Motorized tricycles, or simply tricycles (known in the rest of the world as a motorcycle and sidecar), are an indigenous form of the auto rickshaw and are a common means of public or private transportation in the Philippines. These utility vehicles either ply a set route or are for hire, like taxis.
For the Mindanao Art Fair, Bing Cariño pays tribute to these most popular means of transport in small towns and cities, especially in the rural areas in Mindanao. Entitled MinTODA (Mindanao + Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association), the collections of 224 individual drawings are assembled into an 8-row, 28-column montage of art.
Originally without the intention of building a work of this scale, the first few drawings were attempts to make something productive after 6 weeks of doing nothing during the lockdowns starting March this year. The work grew into a TODA fleet.
While the possibilities of the trike variation is unlimited, the artist began to google trike designs and realized how the designs of transport differ from one city to the next, making trikes makers of the diverse Mindanao identities.
In keeping with Mindanao Art Fair’s theme, LIVING ART IN A NEW LANDSCAPE, MinTODA will be seen in cities and municipalities in Mindanao, literally bringing the Art Fair around, just like what the trikes are there for.