The night Angono’s higantes loomed over Roppongi

Twenty-four higantes were installed in different parts of Tokyo for the Roppongi Art Night Festival last September 30 and October 1.

The papier-mâché giants were situated at the National Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown, Roppongi Hills and Rapiros as part of the Neo-Angono Artists Collective’s performance “Walking Among Giants: Them Are Us Too.”

Hybrid design

The higantes, considered cultural icons in Angono, Rizal, were crafted by members of the artist collective and their Japanese counterparts who had undergone a whole-day workshop.

It took a month for the Japanese artists to finish 21 of the giants.

“Because of the mix of two cultures, the outcome featured families representing different races, armatures wearing helmets that look like astronauts, and Hachiko, the ever loyal Japanese dog-hero who waited for his master at Shibuya train station,” revealed Neo-Angono vice president Philip Anorico.

Anorico was part of the delegation which included Wire Tuazon, Sony "Aga" Francisco, Ian Lomongo, Ramon "Chitoy" Zapata, Keiye Miranda, Rem Vocalan, Mary Llenell Paz, Chantel Garcia and the group's adviser Nemi Miranda Jr.

The group was invited by Art Center Ongoing director Ogawa Nozomu and Mori Art Museum chief curator Kataoka Mami.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa oportunidad at hamon na ibinigay nila sa amin. Isang pambihirang pagkakataon ang maimbitahan sa Tokyo, Japan para maitanghal namin ang aming lokal na sining, kultura, pati na ang kasaysayan na nakakabit dito.

“Pareho kaming natuto sa buong proseso—ang Japanese artists at Neo-Angono artists—sa kabila ng mga limitasyon namin dahil sa pagkakaiba ng mga wika. At sa tingin ko iyon ang pinakamahalaga,” Anorico said.

Higantes tour

This is not the first time that the higantes performed in Japan, said Anorico.

In 1993, the Department of Tourism invited Angono artist Perdigon Vocalan, founder of Balaw-Balaw Restaurant, to bring the giants to Osaka, Japan.

Vocalan brought his son Rem along with him during the visit. (Rem, currently a member of Neo-Angono, joined the 2017 Roponggi delegation.)

The only downside of that Osaka tour was that the higantes that Vocalan brought was made from thin aluminum, which could easily be bent.

Also, in 2010, the Blanco family, from a well-known bloodline of artists and painters, presented the higantes to the public in New York City.

A symbol of protest

Citing research by UP faculty member Lisa Ito, Anorico said the higantes of Angono are considered the Philippines' first effigies.

“May mga sulatin na nagsasabing ang higante ay ginawa bilang protesta laban sa isang mapang-aping landlord sa dating hacienda na Angono. Pinagsayaw, ipinarada, at pinagtawanan ang higante,” he explained.

According to Angono Rizal News Online editor Richard Gappi, the higantes transformed from a symbol of protest into a trademark of festivities and a celebration of Angono, which is also known as the Art Capital of the Philippines.

The Higantes Festival, in which a horde of the papier-mâché giants are paraded through the streets in Angono, takes place before the feast of Saint Clement, the patron saint of the municipality, every November.

Gappi is also a member of Neo-Angono.

Finale performance

A higantes performance was staged together with a concert by Cicala-Mvta to mark the closing program of the Roppongi Art Night Festival.

Cicala-Mvta (pronounced “shikala moota”) is a Tokyo-based punk-chindon-klezmer, RIO/Avant-Prog band. It was formed by clarinet player Wataru Okuma in 1994.

The Roppongi Art Night, according to its organizers, is an art festival where enthusiasts can enjoy art all night by turning the entire town into a museum.

Neo-Angono was founded in 2004 and is composed of artists, musicians, writers and poets, filmmakers, theater people, and cultural workers. — BM, GMA News