Surrealist artist Juanito Torres posits this question in his latest series of artworks depicting real and fictional heroes in a totally different light.
Opening in time for National Heroes Day, which the entire country marked last Monday, August 29, “The Hero in Our Time,” (ongoing until September 7 at Galerie Raphael, 2nd level, UP Town Center), is the latest exhibition by artist Juanito Torres.
This time, Torres presents several new major works that tackles the concept of heroism. His often surrealist works clearly underscore the high praise we accord our heroes, as well as posit the question: What should heroism mean in our time? In a way, one can only answer this by revisiting the heroes of our past, as we search for the heroes of our present and future.
Torres’ recent works initially appears humorous, but, as one looks closely, they’re quite serious, pointed, and thought-provoking. In “Nakamit na nga ba ang Kalayaan?” the two camps that either sought reforms or drastic revolution are shown together with the nascent flag of the early Philippine Republic.
The conquistadores and colonialistas are there, too, but so are other symbols like Nemo, symbolizing an idea that, indeed, like the Disney marine character in search of a way out, freedom still needs to be found.
A second major artwork puts together those that took a different, more drastic route to freedom. “Mga Bayani ng Rebolusyon” once more groups together and depicts Andres Bonifacio, Macario Sakay, Emilio Jacinto and the brave Filipino men and women who took up arms against their oppressors.
In discussing the new heroes of our time, Torres presents the youth whom he deems would eventually take up the cudgels. There is also an artwork dubbed “Little Heroes (Back to School),” wherein characters face the ongoing threat still posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Another artwork, “Little Heroes (Ituloy ang Laban),” depicts Antonio Luna and the Katipuneros taking the cosplaying route to freedom.
Our current society continues to be faced with ever-developing and newer threats. There’s the continuing threat of the pandemic, climate change, economic difficulties brought about by global conflict, increasing authoritarianism all over the world and the aggressive behavior of certain countries with disproportionate amount of financial power and military might.
Torres’ exhibit leads his public to the inevitable conclusion that freedom should be fought for and won continuously and that we are, indeed, the heroes of our time.
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