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Gonzo viewofManila
Carlos Celdran’s provocative tours of Intramuros and the CCP
cover some of the same ground as Ivan’s. Unsurprisingly,
Carlos also has issues with how history and culture are
presented to tourists who visit Manila.
“
Everything’s too black and white,” Carlos complains.
“
The guys were good, these others were bad. We have so
little culture of analysis when it comes to our own history; it’s
only a culture of memorization.” Rather than just memorize a
laundry list of dates and events, Carlos encourages everyone
to dig deeper into the roots of history — why certain things
happened, what they led to, and how they might happen
again. But Carlos’ approach could not be more different from
Ivan’s. Where Ivan sees his work as creating a fresh narrative
for some of Manila’s most storied places, Carlos’ approach
takes old assumptions and turns them upside down. “I’d like
to get people to analyze their own history and analyze their
own city,” Carlos says. Throwing out all the old assumptions
—
even the most piously held beliefs — is part of his plan.
“
I’m taking liberties with my city, and my impressions of
it,” he says. “I’m kind of like Hunter S. Thompson, presenting
a gonzo view of Manila’s history!” His approach to history is
far less academically rigorous: in the hands of a “professional
amateur,” as Carlos has coined himself, Manila becomes less
a subject of study and more of a theatrical backdrop.
“
I’d never claim to be an authority on Philippine history,”
Carlos stresses, “I’m a performance artist, and I’m interacting
with the city. I consider Manila as an art project, and
everything that I do with the city is part of the artistic process
of performance art.” Carlos’ take-no-prisoners approach
can cut deeply — angering some, and sending others into
paroxysms of grief. The Japanese wife of a foreign dignitary,
for one, was found sobbing in San Agustin Church’s crypt
after hearing Carlos’ affecting account of the Japanese Army-
led massacre of civilians conducted in that very spot.
S M A R T T R A V E L
“
Everything
that I do with
the city is part of the
artistic process of
performance art.”
