Filipino artists questions migration, dislocation in cardboard city show

A visitor takes a selfie next to an artwork featuring houses made of cardboards on display at De La Salle university museum in Manila. Photo: AFP

A twisting maze of tiny buildings crafted from discarded cardboard boxes is the heart of an eye-catching art piece in the Phil­ip­pines highlighting the humble material’s value to millions of people.

In a nation where nearly a quarter of the population lives on less than US$2 (RM8) per day, cardboard is a cheap and abundant material used for shelter, bedding and furniture.While the installation was originally made in and patterned on the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu, the Filipino artists behind the work said the use of cardboard packs more meaning in Manila.