Red, Yellow, Peach, and Black Book of Slogans

In both her Erased Slogans,(2008) and Book of Slogans,(2008-2017) series, Kiri Dalena engages with the history of political turmoil and protest in the Philippines. Working on archival news photographs of mass gatherings in Manila against the Marcos administration in the 1970s, Dalena digitally removed the slogans on placards and banners carried by protesters. The empty spaces represent the silenced voices and the historical amnesia that has characterised Philippine politics over the years.  The four bound volumes of Dalena’s Book of Slogans, each one representing grievances against the ruling administration (Red for Ferdinand Marcos, Yellow for Corazon Aquino, Peach for Joseph Estrada, Black for Rodrigo Duterte) embody the collective anger, and enduring hope, of citizens for justice and change.