Kikik Kollektive will take center stage at Pasinaya Iloilo 2026. They will open the “Palabas” performances with “Ipaambit” at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) on February 7 (Saturday). The program will start at 10:30 A.M. 

Message Rooted in Tradition

The collective shared a powerful reflection in Hiligaynon. “Kung hunahunaon naton ang pagdihon para sa palaabuton, masami naton ginapinsar ang kalibotan nga ginapadalagan sang matayog nga teknolohiya kag artipisyal nga kaalam.“

“Apang ang paghimó duna sa aton. Ginpanubli sang aton mga gingikanan—duta, ispiritu, kagulangan, katigulangan, taliambong, sugilanon, ritwal, pang-adlaw adlaw nga pagsinirayo kag pangabuhi,” they added.

Further, it underscored: “Kami sa Kikik Kollektive magatipon, magadihon sang tupaday—ginhawa nagasalapid sa mga tudlo, tingog, ambahanon, gihô.”

“If we think about what to leave behind for the future, we often consider the world driven by advanced technology and artificial intelligence. But creation is within us. Our ancestors revealed it—land, spirit, forest, elders, art, stories, rituals, and our day-to-day way of life,” they stressed.

“We in Kikik Kollektive will come together; we will shape and mold something with each other – our breathing entwined through the fingertips and with unified voices, song, and movement,” declared the group. 

Their performance “Ipaambit” honors these roots. Performers include Kyla Balibagoso, Jeff Balincuacas, Louise Banabatac, Khian Barniego, Kristine Buenavista, Kyla Buenavista, Yzah Calunsod, Marrz Capanang, Clarence Ceriola, Hannah Vergara-Figueroa, Steve Magbanua, Earl Martirizar, Jam Monares, Julliana Pudadera, JoAn Sarmogenes, and Ed Carestine Sustento.

Amplifying Community Voices

This independent Iloilo-based collective specializes in community-driven public art. They create large-scale murals that tackle social, environmental, and cultural themes through a Hiligaynon and Panayanon lens.

Formed in 2017 as “Artivism Iloilo,” they rebranded to Kikik Kollektive. The name comes from the Hiligaynon word for cicada (“serum-serum”)—a noisy insect symbolizing vibrant rural dialogue.

They champion decolonization and connect artists to grassroots communities. Through poetry, music, and dance, they amplify marginalized voices at local, regional, and international levels.

Notable Projects

Kikik Kollektive has left its mark through striking projects like Tul-an sang aton kamal-aman (Bones of our elders), a powerful 2024 mural for the Asia Pacific Triennial (APT11) that celebrates Panay’s indigenous traditions and honors mystical moon-linked serpent deities.

Also read: Cultural Diplomacy: The Soft Power of Kikik Kollektive

Similarly, in Ugat Bisan sa Sid-sid (Roots on the peripheries), the collective paid vivid tribute to Ilonggo icons, namely: Ramon Muzones, Felipe Landa Jocano, Magdalena Gonzaga Jalandoni, Timoteo Jumayao, Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro, and Estrella Bangotbanwa, drawing inspiration from the late social realist master Antipas Delotavo to root their work in local legacy.

Other projects address typhoon impacts on children, vendor dignity amid privatization, plastic pollution, fishers’ rights, development aggression, capitalism, and climate change. These murals, paintings, essays, and literary pieces spark conversation and drive action.

Recently, they completed “Oceans are Life,” a collaborative mural with Greenpeace Philippines-Iloilo Volunteers. It marks the Global Ocean Treaty’s enforcement.

The group also re-energized its creative reservoir through “Becoming Duwende.” This exclusive member gathering and zine-making event kicked off National Arts Month.

In “Ipaambit” at the Pasinaya Iloilo 20206, you will witness Kikik Kollektive’s creative soul as Iloilo’s creative pulse.