Dubai residents working and living around the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) were treated with a unique visual art installation as 2018 The Filipino Times Awards Nathaniel Alapide and fellow Filipino street artist Mark Barretto collaborated for DIFC Art Night last November 18.
With balikbayan boxes as their canvas, Alapide and Barretto explored and built something new out of everyday objects. “I love the idea of using the Balikabayan box because both Mark and I have experienced the joy of receiving them from a relative working overseas and being on the sending end as well as we have these boxes delivered to our loved ones back home,” said Alapide.
The three dimensional canvas formed a mixed media installation that combined their artistic identity into a sustainable approach to art. “For me, the Balikbayan box is a symbol of our hard work as Filipinos, our love for our family because inside are objects that contain our heartfelt feelings for the loved ones that we are sending them to,” adds Alapide.
Alapide’s and Barretto’s work was curated by Rebia Naim of @emergingscene following an open call for artists to take part in the DIFC Art Nights which has showcased the works of more than 50 artists from around the world.
