PABLO BAEN SANTOS received the shock of his life. The outspoken first-generation social realist has tirelessly exposed the state of the nation’s ills, political abuses and inequities, but none of those things could have prepared him for the electrified inevitable. Someone was calling him on his mobile phone. Was this a call for peace?
A few rings can wake you up in the middle of the night and you end up with nothing. Santos received a ring in the middle of the day and thought he was dreaming of everything.
Born in 1943, a fine arts graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, the artist is much of a rebel. A recipient of the 13 Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1990, he has been featured in solo and group exhibitions here and abroad.
Although his works now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Central Bank of the Philippines, the National Museum and the Singapore Art Museum, nothing—not all his past successes or the dive into the nation’s decrepitude—had prepared him for the shock of world peace.
These days, world peace seems increasingly like wishful thinking, a pipe dream really. For how in tarnation’s name can one achieve world peace when there are nations and transnational corporations, according to the lens of Santos, that want to enslave you or make a mockery of your self-advancement? Recently, his Facebook account was hacked. But the evil hacker claimed responsibility by posting in social networks several porn videos, a thing that Santos would never do. At the time, the observer thought this was a Dadaist performance piece and heartily liked all its various postings, only to find out that the artist had publicly denied involvement.
But he couldn’t deny the call that came from Singapore. “I listened cautiously,” the artist said. “I was being informed by the caller, one Pablo Espinel, who said that I had just been nominated for the inaugural Joseph Baliester Award for Freedom of Art, a joint venture of the American Embassy in Singapore and Art Stage Singapore.”
The award honors an artist or curator from Southeast Asia who actively promotes ideals of freedom and liberty. Named after Joseph Balestier, the first US diplomat to Singapore and relative of patriot Paul Revere, the laurel is given annually starting this year and includes a trophy, certificate and grant of $5,000. On January 20 the verdict was read by US Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar and Art Stage Singapore founder Lorenzo Rudolf. Did Pablo Baens Santos get the award and achieve world peace?
Back to the call. “At the time that I got the call, it felt too much of an honor to be true, and I thought this nomination might be a hoax. But the caller gave as reference the Ayala Museum, which the organizers had turned for help in naming the most deserving nominee from the Philippines. “The caller cited my activities as an artist opposed to martial law. Silently, I shivered with excitement, but I knew I shouldn’t expect anything or jump to an immediate acceptance of the nomination.
After all, the caller said that it was partly from the US Embassy in Singapore.
“I didn’t know why I was being nominated because I had produced a fairly large body of work with anti-imperialist overtones, namely, paintings that criticized American postcolonial violence in the Philippines. Two of these works are in the possession of the Singapore Art Museum, the most heavily funded art institution this side of the world. But when the mysterious caller said that the awarding ceremony was happening in a month and asked me if I consent to the nomination, I hesitated no longer. My attitude was to accept and find out later.”
In the art world, time flies so fast because its laborers spend days in timeless creation. In the artist’s case, communication with Singapore and renewing a passport made the month go by like a zip. But at the back of his mind: “Will America co-opt and adopt my art, like it had other self-claimed Marxists like Diego Rivera and Kasimir Malevich?”
One of the strengths of the global market is its inherent capacity to co-opt ideas antagonistic to itself or tradition, and by adoptation and elimination, neutralize their strength. Marx is readily taught at Yale. Gay marriage will become a global normative. Marijuana is legal in Washington, D.C. Perhaps, all’s not entirely wrong with the world?
Santos continued: “Till now, it has never become clear why I was nominated but I have resolved to be thankful for the recognition. If I was called to be the winner, I would have said in a speech that we all have to purge our demons. Self-righteousness is also enslavement of the self.”
On January 20 the inaugural Joseph Balestier Award was given to Indonesian artist FX Harsono, who was cited for the crucial role that he played in the development of Indonesia’s contemporary-art scene. Harsono’s installations and performances run the gamut from prodemocracy dissent to championing ethnic minorities.
Seven artists were nominated.
In addition to Harsono and Santos, these include Aye Ko (Myanmar), Lee Wen (Singapore), Manit Sriwanichpoom (Thailand), Nadiah Bamadhaj (Malaysia) and Svay Sareth (Cambodia).
I asked Santos, “How does it feel not to be the winner?” He answered, “At least for now, I have peace.” The award only mentions freedom and liberty. Is there significance in these distinctions when the world doesn’t have peace? Don’t kid yourselves into delusion. What separates winners from losers is how they react to new twists of fate.