Ciron Señeres' "Unintentional Forming objects (UFO)"

Making sense of Metro Manila's un-design

Ciron Señeres shares his affinity for Metro Manila's urban imagery by making sense of its unconventional aesthetic charm. Through the artist's eyes, the viewer is posed to appreciate the disarray that gives a semblance of shelter. The artist illustrates this phenomenon in his exhibition "Unintentional Forming Objects. (UFO)"

Señeres' existing works have often portrayed houses that have aged galvanized sheets for roofs. Using rust-riddled colored schemes to emphasize how a house can become worn-out from exposure to the harsh heat and heavy rains. This is a reality for urban communities in Metro Manila. These colors and materials are prevalent among shanties and houses inhabited by low-income working classes.

Design and aesthetics are forgone for practicality. Low-income communities resort to incorporating discarded materials to complete their houses in place of conventional materials such as concrete or paint. Instead, houses are built with patches of varying shades of plywood or an array of materials that are gathered at little to no cost.

It boils down to the innovativeness of an individual to seek materials or objects that may improve their living conditions regardless of whether it conforms to a unified design. It is the kind of aesthetic that Manilenos themselves tend to disregard because of its association to poor living conditions. In Unintentional Forming Objects (UFO) Señeres reframes the triviality of the material used by such houses.

Unintentional Forming Objects serves as an offshoot of Señeres' recent Art Fair Philippines exhibition "Worse Code" where he brings light to the garbage produced by the city. Whereas in UFO, the artist focuses on objects that form unanticipated collages of material, such that it translates into an aesthetic to be appreciated by those who are fazed by urban Metro Manila.

Señeres venerates these objects by recognizing the charm and character it brings to low-income communities despite it being recourse to the shortage. These objects are not isolated within the canvas and rendered devoid of color that compels the viewer to identify these objects before they are repurposed into house-building materials.

Exhibition notes for Ciron Señeres' "Unintentional Forming objects (UFO)" at Nunu Fine Art Gallery August 2019

Published in Nunu Fine Art Gallery News Vol. 34 2019 6 Jul. - 31 Aug.