PHILIPPINES
Astig. In the Philippines, the word ‘Astig’ is a tagalog slang that derives from the syllabic inversion of the word ‘Tigas’, which translates to ‘Hard’—as in the texture. At present, the expression means cool or awesome. However, it originally refers to someone who is tough. Astig in Filipino culture is a ‘Bad Boy’ archetype. The word is underpinned by machismo and masculinity when it emerged in vernacular speech a couple of decades ago. Its contemporary use though not explicitly gendered, retains the masculine undertone.
Astig is an example of the many instances in which tactile sensations of the body contribute to culture’s web of meanings. In use, Astig relates hardness to machismo. The term represents a form of contemporary Filipino masculinity. It links physical strength, notions of composure and bravery, and engagement in violence to gender performance. It is as interactive as it is intrinsic. With that being said, the corporeal quality of hardness becomes discursive as it is entangled with attitudes, values and gender when enacted as performative—especially in fights. The person that embodies being Astig and their audience become discursive agents in creating meaning that begins with the tactile sensation of hardness.
Jared Jonathan LUNA
Jared Jonathan Luna (he/ they/ siya) is a dance artist and aspiring meme lord based in Manila, Philippines. They have a BA in Anthropology from the University of the Philippines Diliman and an MA in Dance Anthropology and Ethnochoreology from Choreomundus: International Master in Dance Knowledge Practice and Heritage. Their individual practice and interest is in vernacular movement systems in urban spaces. In their works, Jared tries to make sense of the role that the body and its movements take in the meaning making process. In doing so, they toy around with diverse movement vocabularies from streetdance and contemporary dance. Their most recent project studies the 'production of dancing' in social media.
Jared has performed in solo and collaborative works in local and international platforms. They have also participated in residencies with the most recent being: Art Omi Dance Residency in 2019 and Koryolab of the CCP Choreographers Series in 2021. Also in 2021, Jared was part of the first cohort of participants in [CP]3 under Dance Nucleus.
At present, Jared is a part time lecturer in the Department of Anthropology in the University of the Philippines, DIliman, and the Performing Arts Department of Guang Ming College Manila. They are also a visiting instructor at the Philippine High School for the Arts.
Outside of their work, Jared is a part of the ballroom (voguing) scene in the Philippines. They walk New Way Performance for the Kiki house of Dirty.
Jodinand Aguillon is an undisciplined, interdisciplinary artist based in Manila, Philippines. From movement, set and costume design, his work straddles contemporary expressions inspired by his Filipino heritage along with diasporic experiences. He is Drawing from his diasporic experiences and unlearnings as a balikbayan, he explores the intersections of his hyphenate identities through reworked Filipiniana garments (Glorious Dias), contemporary folk dance (HATAW) while championing creative collisions (HUB Make Lab x Pineapple Lab).
Jodinand AGUILLON
