The Constantino Murals: Hidden in Plain Sight

The Constantino Murals were created ten years ago in collaboration with TutoK, an artists’ group that, before disbanding, explored the language of dissent in the visual realm. Commissioned to commemorate the execution of heroes Macario Sakay and Lean Alejandro, the Constantino Foundation requested TutoK to paint the heroes not as extraordinary beings towering above their people but as ordinary Filipinos advancing uncommon deeds in pursuit of national freedom. The Foundation asked the artists to create works radiating subversion rather than mere militancy. 

The Constantino Murals will be on display in the Atelyer Gallery of the Bulwagan ng Dangal this October 14, 2017 up to March 24, 2018, consistent with the project’s original premise – to counteract the process of forgetting. The Bulwagan ng Dangal is a location that speaks of Sakay’s true stature and his sacrifice. Equally important, the exhibit is right below the U.P. Library. Even when he joined the underground, Lean daydreamed of spending his remaining days there, burrowing through the archives.