Manila, Philippines (07 November 2023) — All Tomorrows’ Harvest , a contemporary art exhibition at the 6th International Rice Congress, explored the possibilities for achieving a food-secure future amid the challenges of climate change.
The exhibit showcased a juxtaposition of rice science and the arts to elicit views and raise important questions about our shared futures in the context of food and agriculture.
Curated by Dindin Araneta, the exhibit is a result of the coming together of creatives Martika Escobar, Erwin Romulo, Derek Tumala, and Jake Verzosa who rendered speculative and exploratory approaches to tell an interconnected story. In their respective artistic forms and styles, the filmmaker, a conceptual artist, a visual artist, and a photographer have responded to the vast body of work produced by scientists.
With her documentary film, Martika Escobar created glimpses into a future where current ideals are a reality. Erwin Romulo used a timeline as a speculative vehicle to chronicle IRRI’s work and juxtapose it with corresponding world events. Derek Tumala was moved, on seeing the works of Mitsuaki Tanabe at IRRI, ranging from the small studies to the massive sculpture, and he created a rice grain inspired by the late Japanese artist and conservationist. Jake Verzosa used IRRI archival photos and presented to a speculative archive with his own AI-generated images that surprises us and moves us. The works of the four artists interconnect and reference each other’s speculative realities.
This is the first time the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has organized such an event, according to IRRI Research Director Bas Bouman.
“We are delighted to have partnered with four Filipino artists to respond to the vast body of knowledge produced by scientists and to reimagine science into artistic forms. This…