From Museum Guards to Artistic Activists: The Genesis of Abang-guard

Catbagan and Vitug’s artistic journey began in an unexpected place: as security guards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2017. This unique vantage point profoundly influences their work. The name “Abang-guard” itself is a clever play on words, merging “avant-garde” with the Tagalog term “abang,” meaning “waiting” or “watchful.” This duality speaks to their observation of value – what society deems worthy of protection and what is routinely disregarded.

“The act of standing guard automatically assigns importance to what lies behind it,” explains the duo. “We want to examine what is valued and what is overlooked in our communities.” Their performances and installations have taken place in diverse settings, from small grocery stores to major museums, challenging conventional notions of art and accessibility. They even created the “Abang-guard Street Museum,” offering a platform for public art creation.

1965: A Pivotal Year for Filipino Americans

The exhibition centers around 1965, a year of significant change for both the Philippines and the United States. The 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair marked the first time the Philippines was formally invited to participate on an equal footing with other nations. However, 1965 also witnessed three crucial events that dramatically reshaped the Filipino American experience: the Delano Grape Strike, the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler Act), and the launch of Medicaid and Medicare.

The Delano Grape Strike, a landmark labor movement uniting Filipino and Mexican farmworkers, fought for better wages and working conditions. Simultaneously, the Hart-Celler Act abolished national origin quotas, opening the doors to increased immigration from Asia and other previously restricted regions. This, coupled with the demand for healthcare professionals, led to the recruitment of approximately 25,000 Filipino nurses to address critical staffing shortages in the U.S. However, this period also saw urban redevelopment projects, like the Crosstown Freeway in Stockton, California, displace and erase established Filipino communities, including the oldest Little Manila in the United States.

Honoring the Unsung Heroes of the Delano Grape Strike

A central element of “Makibaka” is a replica pavilion filled with time capsules and care packages, a poignant tribute to the Delano Grape Strike. While figures like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta are often at the forefront of narratives about the strike, Abang-guard shines a light on the thousands of unsung Filipino organizers and strikers, including Larry Itliong, who initiated the walkout. Seventy-five names are inscribed on missile-shaped time capsules, housed within a sculpture resembling a salakot, a traditional Filipino farmer’s hat.

These capsules are filled with items from local shops in Little Manila, Queens, mirroring the care packages sent between the Filipino diaspora and their families back home. The exhibition powerfully demonstrates the enduring legacy of collective action and resistance, a lesson particularly relevant in today’s labor landscape.

Guarding Memory: Performance and Memorialization

The performance aspect of Abang-guard’s work is particularly compelling. Their “Bridged Monuments” series sees them standing guard at sites significant to Filipino American history, such as Little Manila in Stockton and Delano. This act of “guarding” is both a performance and a memorial, invoking the reverence typically reserved for palaces and historical monuments. By physically occupying these spaces, they honor the Manongs and Manangs (elder brothers and sisters) who paved the way for future generations, preserving their stories and struggles.

Environmental Justice and the Legacy of Dawn Mabalon

“The Air We Breathe (For Dawn Mabalon)” confronts the critical issue of environmental justice. The artwork, dedicated to the late Filipina American historian Dawn Mabalon, who tragically died of asthma at age 45, displays real-time air quality data from Flushing, Queens, and Stockton, California – both communities disproportionately affected by pollution. This connection between labor history, public health, and environmental concerns underscores the systemic inequalities faced by working-class communities of color.

Reimagining Pop Art: Filipino Histories Reclaimed

Abang-guard masterfully reinterprets iconic Pop Art from the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, created by artists like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and James Rosenquist. These works, originally celebrating American technology and consumerism, are transformed into portraits of Filipino experiences, focusing on labor and collective struggle. Warhol’s “13 Most Wanted Men” becomes “America’s Most Help Wanted,” featuring portraits of Filipina nurses. Rauschenberg’s collage is reimagined with images of nurses and President Johnson signing the 1965 Immigration Act. These reinterpretations assert Filipino identity within the Pop Art vocabulary, highlighting the impact of the Immigration Act on the growth of Filipino American communities.

Frequently Asked Questions About “Abang-guard: Makibaka”

• What is the significance of the term “Makibaka” in the context of this exhibition?
  “Makibaka” is a Tagalog word meaning “coming together for change.” It embodies the spirit of collective action and resistance that is central to the exhibition’s themes.
• How does the exhibition address the history of Filipino nurses in the United States?
  The exhibition highlights the vital role Filipino nurses played in addressing healthcare shortages in the U.S., while also acknowledging the sacrifices and challenges they faced.
• What is the connection between the 1965 World’s Fair and the themes explored in “Makibaka”?
  The 1965 World’s Fair served as a starting point for the artists to examine pivotal moments in Filipino American history that occurred that same year, including the Delano Grape Strike and the Immigration and Nationality Act.
• How does Abang-guard’s background as museum guards inform their artistic practice?
  Their experience as guards has shaped their perspective on value, importance, and what is often overlooked, influencing their performances and installations.
• What is the message Abang-guard hopes visitors will take away from the exhibition?
  Abang-guard hopes visitors will gain a deeper understanding of Filipino American history, recognize the importance of collective action, and be inspired to fight for equity and social justice.