says Anges manager Precious Baybayan.
“Co-developed with Kwago, our community-curated library is also something we’re proud to have in the space. It’s something unique to Anges, a mini library in your bed and breakfast! The books are all donations from the community, and they’re all about disability, labor, health, and care. Because the books come from different people with varied ideas of wellness, you can be sure that the library has plenty of perspectives to offer when it comes to the theme. We want to hear as many points of view as possible.”
The exhibition launch on July 27 will feature a community dialogue with its attendees, as well as music and poetry performances, tattoo artist pop-ups, and local food merchants.
The event is FREE. You can follow Anges on Facebook and Instagram for more details: @agangeskapay
