Presences and Absences

ArtistAlfredo J. D. Aquilizan
Year1999
Mediumtoothbrushes
CountryPhilippines
Year of acquisition1999
Collection no.1249
ExplanationThe artist is a contemporary artist based in the Philippines. Exhibited at the 1st Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (FT1) in 1999, this piece consists of thousands of toothbrushes the artist brought from the Philippines and ones he collected in and around Fukuoka city. According to the artist, each toothbrush symbolizes the life of each owner; however the toothbrushes shown here do not represent the piece completely. The communication between the artist and the donors evoked through the act of collecting of the toothbrushes is also an important aspect of the piece.

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