At the newly renovated Sunshine Park lies a unique metal sculpture that shows how discarded items can transform into beautiful art.
“Kaya iniimbitahan ko po lahat ng mga artist, mga estudyante, na sana magamit natin ang ating talento rin sa pagbuo ng obra na gawa sa mga recycled objects, mga nasisira ang appliances, o mga hindi na kailangan sa bahay para naman mabawasan ang kabundukan ng basura natin,” artist Clinton Aniversario explains.
(“That is why I am inviting all artists and students to use our talents to create artwork made from recycled objects, broken appliances, or things that are no longer needed at home, so that we can lessen our growing mountains of garbage.”)
Made from found objects, auto parts, discarded homeware, and scrap iron, the massive eight-foot artwork weighs almost 400 kilos. The sculpture depicts three figures: a mother pushing her child on a swing while the father stands by taking a photograph to capture the memory.
Instead of letting garbage pile up in the city, Aniversario turns discarded trash into masterpieces. Using scrap metal and broken household appliances, he builds figures that honor community heroes in a series he calls the IgoBots (Igorot Robots).
Officially the tenth work in the “IgoBot” series, which started in 2019, each statue honors different vital figures in the community, such as farmers, craftsmen, and cultural dancers.
The Sunshine Park sculpture, titled “The Language of Photography,” is about the people who take pictures to chronicle history. The piece stands as a tribute to two specific photographers, Rodolfo “Ompong” Tan and Neil Clark Ongchangco. It aims to honor lensmen in the Cordillera region who document history, culture, and memory for future generations.
“This sculpture reflects that of preserving the quiet yet important gestures of humanity—which are the good deeds, the helping hands, and the ever-enduring presence of love,” Aniversario says.
Aniversario is a Baguio-based multimedia artist, sculptor, and photographer known for his modern, unique style. With roots in Besao, Mountain Province, he is a registered medical technologist who chose to follow his passion to become a full-time artist.
He is also famous for his “Clinton Box Camera” vintage photography and runs the Clinton Museum and Ecopark, located along Palispis Highway (Marcos Highway) in Palina, Pugo, La Union.
By Maria Elena Catajan, with reports from Stesha Lev Tamangen (UC Intern)
