Solenn Heussaff's third solo art exhibit "Kundiman", was recently launched on 25 March 2021 at the Modeka Art Gallery. It showcases a collection that moves the heart through painting and song
Art has comforted us—almost more than anything else—for the past year. Perhaps because we have faced what felt like an insurmountable experience at the most unexpected time. But it has also shown us a different perspective on life. And we can delve deeper through art exhibits like "Kundiman" by French-Filipina painter Solenn Heussaff to take a closer look into the lives of our fellow Filipinos.
However relevant the vision might be today, Heussaff began working on and accumulating the paintings much earlier. "I started them in 2018," she shared. The photos were taken during her travels from Rizal to Tondo. "It kinda shows how we're not doing much to change things... with the pandemic going on, people have realised all the things we took for granted before 2020. I think from now we're all going to put our best foot forward [and when] things normalise, I think people will be better to one another," the artist added.
Alongside each piece is a QR code that leads to a poem or a soundtrack to accompany the painting. This audio-visual experience brings a unique experience to each individual.
Heussaff shared that most of the songs she picked for each artwork were chosen after working on the pieces. But there are also songs featured on each piece which the artist was listening to while painting them. Which, she explained, did not explicitly have any association with the meaning of the work.
The songs accompanying the paintings are by local artists. "We have so much great talent [in the Philippines,] so I thought it could be a nice addition when they came up with this idea," Heussaff said.
