The Art of Remembering
In a new exhibition, shadows and light mingle, illuminating memory, healing and courage.
Words Piolo Cudal
Photo courtesy of Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission
November 06, 2025
When shadows and light mingle, memory, grief, and resilience often coexist. This delicate balance lies at the heart of “Takipsilim: Sining bilang Pag-alala, Paghilom, at Paninindigan,” an exhibition at The Freedom Memorial Museum Gallery (TFMMG) in Quezon City.
Organized by the Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC), the Takipsilim art exhibit served as an act of remembrance and reclamation.
Through paintings and mixed-media works created by Martial Law survivors, the show becomes both a memorial and a conversation, one that invites visitors to listen to stories too often silenced by time or politics.
Healing through creation
The artworks featured in Takipsilim were born from an expressive art workshop titled “Sining at Kwentuhan: Expressive Arts Session with Martial Law Survivors,” held last March in celebration of National Women’s month.
In the exhibit, survivors were encouraged to translate their experiences of fear, courage, love, and loss into a creative form. This makes the exhibit a community-based curatorial approach as survivors became the co-curators of their own narratives, not just mere subjects of remembrance.
The word takipsilim or twilight suggests both an ending and a beginning. In the same way, the exhibit acknowledges the darkness of the past while embracing the possibility of light and renewal.
For survivors, art has become a medium of healing and empowerment. Through art, Takipsilim builds a bridge between personal memory and national remembrance, urging visitors to confront what was once denied or forgotten.
A shared responsibility
Beyond personal storytelling, Takipsilim underscores the importance of remembering as a collective duty. By remembering the lived experiences of those who endured the violence of Marcos Sr. regime, the exhibit calls attention to the ongoing struggle for human rights in the Philippines.
In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 ( Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), HRVVMC hopes the exhibit will transform museum and galleries into spaces not only for art appreciation but also for civic education and community empowerment.
As part of the rotating exhibition series of The Freedom Memorial Museum Gallery, Takipsilim will remain open to the public from October through December 2025, coinciding with the 18-day campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW). Admission is free, and the gallery welcomes visitors from Tuesdays to Sundays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 150 Corporate Center, Panay Avenue, Quezon City.
In a time when the past is too easily rewritten, Takipsilim reminds us that art has the power to keep memory alive. It is an invitation to remember not only what was lost, but what was courageously reclaimed.
