Large-scale mural preserves the past

Mon 24 Mar 2025

The expansive mural Tul-an sang aton kamal-aman (Bones of our elders) 2024 commissioned for the Gallery of Modern Art's Pavilion Walk wall during ‘The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ honours the history and indigenous culture of Panay Island in the Philippines through a tribute to local figures, community traditions, ancient cultivation practices and spiritual beliefs.

Watch | Installation time-lapse

Amid the bustling marketplaces and public spaces on Panay Island, street-side murals by Kikik Kollektive can be found, their large-scale murals as a means to preserve the past. The name Kikik Kollektive signifies the artists’ connection to Iloilo province. The Hiligaynon language is spoken in rural areas of Iloilo, and ‘kikik’ comes from the Hiligaynon word for cicada. Naming the collective after the
insect’s loud chatter is symbolic of the way in which the artists stimulate dialogue and exchange in the community

The mural’s central figure is Teresa Magbanua — veteran of the Philippine Revolution (1896–98), Philippine–American War (1899–1902) and Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–45) — who symbolises colonial resistance. Magbanua is portrayed steadfast in protecting the mangunguma (farmers) behind her, who tend to the bounty of the land, as well as the Aeta, its original inhabitants.

The concept of bayanihan (communal unity) and indigenous spiritual beliefs are foregrounded through the activities of the people and the presence of a babaylan (shaman) carrying out rituals near a lunok tree, said to house supernatural beings. Weaving through and around these symbols is the Bakunawa, the Visayan serpent deity whose movements determined the ancient Panayanon calendar. Serpents are revered creatures in Philippine folklore and are considered a physical manifestation of anito (ancestors) in the broader Visayan region, including in Iloilo. The coiled figure of the Bakunawa symbolically connects the people, the land and the spirit world.

With their immense, collectively painted mural, Kikik Kollektive present a cacophony of narratives, symbols and characters, forming a bold visual representation of Iloilo that emphasises the stories that have created and shaped its land, people and history.

Edited extract from the publication The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, QAGOMA, 2024

Art that gives you a voice
Asia Pacific Triennial
30 November 2024 – 27 April 2025
Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Brisbane, Australia
Free entry