(SPOT.ph) For some, remembering is a burden—it triggers painful memories, things that you’d rather forget. Sometimes, we just want to erase parts of our past à la-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. (We’re still waiting for Lacuna Inc. to knock on our doors.) But, remembering also keeps us grounded, reminding us to focus on things that should matter. For the artists in the group exhibition Remembering in Solace, reminiscing is the driving force. It’s a search, both for the creators and the audience, for clarity and stillness amid the muddle of memories. The show runs until August 12 in Espace Celine at Altro Mondo Creative Space in Makati City.

Remembering in Solace focuses on how each of the four artists—through varying strokes, colors, and medium—interprets the act of remembering. It attempts to portray the uncertainties and vagueness of human memory, including the fact that memories can sometimes lead to loneliness.

In this detail of “There’s Nothing in Too Much” by Arce, we see how the artist distorts the medium to explore layers of emotions that go with remembering.

Conceptual artist Arce translates and expresses angst through bold strokes in this exhibition. It’s a representation of a myriad of sensations, going over constraints and limitations until he stops for peace.

Filipino conceptual artist, designer, and curator Wipo showcases his signature eccentricity by combining vibrant hues and lines. He interprets and explores topics on human emotions and behavior vis-à-vis one’s ability to remember, by carefully using one’s senses to be able to scrutinize emotions derived from such memories. The emotions expressed and evoked through the heavy rendering of lines indicate the acuteness of the artist’s careful yet precise interpretations.

More notions about remembering are explored and revealed in the exhibition as Justine Basa channels her creativity and practice through abstraction. Her works on display are rendered as inks on paper. A depiction of minimalism, the details show how she compares the human mind to a work of art—a chaotic yet beautiful bastion of memories and emotions.

Four works by illustrator and painter Tof Zapanta show off bold hues of blue, black, and white. This explores the nuances of human relationships including the complex interrelatedness between others and the self.

Remembering in Solace reminds us how being human—through remembering—ironically comforts us and makes us feel safe and sound. Our notions and reflections on nostalgia take us to certainties and realities through a multitude of sensations, and we carefully craft our own ways of seeking truth and experiencing solace.

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