Pio Abad project explores Marcoses’ legacy, March 22, SF Asian Art Museum

Artist Pio Abad.

SAN FRANCISCO — London-based Filipino artist Pio Abad explores the cultural legacy of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos in his recent project, The Collection of Jane Ryan & William Saunders, part of Thursday Nights at the Asian Art Museum on March 22.

Reproducing objects from the Marcoses’ lavish inventory of commissioned portraits, jewelry, Regency silverware and Old Master paintings, the project poses questions about reproduction, democracy and collective acts of commemoration.

Pio Abad uses strategies of appropriation to mine alternative or repressed historical events, unravel official accounts and draw out threads of complicity among incidents, ideologies and people. His work has been exhibited widely, including at Kadist, Paris; CCA Glasgow; 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney; Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong; and Gasworks, London.

This event is co-organized with KADIST, San Francisco. Free with admission ($10 after 5 p.m.).