This year celebrated all things uniquely and frighteningly Filipino
On the night before All Hallow’s Eve, Metro Manila’s “creatures of magic,” invisible and visible, came out to play at the National Museum of Anthropology for SHAKE RATTLE & BALL, Tim Yap’s annual Halloween of the great and the grotesque. This time the Philippines’ top gig designer went beyond the age-old western tradition.
SHAKE RATTLE & BALL marked the eve of the opening, right on Oct. 30, 2023, of ALAMAT, an exhibit of contemporary Filipino artists that explore the visual and narrative elements of Philippine folklore. In this immersive exhibit, installation artist Leeroy New mines the intersection of pre-colonial Philippine mythology and futuristic science fiction, with his Balay Balete, a series of installations commissioned by Tim Yap himself.
With Gen-Z queen Andrea Brillantes as co-chair, the evening paid homage to all things mysterious and magical—after all, to the Filipino, horror has its own distinct size, shape, voice, appearance, indeed being and doing.
This year celebrated all things uniquely and frighteningly Filipino.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
The National Museum of Anthropology houses the national ethnographic and archaeological collections, narrating the history of the Philippines as presented through a variety of artifacts and material culture. It is home to the most significant artifacts in Philippine history, such as the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, the Calatagan Clay Pot, and the Manunggul Jar, among others. Located at the National Museum Complex in Manila, it is open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM. Admission is free!