Philippine Futurism

The salakot is a Filipino pre-colonial helmet/hat fabricated from bamboo, rattan, palms and other natural resources coated in resin to protect the wearer from sun and rain (Morales). During the Spanish colonial era, the salakot was used to differentiate the socioeconomic status of Filipinos with how elaborately decorated they were through the use of gemstones and metals such as silver (Morales). Then it was adopted as a symbol of revolution from the Spanish to the American occupation (Caldito). The creation of this salakot stems from how the salakot is understood today, as a symbol of the “natural biodiversity of the Philippines and our need to protect it for future generations.” (Caldito). This led me to imagine a Philippine futuristic utopia in which everyone has access to a solar panel salakot that can be used to power their homes by docking it in the house while not in use. I imagine this would reduce living costs while protecting our natural biodiversity through renewable energy. 

I am extremely proud of this piece, I have never fabricated a piece at this scale while incorporating metal, acrylic and textiles. Extensive planning took place for this to be successful, I created multiple work plans and a paper and wire model to understand my fabrication process. If I were to remake this piece in the future I would like to add another row of acrylic to convey a more futuristic design while adding warp to the twine coiling to add structure and strength to the salakot.