Snare for Birds exhibition at Ateneo Art Gallery reexamines colonial narratives through archival research

At the Ateneo Art Gallery in Manila, "Snare for Birds" delves into the narratives of American colonialism through the archival investigations of Kiri Dalena, Lizza May David, and Jaclyn Reyes. Since its inception in 2020, the project has focused on the American occupation of the Philippines from 1898 to 1946, which was portrayed as a form of benevolent assimilation. Dalena presents three video pieces, including Mga Ibong Mandaragit (2023) and Birds of Prey (2023), which recount a 1908 editorial in both Tagalog and English alongside historical photographs. The third piece, Raubvögel (2023), showcases modern aerial imagery with narration in German. Additionally, Jaclyn Reyes contributes Untitled (2020), a charcoal drawing inspired by an archival image of Filipino POWs. The exhibition is open until 17 February, emphasizing the role of archives in perpetuating colonial power structures.