Mark Salvatus, a prominent contemporary artist based in Quezon City, Philippines, actively participates in the global art scene through his diverse body of work. His art has been showcased in numerous prestigious exhibitions, such as the Asian Art Biennale in Taichung (2021), the 2nd Lahore Biennale (2020), the Sharjah Biennale (2019), and others, spanning various cities from Jogjakarta to Gwangju, Thessaloniki, and Venice. His exhibitions have taken place in respected venues including the Vargas Museum in Manila, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) in Manila, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and the Sharjah Art Foundation in the UAE, among others. Salvatus’s films and videos have been screened at significant international venues like M+, Hong Kong, and the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. From 2021 to 2025, he is part of the “Notes for Tomorrow” exhibit, a traveling show organized by Independent Curators International (ICI).
In addition to his art exhibitions, Salvatus has participated in artist residencies worldwide, including the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju, the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, and Art OMI in New York. He is also a co-founder of Load na Dito Projects, established in 2016 with Mayumi Hirano, which is a research and artistic initiative exploring contemporary art production and presentation through a broad spectrum of programs.
In response to the Open Call for the Philippine Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition at la Biennale di Venezia, Filipino artists, curators, and creatives submitted engaging and aspirational proposals. These proposals, rich in material and discourse, tackled a range of pressing issues through diverse artistic mediums, from painting and film to sound and intermedia installations. The selected exhibition for the Philippine representation, curated by Carlos Quijon Jr. and featuring Mark Salvatus’s work, titled “Kabilang-tabing ng panahong ito” (Behind the curtain of this age), delves into mysticism, modernity, and the intricate relationship between the cosmopolitan and the vernacular, inspired by the ethno-ecologies of Mt. Banahaw and Salvatus’s hometown, Lucban.
The selection process, held on July 21, 2023, involved a distinguished panel of jurors and aimed to highlight works that demonstrated keen material and discursive awareness, contextual sensitivity, and inter-cultural engagement. The Philippine Pavilion, showcasing Salvatus’s and Quijon’s collaboration, will explore themes resonant with the Filipino experience and broader global dialogues when it opens to the public from April 20 to November 24, 2024, at the Venice Biennale.
More about the story here: https://philartsvenicebiennale.org/2023/07/28/announcement-of-the-philippines-official-representation-at-the-60th-venice-art-biennale/
