Our Islands 11°16’58.4”N 123°45’07.0”E

b. 1981, the Philippines; based in Bantayan Island and Rotterdam
22 mins 38 sec (loop)- second still
Promised Gift from Alvaro Pertierra

Born in Manila to a Dutch mother and Filipino father, Martha Atienza has moved between two countries and cultures throughout her life. She currently divides her time between Rotterdam and Bantayan Island in the Philippines, depending on where her work brings her. She often focuses on her immediate environment, creating snapshots of reality that are both critical and humorous. Our Islands is inspired by the artist’s family seafaring history: her Filipino grandfather was a lighthouse watcher on the coast of the Visayan Sea, her father a sea captain and her Dutch mother worked for the Holland America Line. The work is based on Bantayan Island and the municipality of Madridejos, where the artist herself grew up. Atienza addresses the problems the fishing community have faced due to poverty, environmental change, and the long absence of family members at sea. While grounded in specifically local concerns and culture, the work speaks to common issues shared across island communities everywhere in the world.