What happens when art and art-making are interrupted? Is an unfinished work still worthy of display? Why would a work with no perfunctory conclusion deserve a second look?
Open Ends, the second exhibition offering of the Lopez Museum and Library for 2015, highlights a collection of rarely seen studies, sketches, and unfinished paintings by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. These works are a segment of the collection that will resurface after more than a decade long hiatus – well-kept and in storage. Often overshadowed by the higher-profiled Juan Luna, Hidalgo’s works reflect his quieter temperament, of an artist that is often only spoken of when referring to the tandem. Their contribution to Philippine Art is more than the laurels and distinctions they garnered in the historic Exposition win in 1884. Hidalgo and Luna were at the forefront of the development of Filipino nationhood and it was through their art that they attempted to make sense of this personal and higher struggle.
