SUBSCRIBELa Piel - Marlon Despues
La Piel – Marlon Despues
I was at the spanking new building of Instituto Cervantes in TM Kalaw St. in Manila and I was very much awed by its architecture which reminds me of those modern European structures (but in this case, scaled down version). The thematic design is oft repeated in the hallway and doors and it was just great. Also, the walls are made of cut stone and the texture is highlighted. What better way to complement this particular feature that Spain’s cultural institution had Marlon Despues, Phil-American photographer, mount his exhibit entitled La Piel or simply, The Skin. Hundreds of photos of different people in various states of undress showing their different body parts in different poses, some solo, or in two’s, three’s or in groups. These were then posted side by side in one of the walls fully covering it from base to top, parts of a ceiling and railing. A different approach to exhibiting photos, a departure from the usual framed pieces. What also makes the photos unique is that these were done voluntarily by the subjects themselves from different countries and different professions, posing for the photographer and in the end, they choose the photo that they want to be shown.
Viewers may sometimes be shocked. There was this photo of a woman showing a long scar where her right breast used to be but proudly showing it, a testament on breast cancer. Another photo also shows another scar where a heart surgery might have been done before. But the other photos were just fun. A male dancer, naked, doing a routine, the finely chiseled abs of another man fascinates. Stretch marks of a fat lady. A pregnant lady proudly posing. Or the beautiful female form highlighted by light and shadows.
The exhibit is still ongoing until the end of August.
