Harurot (Acceleration)
February 21 - 26, 2020
Enclave Lab, London
Alfred Marasigan
Frustrated by having been stuck in traffic in Manila for 6 hours, Angeline Tham conceptualized Angkas, a motorcycle taxi service in 2015. This service involves commuters riding pillion behind drivers, providing a quick way to steer through standstill traffic. Dubbed as one of the world’s “most gridlocked cities,” Manila’s congested highways and impractical public transportation system has left many commuters discouraged and disillusioned with daily routines, leading others to look into alternative modes of transport. As of December 2019, it was reported that Angkas only has three months left to operate and will cease to be licensed beginning March 2020.
Harurot (Acceleration) was an exploration of the ways we navigate through physical and digital gridlocks. For his first solo exhibition in London, Alfred Marasigan, in collaboration with Isola Tong, livestreamed a routine 2-hour Angkas commute from her home to a club. The livestreamed video was accompanied by a DJ on site in Enclave Lab. At the end of the exhibition, Marasigan held a “spin class” set to the music played during the dance party. Harurot (Acceleration) sought to look into the subtext of the motorcycle, navigate sexuality and queer road rage by overriding negative feelings associated with traffic through enacting a space to dance and celebrate.
DJ set by Udaasi @uglyinahotway
Instagram account @harur0t
February 21 - 26, 2020
Enclave Lab, London
Alfred Marasigan
“What do they mean by transportation crisis? I just see traffic.” (Salvador Panelo, Philippine Presidential Spokesman, October 2019)
Frustrated by having been stuck in traffic in Manila for 6 hours, Angeline Tham conceptualized Angkas, a motorcycle taxi service in 2015. This service involves commuters riding pillion behind drivers, providing a quick way to steer through standstill traffic. Dubbed as one of the world’s “most gridlocked cities,” Manila’s congested highways and impractical public transportation system has left many commuters discouraged and disillusioned with daily routines, leading others to look into alternative modes of transport. As of December 2019, it was reported that Angkas only has three months left to operate and will cease to be licensed beginning March 2020.
Harurot (Acceleration) was an exploration of the ways we navigate through physical and digital gridlocks. For his first solo exhibition in London, Alfred Marasigan, in collaboration with Isola Tong, livestreamed a routine 2-hour Angkas commute from her home to a club. The livestreamed video was accompanied by a DJ on site in Enclave Lab. At the end of the exhibition, Marasigan held a “spin class” set to the music played during the dance party. Harurot (Acceleration) sought to look into the subtext of the motorcycle, navigate sexuality and queer road rage by overriding negative feelings associated with traffic through enacting a space to dance and celebrate.
DJ set by Udaasi @uglyinahotway
Instagram account @harur0t
Photos courtesy of Tim Leech-ClearyGraphic design by Yuji de Torres