Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Now working with installations that play upon the repetition of infinitesimal spaces and situations through the use of mirrors, light, and objects, Mark Justiniani began with painting and is, in fact, considered as one of his generation’s most accomplished painters. His fluency with the medium is exemplified by this work, Balik Tanaw. The image of a man folded by the waist and looking through the triangular space between his legs alludes to the superstition that a person may see the elementals and other non-human beings following him by doing such an act. In this particular work, what is being investigated is the historical past, which must be seen through a different perspective and with a full bodily engagement. The work resonates with the adage of National Hero Jose Rizal concerning collective origin and destination: “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, ay ‘di makararating sa paroroonan". Balik Tanaw is a powerful dramatization of Rizal’s admonishment.