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By Perry Gil
S. Mallari
His works have
become familiar markers in the Philippines’ urban landscape but
save for a few who are in the know, Italian sculptor Francesco
Riccardo Monti is virtually an unfamiliar name among Filipino art
patrons. Among the most visible of his works are the Siamese Dancer
displayed at the exterior of the Metropolitan Theater in Manila;
Santo Domingo located at the façade of the Santo Domingo Church in
Quezon City; and the two untitled identical figures of a woman and a
carabao—one found in Bacolod City and other in the Bureau of
Animal Husbandry compound in Quezon City.
Monti came to
the Philippines in 1930 from Cremona, Italy, and stayed in the
country until his death on August 11, 1958. He teamed up with local
artists and architects during this period and also taught fine arts
at the University of Santo Tomas from 1948 to 1958 where he was the
first to teach sculpture classes. Among his students who became
luminaries in the art world are Virginia Ty-Navarro, Leonardo
Hidalgo, Ting Ping Lay and Ang Kiukok.
Monti
collaborated with Architect Juan Arellano for the once majestic
Metropolitan Theater in Manila and the former Iloilo City Municipal
Hall. He also worked with architects PabloAntonio and Jose Zaragosa
as well as The House of Precast founder Conrado de Leon. Majority of
Monti’ s creations are huge public monuments but he also produced
small-scale works in multiple editions and different media.
Monti, who
chose to be buried in the Philippines, has a very high regards for
Filipino artisans from the very beginning of his stay in the
country. In a letter to his friend Illemo dated October 19, 1930, he
said, “I was told that all Orientals are tranquil and that the
progress of their work is slow. But these are all stories! They work
with alacrity and the buildings are built swiftly and are more
beautiful here than they are there.”
As a homage to
Monti’s genius and contribution to Philippine art, a photo
exhibition entitled Francesco Riccardo Monti in the Philippines was
mounted at the Upper Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum. The
exhibit, which will run from March 1, 2007 to June 1, 2007 is a
joint project of the Philippine-Italian Association, the embassy of
Italy and the Metropolitan Museum. Professor Maria Victoria Herrera,
who is serving as the curator for this exhibit, shared that this
undertaking is a product of four years of tedious research and
documentation. With the wanton destruction of local architectural
landmarks nowadays, Herrera hopes that through the introduction to
Monti’s works, Filipinos will learn the value of preserving their
country’s cultural heritage.
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