streetkonect: November 2011

Brian Barrios in Dubai

Deform Industry readied Barrios' sampaguita vendor for Dubai streets with shades, Nike shorts and Adidas. shoes.

Photos by Def

Undead Soldier

RA's undead soldier takes a walk in downtown Davao. Bad moon rising soon.

The Gathering

Cebu's Hip Hop community meet and greet plus kick off party to All Hip Hop Cebu's album launch.

Photos by: Big Ram

Gerilya presents yet another outstanding paste-up piece at Katipunan-Aurora Crossing in Quezon City. The piece shows a "Magdiwang Ranger" and a "Magdalo Ranger" doing a fusion dance. Dragon Ball fans would know what. It unifies two entities into a single superior being. More apparent than the DBZ reference, is the reference to Philippine history through the flags worn by the Pinoy Rangers. These were the flags of two Katipunan factions, "Magdiwang" (led by Mariano Alvarez) and "Magdalo" (led by Emilio Aguinaldo), which were the two major Katipunan factions in Cavite, Philippines. Historically though, the two factions had a rivaly, which Bonifacio tried to mediate. On March 22, 1897, the Magdalo and Magdiwang met at the Tejeros Convention, initially aimed to discuss Cavite's defense against the Spaniards. Instead, the meeting turned into an election--Philippine's first presidential and vice-presidential elections. As Supremo, Bonifacio presided over the elections and secured the finality of the decision. The elections resulted to Emilio Aguinaldo's win by 146 votes. Andres Bonifacio (Magdiwang) followed with 80 votes and Mariano Trias (Magdalo) with 30 votes. What happened to Bonifacio and Trias after the elections? Go, do your research. :)

As for the Magdalo and Magdiwang, they were combined into a singular force--a government body under Emilio Aguinaldo's presidency at the Tejeros Convention .

The Magdalo Ranger x Magdiwang Ranger piece is the second piece of the Pinoy Ranger series. The first one also featured here earlier this month, quickly beamed up to space a week after its posting.

Well, let's hope the second ones don't beam up too soon. Hear that, Scotty? Because they got a mission to continue.

Collab: Out of the Box

Qudo x Neku x Rai x Kiel @ South Bar, Las Piñas

koloWn's relief goods

Cebu City

Dumaguete City

more from koloWn, click here!

KntOner: PSP from Italy

Junkhouse @ Sydney Central Station

photos: CAPS FEST V

photos by Skunk

Shantou Graffiti

Photo by Claire Dy

China- Claire Dy sent this photo of a graffiti piece in Shantou, a prefecture-level city on the eastern coast of Guangdong province. Of the find, she said: "Surpisingly refreshing to see this outside the art space I visited last weekend, which I discovered was created by a small group of artists (graduates from an art and design school here), and which is the first and only independent art space in Guangdong province. Pretty neat, huh?"

Las Piñas Streets: Return of the Yabols

"Sariling Hawla II" by Rai Cruz. Rai paints over his smeared Yabols piece.

After a "smear campaign" on his works from the Yabols (his coined term for "yes") series along Alabang-Zapote Road in Las Piñas by unidentified person/s (with budget and penchant for black paint), Rai get back with his own brand of vengeance--rollers, paints and a positive attitude to paint new works over his damaged ones.

A month ago, Rai started working on his first street paintings along Alabang-Zapote Road (some of them documented here). He started doing street art to engage the masses in a more accessible discourse on art. For his Yabols series, he had worked on obtaining legal walls along the Alabang-Zapote Rd. He painted during the day wherein passersby could see him at work. They would stop by his painting spot and ask him about his piece and what he does, and he would find the time to engage them in conversations about his art and art in general. Shortly after he painted them, he found all his works smeared with black paint.

Despite the disappointment over seeing his works ruined, Rai chose to push on. In a note he has written on his FB account, Rai declared: "Ang tanong ngayon gagawa pa ba ako ng ganito? Hindi na. Kasi gagawa ako ng mas matindi at mas mabangis. Dahil yung mga tao na gusto matuto at umiintindi ay sapat na inspirasyon para magpatuloy. Tara lets!" (The question is, will I still make works like these? No longer, because I will make ones that are greater and fiercer. The people who want to learn and understand are enough inspiration [for me to do so.] Let's go!)"

Yabols! That's the spirit!

Photos courtesy of Rai Cruz