Through the Spectacles

The Church The Catholic Church has been around for thousands of years ago, is believed to be founded by Jesus Christ himself as he laid the keys of heaven to the apostle Peter, who is also recognized as the first Pope by the Church. An institution that stood the test of time - from major schisms to sex abuse scandals and homosexuality issues amongst the clergy - the church still exists up to this modern and digital day. Dubbed a 'Pilgrim Church,' this religious institution goes smoothly to the flow of time, dominating almost all forms of communication platforms we have today. Journey and Service with the Church I am a member of the Catholic Church, my fathers, and their forefathers. We are raised in a devout family, that is active in all forms of its required ritualistic, and sacramental activities. At a young age, my sister and I were introduced to the importance of prayer, and the sacredness of things that are holy to us and to our religion. Due to this, I have this sense of ...

Manila City, Philippines, 2010. I was with my mother and my father as they accompany me through the process of enrolling at a university in which an acquaintance of mine is also a student - a graduating student at that time. I was so naive, a young boy without a hint of what it's like to be in college or how to deal with Manila traffic and so on. While filling out some pertinent documents t the registrar's office, I was asked, "what course are you going to take?" Then the registrar staff handed over a list of all the available courses that this university offers.   My first choice was Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Advertising, followed by Nutrition and Food Technology, a technical course. As an innate lover of the arts, I was drawn instantly to the name and to the anticipation of what BFA has to offer to an aspiring creative like me.  Fast forward to 2014, I finally graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. The prior anticipation and excitement during my admission days a...

People often think the art market is glamorous—full of collectors, exhibitions, and expensive artworks. But from an artist’s point of view, the reality is often very different. From what I have seen in the Philippines, many artists are often taken advantage of, especially in larger and more established art spaces. Decisions about pricing, exhibitions, and visibility are usually controlled by people with power—such as dealers, gallery owners, curators, and collectors—rather than by the artists themselves. This creates a system where artists have limited control over how their work is presented and valued. This creates a system where artists have limited control over how their work is presented and valued. For a long time, the art market has been seen as elitist. It feels exclusive, closed, and sometimes even intimidating. Fine art is usually expensive, which automatically limits who can participate as buyers. As a result, the market mostly serves the wealthy. The irony is that many art...

Dada or Dadaism, is quite a topic to be discussed especially in an art or design class. In all honesty, the notion and concepts surrounding the Dada movement are still, by far, one of the most interesting art-related topics for me because it questions the way we are being introduced to art, beauty, society, and even power itself. It is also a tool not just to show the critiques of their time; I mean, the first world war, but the works linked to Dada also show the progression of the Western art scene into modernity. The movement can also be considered a part of the many art movements during the Avant-garde period. To answer the question of whether Dada is an art or a design movement, let us define the term first - for us to have a better understanding of the subject matter. According to the MoMA Learning website, Dada emerged amid the brutality of World War I (1914–18)—a conflict that claimed the lives of eight million military personnel and an estimated equal number of civilians. ...

    Postcolonialism is the critical academic study of the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism, focusing on the human consequences of the control and exploitation of colonized people and their lands. More specifically, it is a critical theory analysis of the history, culture, literature, and discourse of (usually European) imperial power. Postcolonialism encompasses a wide variety of approaches, and theoreticians may not always agree on a common set of definitions. Raja, Masood (2019). "What is Postcolonial Studies?". Postcolonial Space. Masood Raja. Retrieved 16 July 2019. Postcolonialism states that universal claims are mistaken since they assume that a certain white, Western identity or position is the template for all people and that cultural differences are ignored. It is more of a set of interests or viewpoints than a single theory. Postcolonial theory is related to political struggles in various parts of the world – the fight for racial and ethnic equality a...

What is an altar server? How to become one? What is their training? What can we expect from them? So many questions have been asked by some curious people – the churchgoers. What is it that makes an altar server an altar server? He – or sometimes she, is a servant of God and His Holy Church. These questions usually come to our minds whenever we see one wearing their white robes holding a metal shaft with a candle or a cross on the end. Making their way first going to the altar as they signal the start of the Mass by ringing their fancy sanctus bell or swaying a censer giving us all a bit of the scent of the heavens, and sometimes, very minor coughing. These young guys are called Altar Servers or “Sakristan”, they are being commissioned as a volunteer of the Church to assist the priest in administering the Holy Mass. Let me share this essay tackling the very essence of these servers and how did the ministry affect them in a good or bad way. I am an altar server for more than a decade,...