As the Philippines embarks on its journey as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, the opening of the ‘Oculus’ exhibition on 15 March 2025 marked a significant moment in showcasing the country’s rich artistic and literary heritage and pushing audiences to uncover the layers of Philippine storytelling and its deeper complexities.

Featuring the visionary works of artists Stephanie Misa and Joscha Steffens, curated by Patrick Flores, ‘Oculus’ explores the intersection of art, science, and history, capturing the Filipino spirit of transforming perception.

On 16 March, ‘Oculus’ artists Stephanie Misa and Joscha Steffens, with curator Patrick Flores, also spoke at Heidelberger Kunstverein to spark a fascinating dialogue on Rizal — with Misa drawing from Rizal’s time in Germany to reflect on displacement and belonging, while Steffens explored how his legend continues to shape Philippine communities and narratives.

This extraordinary exhibition comes to life through the vision of Senator Loren Legarda and the dedication of the Philippines’ Guest of Honour Organizing Committee—comprising the NBDB, NCCA, and DFA.

Presented in collaboration with Talking Heads e.V. and Heidelberger Kunstverein, Oculus runs from 15 March to 18 May 2025 at Heidelberger Kunstverein, marking the beginning of the Philippines’ cultural and literary presentation on the global stage.

 

 

Heidelberg, Germany — Heightening anticipation for its Guest of Honour role at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025, the Philippines presents Oculus, an exhibition that brings together moving image, research and installation to reflect on what it means to “see things.”

Artists Stephanie Misa and Joscha Steffens work out how seeing, shaped by both ecology and imagination, can give rise to visions. Oculus immerses audiences in a space where scientific knowledge and aesthetic education intersect, and where the line between real and spectral blurs.

One of the entry points of the exhibition is Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal’s ophthalmological studies in Heidelberg and his novel, Noli Me Tangere, parts of which he wrote when he was in the same city.

Curated by Patrick Flores, Oculus is a central feature in the Philippines’ cultural program as Guest of Honour at the 2025 FBM. It resonates with the theme of the country’s participation: The imagination peoples the air (Fantasie beseelt die Luft), which was cited from the same novel by Rizal.

Oculus will open on March 15, 2025, at the Heidelberger Kunstverein and will run until May 18, 2025. There will be an Artists’ Talk on March 16, 2025, 2:00 PM, with Misa, Steffens, and Flores.

Misa is a Vienna-based Filipino visual artist, researcher and curator whose work centers on decolonizing methodologies. She examines phenomena related to the orality and richness of multilingualism.

Amsterdam-based German artist Steffens creates work about hidden communities that immerse themselves in an imaginary world, particularly the game world, focusing on those forms of gaming that require their members to immerse themselves completely in the skin of their avatar and transcend the limits of play.

Flores is Chief Curator of National Gallery Singapore and concurrently the Professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines and Director of the Philippine Contemporary Art Network. He was Curator of the Philippine Pavilion in 2015 and the Taiwan exhibition in 2022 at the Venice Biennale. Flores serves as the curator of the Philippine Pavilion for the country’s role as Guest of Honour at the 2025 FBM.

*More information about the artists and curator on our bionotes page

 

Reimagining Vision and Perception

Flores explains, “Seeing things can mean grasping objects visually to prove that they really exist in the world. But it can also be about sensing what lies beyond the visible. Oculus takes us through historical moments that both clarify and complicate our view, inviting us to explore new dimensions of thought and action.”

Steffens deepens this exploration during his research in the Philippines. In Mount Banahaw, he worked with the spiritual community Samahan ng Tatlong Persona Solo Dios of Kinabuhayan, who regard Rizal as a reference of the Filipino Christ and treat his writings, particularly Noli Me Tangere, as sacred. Published in Berlin in 1887, Noli Me Tangere played a critical role in inspiring the Philippine revolution against Spanish colonization.

Meanwhile, Misa delved into the archives of Heidelberg’s Augenklinik to investigate Rizal’s early medical work. Her installation reimagines the augenspiegel (ophthalmoscope)—invented in 1851 by the German physiologist Hermann von Helmholtz—as a multifaceted portal, encouraging viewers to explore the boundary between the literal retina and the metaphorical “mind’s eye”.

Senator Loren Legarda, the visionary of the project states, “In Germany, the Philippines’ Guest of Honour participation provides an insight into our literature and our culture, sharing with the world the intelligence of our people — one inspired by our heroes, our complex history, our multicultural reality, and the endless possibilities our talents can accomplish.”

 

Facts & Figures

Exhibition	Oculus
	Cultural Program of the Philippines Guest of Honour Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025
Place	Heidelberger Kunstverein, Hauptstr. 97, 69117 Heidelberg
Duration	March 15 – May 15, 2025
Opening	March 15, 2025, 6:00 PM
Artists’ Talk	with Stephanie Misa, Joscha Steffens and Patrick Flores: March 16, 2025, 2:00 PM
Artists	Stephanie Misa & Joscha Steffens
Curator	Patrick Flores
Presented by	The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) National Book Development Board (NBDB) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office of Senator Loren Legarda
	Talking Heads e. V. HdKV Heidelberger Kunstverein Baden-Württemberg Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst
Information	Exhibition Oculus Heidelberger Kunstverein: https://www.hdkv.de/en
	Philippines Guest of Honour Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025 https://philippinesfrankfurt2025.com and on the social media pages @philippinesfrankfurt2025: Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin.