Maria Taniguchi

Untitled

(Celestial Motors)

2012

Filipino artist Maria Taniguchi was the winner of the HUGO BOSS ASIA ART Award in 2015. She has received widespread acclaim for her deeply meditative "brick painting" series of works. Displayed here is one of Taniguchi's most important video pieces, in which she conducts a comprehensive survey of a modern Philippines cultural icon—the jeepney (following the end of World War II, American troops left behind a large number of jeeps in the Philippines. These vehicles were later refitted en masse and given special authorization for use as small buses, transporting passengers along a fixed route on a flexible schedule). Though a primary cause of the chaotic traffic situation in Manila, under Taniguchi's watchful gaze, the jeepney becomes an incarnation of freedom and a symbol of anarchy. Taniguchi herself has stated that the video represents "a slipperiness between 2D and 3D".

Medium

Single-channel HD video, colour, no sound

Duration

6 minutes 38 seconds