Nikki Luna’s ‘Rape of Seas’ is a reminder that West PH Sea is ours
It has been over a year since feminist Filipino artist Nikki Luna showcased an exhibit relating to the West Philippine Sea dispute. Known for her radical approach to art, she showcased “Rape of Seas” at the Vienna Unttld Contemporary Gallery in February 2020.
The issue at hand continues to arise as a handful of reports stated that the country had lost over 33 billion pesos because of China’s destructive activities, and lest the people forget how President Duterte denied reclaiming the country’s maritime territory.
Below, revisit the five different artworks that echo the Duterte administration’s failure to stop China from invading the PH waters and their repetitive actions that enable violence against women.
Luna herself posted some images of the pieces on her Instagram account, while a more detailed explanation can be seen at Unttld Gallery’s website. Either way, the exhibit’s message remains true: this sea is our sea.
Scars On The Reef
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Opening with Scars On The Reef, the shells mirror a scarred hymen. Luna described the piece in her caption, ’50 pieces of ‘clamshells miniaturized to a size of a vagina.’ 3D Scanned giant clam seized from [Chinese] poachers in the West Philippine Sea.’
Panacot Shoal
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The next piece takes cues from the shape of Panacot Shoal, better known as Scarborough Shoal, that referenced a map from Vienna in 1748. The 18-carat gold sheets contain words from women whose consent was dismissed.
At the same time, the engraved words can also pose as a protest to the administration. The statements include “Don’t be an enabler,” “You don’t own us,” and “Don’t invade our space.”
‘Dedicated to all the enablers [and] coddlers of monstrous men. [West Philippine Sea, Duterte et al. aka minions],’ Luna states in her caption. ‘People in and outside of the art world celebrating molesters and rapists, willing to stretch their fractured understanding of morality [and] decency for the so called ‘artistic genius.’’
Waging A Women’s War
One of the white flags contains Duterte’s remark on the Reed Bank incident in 2019. During that time, 22 Filipino fishermen were left in the sea after a Chinese vessel rammed their boat. The text on the piece reads, ‘I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.’
Waging A People’s War
Waging A People’s War displays an embroidery of the Spratly Islands on a white flag. It quotes a part of Duterte’s statement comparing himself to the Nazi leader in 2016, ‘If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have…’
Consent
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The final piece is a framed dress composed of fabric from one of the Scarborough fishermen’s wives. The frock was sewn with a fishing net, and it centers on how the livelihood of Filipinos was affected.
Two things were also highlighted in this artwork: the Filipino fishermen won’t be able to cast a net in their traditional fishing ground, and the future generation’s cradle of marine life is exploited.
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Source: we the pvblic
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