The park was named after Balagtas, but only few knew about it because nobody in the immediate neighborhood cared. There was a time when drug addicts and small-time prostitutes made it as a trading center, especially at night.

Kay Celia by Jonathan Ranola

The young poet would bring flowers and light candles, as if visiting a dearly departed. He would do this on a weekly basis, especially right before he would submit his entries to the annual Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

He went on winning several first prizes and today, he belongs to the ranks of a few who have been named to the literary plum’s "Hall Of Fame". He has also published a dozen books of his prize-winning poems.

But unlike Balagtas, this poet’s works unfortunately seem to be gathering dust in bookstores and libraries. At least, the great master’s heroic poems – like the immortal "Florante at Laura" – have been made required reading in high school as part of the curricula, especially in public schools.

Then again, despite this, "Florante at Laura" also suffers the fate of many great literary works of local authors falling under, well, "required reading in school."

For a refresher to the common reader, "Florante at Laura" is a love story set in the far-away kingdom of Albania thousands of years ago. More than the romantic relationship between the two protagonists, the story also tackles friendships among people of different political beliefs and religious backgrounds. A few bookworms have described it as "Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending."

Today, Balagtas’ signature piece – which has already been retold in stage plays, movies, comics, and most recently, in an animated film – is interpreted anew using the visual arts.

Project Art, an outfit that specializes in curatorial services and exhibition management, is spearheading the "Florante at Laura" exhibition which will be held at the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum in UP Diliman from Feb. 8 to March 30, 2008.

Featured in the exhibition are the works of 23 artists, a combination of veterans and promising upstarts: Mark Arcamo, Buen Calubayan, Caña, Salvador J. Ching, Convocar, Marc Cosio, Cris Cruz, Leonilo Doloricon, Egai Talusan Fernandez, Alfred Galvez, Sajid Imao, Jon Jaylo, Jerome Malic, Wilfredo Offemaria Jr., Vincent Padilla, Jonathan Rañola, Laya Roman, Don Salubayba, Fernando Sena, Rex Tatlonghari, Roger "Rishab" Tibon, Inna Vitasa and Janice Liuson Young.

How the "Florante at Laura" exhibition came to be is a story in itself.

Sometime last year, Project Art curators Susan A. de Guzman and Giselle P. Kasilag approached National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario to secure his permission to use his "Noli Me Tangere" translation for an exhibit they had in mind that would combine literature and the visual arts.

Almario – who was then finalizing plans for a national festival focusing on the theatrical tradition of the komedya – suggested that the duo work on the "Florante at Laura" instead to serve as the event’s exhibit component.

Almario apparently also has a version of the "Florante at Laura," published in 2003 by the Adarna House, which includes essays based on his research on Balagtas’ best known work.

Obtaining a photocopy of a 19th century edition of Balagtas’ poem, he studied the original text and sought to correct misinterpretations of the "Florante at Laura" made by 20th century authors.

Kasilag says they only got one directive from Almario about the paintings to be created for the exhibit – that there be no abstract pieces.

Project Art thus subsequently asked 23 artists to come up specifically with figurative interpretations of selected scenes from the epic poem. Each artist was assigned a group of stanzas from which he or she could distill images to retell visually what is being described in the text.

De Guzman notes that for everyone involved in the project, it was like going back to high school, as they re-read "Florante at Laura," poring over the lines written in lyrical – and often, not easily understood – Filipino.

Pangungilila by Rishab Tibon

Visual retelling

During a production meeting late last year, some of the artists approached Almario for a deeper explanation of particular stanzas and for advice on what illustrations would be most appropriate to represent the verses.

Jon Jaylo, an artist who spent his high school years in the US, found himself steeped in "Florante at Laura" lore for the first time. Later, he admitted to the curators that the experience was transformative for him as he got to learn more about Balagtas and his literary piece. Though he struggled with the words, he eventually managed to put together a striking depiction of Aladin and Flerida reflecting their ill-fated love.

Using their respective styles, the artists came up with their respective interpretations of their assigned verses.

For example, Don Salubayba offers shadow play-like images of the two lovers – which he titled "Walang Katiyakang Pag-ibig sa Walang Katiyakang Daigdig". Salubayba is a member of the Anino Shadow Play Collective, a group of multi-media artists dedicated to popularizing the art of shadow play. Anino made its own contemporary take on "Florante at Laura" a few years ago.

Jerome Malic did a black-and-white rendition of the three lead characters in his "Paalam", explaining that he used pen and ink since the illustration is based on a written piece. Florante and Laura are Filipinized while Adolfo is portrayed as a Spaniard. "In their midst is the detail of an ornate sword, similar to a Muslim kris, signifiying danger, pain and death," Malic explains.

Depicting the wedding of the titular characters, Convocar used cut-out images with happy faces akin to Japanese puppets or dolls, giving the scene both depth and a touch of whimsy.

Rex Tatlonghari came up with a near-realistic rendition of the two male heroes riding toward the castle in "Ang Pagbabalik ni Florante sa Albanya".

Intriguing, for his part, is how Buen Calubayan put together his aptly titled "Lason" which shows a defaced Laura. With his trademark cubist-inspired approach, Caña portrays a triumphant Florante after winning the battle in "Kinang ng Tagumpay".

We can’t describe all the artworks so as to keep the excitement for the Florante at Laura exhibit. Kasilag says, however, that each painting will be accompanied by the stanza that inspired it which will be rendered on a printed scroll.

Meanwhile, the artistic team of Alfred Galvez Mural Designs and Finishes, an exhibit sponsor, made use of The Edge Gallery like a bigger canvas. For the past week and a half, they have been transforming the exhibition venue into an appropriate setting befitting the Balagtas poem. Employing trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) effects which the company has been known for, they have painted faux columns and moldings not unlike the buildings that go back to the Roman Empire. These details, rendered in gray tones, are aimed at complementing – rather than competing – with the artworks, though they hold their own for their exquisite and meticulous rendering.

"Our hope is that through the visually rich retelling of the ‘Florante at Laura’ in the exhibit, viewers – especially the younger people – will be encouraged to read the poem of Balagtas and be inspired by this Filipino literary classic," says De Guzman.

By the way, if you’re wondering who the multi-awarded, published but still unknown poet is that was mentioned at the beginning of the story, he will be there at the opening of the exhibit. Who knows, he might even be moved to read a poem or two.

( "Florante at Laura" opens on at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8, the second week of the "Komedya Fiesta 2008-The First National Festival", the UP College of Arts and Letters’ contribution to the UP Centennial celebrations. The Vargas Museum may be reached via e-mail at vargasmuseum@gmail.com_or vargasmuseum@yahoo.com.)