Exploring The (Un)familiar
In García de Marina’s “Tableau of Forms,” the renowned photographer pieces together familiar objects to unravel the world of subconscious and dreams.
Words Marc Nathaniel Servo
Photos courtesy of Geric CruzandUP Vargas Museum
September 4, 2026
Installation view of Tableau of forms, UP Vargas Museum, 2026 | Photo by Geric Cruz
Still lifes are fundamental in art—they allow the capturing of moments that usually pass by unnoticed. In this riveting simplicity comes photographer García de Marina and his keen interest in delivering meaning through images.
Setting familiar objects in unfamiliar ways demands utmost precision, creativity, and exploration that Marina digs into. A process founded in what he calls, “intuition…surrealism, the world of the subconscious and dreams.”
Exhibition opening, UP Vargas Museum, 2026 | Photo by Geric Cruz
In his exhibit at the UP Vargas Museum titled “Tableau of Forms,” the renowned photographer overcomes the language barrier of photos.
From June 16 it is available for viewing until September 5. In the lobby, the exhibit communicates to viewers through objects, sparking thoughts into symbolisms, emotional capacity, and unexpected connections of the familiar brought to unfamiliar places.
Installation view of Tableau of forms, UP Vargas Museum, 2026 | Photo by Geric Cruz
Derived from psychology and neuroscience, Marina curiously dives deep into the human psyche, and the essential process of creating meaning. Inspired by artist Kevin Van Aelst, and photographers Nancy Fouts, Joan Brossa, and Chema Madoz, he challenges human perception by putting objects out of their boxes—approaching the surrealist and dream-like world of the subconscious.
In this process of reinventing the familiar comes the intricate aspect of ideation: where each viewer could infer different meanings that are no less significant than the other, allowing the expansion of interpretation in what is supposed to be common objects in our lives.
Exhibition opening, UP Vargas Museum, 2026 | Photo by Geric Cruz
From matchsticks and musical notes to a magnifying glass juxtaposed with a target board, Marina establishes an exquisite sense of irony that allows the mind to think beyond what is shown and into what the objects are supposed to symbolize.
His recent exhibitions include those at Erarta Museum (Saint Petersburg, 2021) and numerous collaborations with the Instituto Cervantes, and the Embassy of Spain in Brussels (2020), Budapest (2020), Belgrade (2019), among others.
Installation view of Tableau of forms, UP Vargas Museum, 2026 | Photo by Geric Cruz
His works have been shown in photography festivals, including the Xposure International Photography Festival (UAE, 2018), Addis Foto Fest (Ethiopia, 2016), Photo Romania Festival (Romania, 2016), the Budapest Photo Festival, the Uppsala Fotofestival (Sweden, 2017), and the Yangon Photo Festival (Myanmar, 2018). The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana, Cuba hosted a solo exhibition of 70 photographs by Garcia de Marina in 2024.
In commemoration of the 24th Philippine-Spanish Day, the UP Vargas Museum collaborates with the Embassy of Spain in the country through the Education and Culture Offices of Instituto Cervantes to bring Marina’s exhibit to the Philippines.
