Article
Philippine body art
Yuan Mor´O Marquez Ocampo is a cultural resource person, and a visual, performance artist.
He has performed his "Performative Art Pieces" in several International Performance Art Festivals in Asia and Europe.
Yuan Mor´O Ocampo is a visual artist from the Philippines, deeply engaged in his cultural roots. He is transforming rituals into bodily experiments, often involving the public in his performances.
His performance ´Shadow´ is participatory. It is like a play, a "shadow play". And since it is a play, it is fun, exuberant. In this performance, wit and humour is utilised to illustrate some very serious points!
Yuan Mor´O Ocampo´s statements:
"I have learned some very valuable lessons from the performances.... More than ever, I have come to realise that we are all connected. I have come to realise that life must be shared; you share yourself with others, with one´s environment; a life of mutual sharing among all creatures could start with a small feast, set on a table, celebrating life".
"Performance Art will always be "culture bound" and must always be "seen" in context. After each and every performance, I always wonder what will I perform next?".
Yuan Mor´o Ocampo is very interested in using his body for ritual purposes. He performs with a ceremonious ritual. In a trailing G-string, he parades, strikes a brass bowl and invites everyone to pluck foam spikes off his body. Invoking whatever spirits, he offers a plate of food before an altar of golden ribbons. He climaxes by firing up a volley of fireworks and smoke.
His performance ´Shadow´ is participatory. It is like a play, a "shadow play". And since it is a play, it is fun, exuberant. In this performance, wit and humour is utilised to illustrate some very serious points!
Yuan Mor´O Ocampo´s statements:
"I have learned some very valuable lessons from the performances.... More than ever, I have come to realise that we are all connected. I have come to realise that life must be shared; you share yourself with others, with one´s environment; a life of mutual sharing among all creatures could start with a small feast, set on a table, celebrating life".
"Performance Art will always be "culture bound" and must always be "seen" in context. After each and every performance, I always wonder what will I perform next?".
Yuan Mor´o Ocampo is very interested in using his body for ritual purposes. He performs with a ceremonious ritual. In a trailing G-string, he parades, strikes a brass bowl and invites everyone to pluck foam spikes off his body. Invoking whatever spirits, he offers a plate of food before an altar of golden ribbons. He climaxes by firing up a volley of fireworks and smoke.
Author: Karin Bergquist
Bio
Born 1957 in Manila, Philippines.
Lives and works in Manila and Sydney, Australia.
1984-1986: He had his art trainings at the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines; Diliman, Quezon City.
Mor´O became the first Philippine scholar (Dharmasiswa Republik Indonesia) at the Art Institute of Indonesia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
In 1999, he represented the Philippines in the 2nd Asia Pacific Art Exhibition at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society Galleries, New Delhi, India; the 4th NIPAF (Nippon International Performance Art Festival); Asian Performance Art Series and Summer Workshop in Japan and Perspecta Arts Festival in Sydney, Australia. He established PIPAF (Philippine International Performance Art Festival) in the same year and Directed ´Gampana´, the 1st Philippine International Performance Art Festival in Manila; and 2002 directed ´Saluhan´, the 2nd Philippine International Performance Art Festival.
Mor´O has been invited to do his solo performance art pieces in different International Festivals, like the 1st Jakarta International Performance Art Festival (Indonesia), ASIATOPIA (Thailand), Performance Festival Odense (Denmark), Kimchon International Performance Art Festival (South Korea) and the 2nd Makassar Art Forum (Indonesia).
Employment record:
2000 to Present: Executive Director
Platform for Asian Performance Artist
1999 to Present: Artistic Director
Philippine International Performance Art Foundation and Festival
1989-1999: Cultural Officer - FND Training Center, Santiago City, Philippines
1996-97: Visual Arts Mentor - PRIME Mentors Program, Museo Pambata, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
Art Teacher
La Salle Greenhills, Ortigas Avenue
City of Mandaluyong
Assistant Faculty
Ateneo de Manila, Loyola Heights
Quezon City
Art Teacher
De La Salle University; Zobel
Ayala Alabang
Art Teacher
De La Salle University - Taft Avenue
Manila
Lives and works in Manila and Sydney, Australia.
1984-1986: He had his art trainings at the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines; Diliman, Quezon City.
Mor´O became the first Philippine scholar (Dharmasiswa Republik Indonesia) at the Art Institute of Indonesia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
In 1999, he represented the Philippines in the 2nd Asia Pacific Art Exhibition at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society Galleries, New Delhi, India; the 4th NIPAF (Nippon International Performance Art Festival); Asian Performance Art Series and Summer Workshop in Japan and Perspecta Arts Festival in Sydney, Australia. He established PIPAF (Philippine International Performance Art Festival) in the same year and Directed ´Gampana´, the 1st Philippine International Performance Art Festival in Manila; and 2002 directed ´Saluhan´, the 2nd Philippine International Performance Art Festival.
Mor´O has been invited to do his solo performance art pieces in different International Festivals, like the 1st Jakarta International Performance Art Festival (Indonesia), ASIATOPIA (Thailand), Performance Festival Odense (Denmark), Kimchon International Performance Art Festival (South Korea) and the 2nd Makassar Art Forum (Indonesia).
Employment record:
2000 to Present: Executive Director
Platform for Asian Performance Artist
1999 to Present: Artistic Director
Philippine International Performance Art Foundation and Festival
1989-1999: Cultural Officer - FND Training Center, Santiago City, Philippines
1996-97: Visual Arts Mentor - PRIME Mentors Program, Museo Pambata, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines
Art Teacher
La Salle Greenhills, Ortigas Avenue
City of Mandaluyong
Assistant Faculty
Ateneo de Manila, Loyola Heights
Quezon City
Art Teacher
De La Salle University; Zobel
Ayala Alabang
Art Teacher
De La Salle University - Taft Avenue
Manila
Works
Please turn me On/Off
Production / Performance,
2003
Men can´t fly, they levitate
Production / Performance,
2003
Merits
1995 to 1996, Mor´O received an Art Residency grant at ARTSPACE given by the Visual Arts and Crafts Boards of Australia and New South Wales Ministry for the Arts. Another Art Residency in 1997 & 1998, from the AUSTRALASIAN PRINT PROJECT at the Northern Territory University, Casuarina Campus, NT, Australia.
Projects
This artist took part in the following project(s) organized/funded by the culturebase.net partner institutions.
Images of Asia
(08 August 03 - 26 September 03)
