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Poverty as an ‘aesthetic’? Solenn apologizes amid criticism on her art installment

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<p>MANILA — Actress Solenn Heussaff has apologized amid backlash to her art installment at a slum area, which aimed to promote her upcoming solo exhibit.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL8RQXSBI9F/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL8RQXSBI9F/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 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style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL8RQXSBI9F/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Solenn Heussaff (@solenn)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>In the photo posted across her social media channels, Heussaff is seen seated on chair, with her own designed rug underneath and an acrylic painting, depicting a tropical paradise, behind her. In the background are a shanty house and a sari-sari store.</p><p>“Happy to share that after almost 3 years in the making, I will be having my 3rd solo exhibit,” Heussaff wrote in the caption. “Mixing massive acrylic paintings and my new found love for rug designing.”</p><p>Titled “Kundiman,” the upcoming month-long exhibit, according to Heussaff, is an expression of her “love, appreciation and hope for our country and our people.”</p><p>As Heussaff’s announcement made the rounds online, her promotional material for the exhibit drew criticism, for supposedly making use of poverty as an “aesthetic,” with others branding her installment as “poverty porn.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/art/03/03/21/look-netizens-are-calling-solenn-heusaffs-art-show-invite-poverty-porn">Solenn Heussaff gets flak for posing in slum area with her plush rug</a></li></ul><p>“This is not poverty porn,” Heussaff replied to one such comment on Instagram. “If you read my caption and get to see the whole show you will understand and not be so quick to judge.”</p><p>“It’s all about not turning a blind eye to what goes on around us. Bringing people’s story to light,” she added.</p><p>The backlash, however, ultimately led to Heussaff deciding against posting further about “Kundiman,” ahead of its March 26 kickoff.</p><p>“Clearly people are quick to judge. I’ll just share the story when people can see the complete exhibit,” she said.</p><p>Then, on Wednesday night, Heussaff took to Facebook to issue an apology, without further addressing the criticism directed at her piece.</p><p>“I sincerely apologise and will post when I have the full story nalang,” she said.</p><p>Heussaff, 35, had been chronicling for the past of couple of months the final stretch of her preparation for the exhibit, sharing glimpses of paintings depicting urban poverty and what appear to be street dwellers.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/02/08/19/look-solenn-heussaffs-latest-painting-took-over-200-hours-to-create">LOOK: Solenn Heussaff’s latest painting took over 200 hours to create</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/04/07/16/look-solenn-heussaff-opens-first-solo-art-exhibit">LOOK: Solenn Heussaff opens first solo art exhibit</a></li></ul><div><strong>Related videos:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UHSCjHFj7YU?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hDLU5JU3UtM?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KuEvS88cAe8?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Heussaff’s promotional material for the exhibit drew criticism, for supposedly making use of poverty as an “aesthetic,” with others branding her installment as “poverty porn.”</p>

Heussaff’s promotional material for the exhibit drew criticism, for supposedly making use of poverty as an “aesthetic,” with others branding her installment as “poverty porn.”