Tubig Alat

2024 | Boston Art Gallery | Philippines

Could we value water more than we value gold? The sculptural installation Tubig Alat invites us to imagine water as if it were gold. This work inverts capitalistic perceptions around value by giving us a new way of looking at a crumpled plastic bottle. As we face a myriad of socioeconomic and ecological pressures, we critically need to reverse the script of what is considered valuable. As the Filipino saying goes, “May pera sa basura.” Let us begin to treasure those invaluable things that are often overlooked.

Featuring 22 clay casts of the common water bottle coated in imitation gold leaf, Tubig Alat serves as a reminder that 22 million Filipinos nationwide still do not have access to safe drinking water to this day.

“‘Tubig Alat’ (2024)…[is] a series of 22 clay bodies each molded in the shape of a common water bottle wrapped in imitation gold. Hinting at the myths of the Yamashita treasure and Tallano gold that were popularized during the martial law years, which led many to believe that the Philippines has the second-largest gold deposit in the world, Gupit points to the success of such false narratives in Filipino culture. Her work draws attention to the cultural mechanism of deception and sensationalism by reflecting on the overvaluing of material wealth and the undervaluing of basic human needs like drinking water.”⁠ — Sarah Conanan

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