Words Galleria Duemila
Artworks Karl Castro, photographed by Miguel Buid
Editing The Kanto team
“My practice engages with the material demands of daily life, using familiar objects to explore broader systems and their impact on the ordinary,” opens artist and designer Karl Castro. “In Unboxing time, I worked with digital scans, colored elements, torn paper, and photographic documentation to examine how we archive and challenge the temporal through our interactions with material culture.”
Unboxing time opened last October 19 (Saturday) at Galleria Duemila. It is Castro’s first solo presentation of new works since his selection for the 2023 AIR⊿ Osaka residency in Japan, and his first solo exhibit with the gallery.
Unboxing time 13, mixed media on collage in artist’s frame, 2020-2024 Unboxing time 14, mixed media on collage in artist’s frame, 2020-2024
The artist “invites viewers to reconsider the ordinary” through the exhibition, examining themes such as materiality, labor, and time through works that blend the familiar with the abstract.
“This body of work questions the way we experience and process time, particularly in a moment where our routines and sensibilities have been radically transformed,” comments Silvana Ancelloti-Diaz, founder of Galleria Duemila. “Castro’s attention to color, space, and framing challenges our perception of chronology, creating a dialogue between the past, present, and future.”
Framing time 1, assemblage of book pages, mirror, found textile, and collage in artist’s frame, 2020-2024 Framing time 3, assemblage of book pages, mirror, found textile, and collage in artist’s frame, 2020-2024
Among the highlights of the exhibition is a large-scale textile work created during the pandemic called “Four-letter word,” composed of quilted and stitched found textiles, face masks, and ribbon. The piece was first displayed at the 2021 Labor Day mobilization in Quezon City. It forms a bold visual statement on resistance and anchors the show’s focus on the intersection of personal and collective history.
The exhibition draws from Castro’s range of disciplines, including collage, textile work, and photomedia, offering a nuanced exploration of contemporary experience.
“Castro’s practice spans multiple mediums, engaging with themes of materiality, history, and community. His work often addresses the circulation of knowledge and the persistence of institutional and collective memory,” says Galleria Duemila. “Informed by historical and archival inquiry, Castro’s projects frequently emerge from collaborations with cultural institutions and communities and probe the intersection of visual culture with lived experience.” •
The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Saturday until November 16, 2024, at Galleria Duemila, 210 Loring Street, 1300 Pasay City. Exhibit hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Castro will host an artist talk in the gallery during the exhibition run; details to follow.
Unboxing time is featured on Galleria Duemila’s website and its official accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
About the artist
Karl Castro (b. 1986) is an artist, designer, and educator from the Philippines. Through painting, weaving, photomedia, graphic design, and exhibition-making, he cultivates conversations and interventions on institutional memory, visuality, and contemporary issues. His areas of interest include culture, books, travel, craft, history, and Filipino identity. Visit karlcastro.com for more information
