A homage to lensmen now stands at Sunshine Park.
Artist Clinton Aniversario dedicated the sculpture, “The Language of Photography,” at the newly renovated Sunshine Park to fellow photographers in the Cordillera.
“Personal itong piece na ito para sa akin (This piece is personal to me). It’s also a tribute to two of our friends who have passed on, Ompong Tan and Neil Clark Ongchangco. It is also dedicated to all Cordilleran photographers, actually,” Aniversario said.
The piece honors photographers who actively document and capture the history, culture, and memorable moments of the region so that future generations can see them.
Depicting a mother lovingly pushing a child on a swing while the father takes a photograph of the mother and child, the triple-image sculpture is made of found objects, auto parts, and discarded homeware, as well as scrap iron rummaged from junkshops and donated by friends. It weighs 120 kilos each.
The artist encourages the use of household waste, broken appliances, and recycled objects to create art in order to help reduce the city’s growing mountains of garbage.
Aniversario explained, “The sculptures reflect the act of capturing and holding moments that would otherwise pass unnoticed. Light becomes both medium and message: a quiet commandment that reveals, preserves, and gives meaning.” He added that the sculptures do not impose a single meaning; instead, they invite the viewer to complete the work, to see their own memories reflected, to interpret the stillness, and to find significance within it. In this way, the work remains open, continuously rewritten through each encounter.
The IgoBot series highlights different figures over time; past artworks honored farmers, craftsmen, and cultural dancers, while a future project may focus on musicians.
“The Language of Photography” is the 10th installment of his IgoBot (Igorot robot) series. The first piece is located at the Philippine Science High School in Irisan and was finished in 2019.
Aniversario is a registered medical technologist who chose to pursue his passion for art, heritage, and culture. His works have been showcased in Singapore and at the Gangwon Art Fair in South Korea.
Sunshine Park formally opened to the public on May 21 after months of rehabilitation. By Maria Elena Catajan With reports from Stesha Tamangen, UC intern
