Kristoffer Ardeña, Ghost Painting (Cracked Category): 2022 Philippine National Elections Series Re-elect Roel R. Degamo for Governor (Version 1) with a Floral Image taken from Instagram, 2023, elastomeric paint on woven PVC fiber, 24 3/8 x 16 1/8″.
“Beneath the paintings’ scabrous and pockmarked facades, one can catch glimpses of facial features, scattered words, and incongruous logos, sprouting from a flower’s stem or inconspicuously planted behind a petal. These elements ultimately reveal themselves to be fragments of political campaign posters from the Philippines’ 2022 election, known to depict glamorized portraits of Filipino politicians to compel the voting masses—echoing how Ardeña’s vivacious epiphytes attract our attention.”
Image of artwork provided by Art Porters Gallery.
Read the full review on Artforum here.
