In 2016, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte launched a "war on drugs" that triggered a wave of massive terror among the population. It is estimated that up to 27,000 people were killed in large-scale extrajudicial killings. Last year, Duterte was replaced in the presidential seat by Bongbong Marcos, whose father imposed a harsh dictatorship on the country in the early 1970s. Kiri Dalena is a Filipina artist, documentary filmmaker and human rights activist. In this artist talk, moderated by Artalkt magazine editor Anna Remešová, she speaks about her work, Philippine society and political depravity and violence.
Kiri Dalena graduated in Human Ecology and later studied 16mm documentary filmmaking at the Mowefund Film Institute. She is a recipient of the CCP 13 Artists Award and in 2009 her installation artwork Barricade, book of slogans, erased slogans, and isolation room received an Ateneo Art Award. Her works were also shown in many international events including the Berlin Biennale in 2020, the Manila Biennale 2017 and the Fukuoka Asian Art Trienniale 2014. You can learn more about the works mentioned in this episode in the festival book.
This episode was originally published on 28th June 2023.
