“On the first Bantayan Fisherfolks’ Day, we were all crying. It was raining heavily. They said it was a blessing. Almost fifty boats with fisherfolk organizations and leaders coming together on water. How could they ignore us now?” —Martha Atienza

For her new body of work, Atienza asks, “Who owns the land? Who owns the sea?” She focuses on the island of Mambacayao Daku, one of the Bantayan group of islands, which has been home to fisherfolk for generations. Under the guise of economic prosperity, Bantayan has been subjected to the interests of the tourism industry. One can say the island is a microcosm of bigger issues such as community displacement, responsible tourism, sustainable economy, and climate change. Atienza calls on the viewer to participate in the act of remembering, as remembering in itself is a way to challenge a system designed to suppress.

A resolution of an ordinance declaring May 31st of every year as Bantayan Fisherfolks’ Day/Adlaw sa Mga Mananagat has been passed, a key step in preserving Bantayan Island’s fishing culture in the future. The first Bantayan Fisherfolks’ Day was initiated by Martha Atienza and GOODLand (goodland.ph).

‘The Protectors’ runs through 5 November at Silverlens New York, 505 W 24th Street, NY.

#MarthaAtienza will also be part of Frieze's ‘Indra’s Net’ section, which will run from 12 to 16 October at The Regent’s Park, London.

To learn more about ‘The Protectors,’ visit [ Ссылка ].

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