Pinoy artist brings ‘bayanihan’ spirit to Australia art fest

A Filipino visual artist's project depicting the Filipino values of community and cooperation has been featured in a recent arts festival in New South Wales, Australia.

Alwin Reamillo's "Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House" was one of the attractions in the Bankstown:Live Festival held last January 22 to 25.  

The event, which was part of the Sydney Festival 2015, featured the work of over 25 international and Australian artists, spanning theatre, visual arts, animation, film, photography, ballroom dancing and installation.

The “Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House” is an unfinished house that, according to Reamillo, reminded him of the plight of light-structured houses affected by the typhoons in the Philippines, particularly super tyhoon Yolanda.

Reamillo said the "social sculpture" was meant to echo the volunteerism spurred by the November 2013 catastrophe.

“The damage that Typhoon Haiyan left last year triggered a mass action of volunteers, putting in action the much-valued practice of bayanihan, or community action, not only within the local community of Tacloban but also creating links with thousands of volunteer groups from all over the country and overseas," Reamillo said in a news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"Bayanihan Hopping Spirit House" was presented at Bankstown:Live in collaboration with Australian group Urban Theater Projects to explore whether the spirit of "bayanihan" could be applied to the community of Bankstown City.

Consul Marford Angeles and Cultural Officer Rachel Calisin from the Philippine Consulate in Australia and several Filipino community leaders discussed, tested, and organized the presentation of the piece prior to its presentation.

Filipino volunteers, along with representatives of other cultures, carried the piece for all four days of the festival, prompting plans on how to re-mount the project for other cultural events.

Reamillo maintains a portfolio blog online where he posts his latest work and reviews from critics. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News