As part of Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Arts, Glasgow Life has announced an exhibition of new work by the artist duo Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien (Philippines and US) for Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) – Offerings for Escalante.
Occupying GoMA’s main gallery, in the building that was originally built in the 19th century as a trade exchange, the exhibition builds on the duo’s long-term research concerning the island of Negros in the Philippines. It features an hour-long experimental documentary, a 16mm film animation, drawings on handmade paper and a light-based installation.
Enzo and Ami have a collaborative practice that addresses forms of resistance within globalised economies of labour, particularly in the context of Southeast Asia. Their recent work has centred on Negros, an island dominated by a plantation-based sugar industry built on the Spanish colonial ‘hacienda’ system and dependent on the control of land and the exploitation of seasonal labour. This industry emerged in the mid-19th Century, driven by a Glasgow-based company seeking to import Scottish textiles to the Philippines and export cheap sugar.
Offerings for Escalante is an act of remembrance, focusing on the 1985 Escalante Massacre, an horrific episode of state violence against protesting farm workers in Negros during the 14 year regime of Ferdinand Marcos between 1972-1986. Enzo and Ami interweave testimonials, organic materials and iconographies from Negros to shed light on the significance of collective mourning in the fight for food sovereignty and land justice. The artists see the exhibition as a source for collaboration and alliance-building across global land and labour struggles.
The central film, titled Langit Lupa, is co-commissioned by the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art with Para Site Hong Kong, CCA Berlin – Centre for Contemporary Arts, and MoMA PS1.
Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien – Offerings for Escalante is part of Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art, which runs in venues across the city from 7th to 23rd June 2024. Commissioned by Glasgow International with presentation support from Glasgow Museums. Additional support from British Council Biennials Connect and John Galvin Design.
Listings Information:
Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien – Offerings for Escalante
Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AH
7th June – 1st September 2024
Monday – Thursday & Saturday 10 – 5, Friday & Sunday 11 -5
Free admission
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 