Gravity Art Space Exhibit Uses Stairs as Metaphor for Life

We Have to Look Down to Know What’s Up is Gravity Art Space’s second of three group exhibits featured in the gallery this month. The works largely revolve around the image of the stairs as a metaphor for societal narratives. 

For the six artists who contributed to the project, the staircase shows the way life tends to pigeonhole us with a specific pathway, and how the world tends to work to ensure we stay on that path for our lives. 

“Threading this path of truth seeking is akin to the use of a staircase. Some being straight forward, others labyrinthine or steep and the effort can be [grueling] depending on the ascent or descent,” the exhibit write-up said. 

No Stairways to Heaven

Using the imagery of the stairs, many of the artists display their skepticism at the way society disseminates information. For instance, Mark Bardinas’ vivid “what goes up must come down” shows an Escher-esque stairwell floating above the ocean, forcing its users on an endless cycle of ups and downs. His other work, “snakes and ladders,” displays a ladder going to a hole beyond the sky while guarded by an angry snake. 

Mark Nativo’s “As long as we get there,” meanwhile, offers a different perspective: a ladder going up to a slide, which ends up turning into its own set of stairs. 

For the viewer, some of these paintings show a collective frustration at how society forces us to either repeat the same mistakes or to never find the solutions we seek. We sometimes don’t get to understand or know better because the world we crafted never allowed us to. 

“The simple act of telling the truth is countered by digital manipulations, false narratives and the erasure of actual histories to hide the brutality of how regimes established themselves. Those that are vocal are either submitted by intimidation or drowned into the sea of irrelevance by the useless data that are pumped out to keep us distracted, entertained and stupid,” the exhibit write-up said.

The Hope in Endless Travel

And yet, some of these paintings could also be interpreted in a less pessimistic way. 

“Precipe,” a painting by Rene Bituin, gives us an end to the stairwell: a rock with a sundial, overlooking the world around us. It’s a strangely hopeful image, that maybe the knowledge we seek will have a definitive end. 

Meanwhile, Harvy Armada’s “Script written in figures” uses polymer clay on paper to create a stairway-like look that keeps going upwards. It leads us to wonder if truth is so hard to find, or maybe it’s just something that needs to be interpreted. 

A Matter of Perspective

Another painting, Jobert Cruz’s “The more things change, the more they stay the same 1-2,” shows an escalating staircase within a colorfully-uneven city landscape. The second version of this painting displays the stairwell upside down, a less straightforward climb than the first. 

Marybob Arce’s two “Indefinite” paintings show two pictures of steps in a stairwell cut into boxes of nine. The center of those boxes then reveal a zoomed-out picture of the stairwell. Both Cruz’s and Arce’s works change the perspective of the stairs to simultaneously show the ease or difficulty of the journey. And from there, you can surmise yourself: maybe the challenge lessens from a different perspective. 

We Have to Look Down to Know What’s Up revolves around interesting images that expand the metaphor to something compelling. “Life being a journey” is a well-trodden cliche we all know. And yet this Gravity Art Space exhibit creates new images that explore the idea further. 

Related reading: Gravity Art Space’s Artist Talks Demystify the Creative Process

Jia CURATED 2026: Nature Weave Arrives on Bali’s Pengembak Beach

After being set amongst the ruins of an abandoned theme park in the past years, Jia CURATED found a home on the shores of Pengembak Beach, Bali for this year’s installment. It’s a unique location with multiple natural features like Sanur’s coastline, pine and mangrove forests, and a stream—making nature an important participant for how […]

171 Residence: A Verdant Retreat Near A Vibrant City 

Just moments away from the bustling area of Bonifacio Global City is 171, a multi-level villa set on a 302-square-meter lot. M.CAL Architecture Design Studio, headed by Ar. Monique C. Albert-Lopez, built the residence as a minimalist modern sanctuary surrounded by landscaped gardens. This creative direction was drawn from the homeowners’ brief to create a […]

The Philippines at WAF: A Growing Presence in Global Architecture

The World Architecture Festival (WAF) has announced its 2026 shortlist, with several Filipino practices earning recognition across a diverse range of categories. Across civic architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to createGo to […]

MQ Residence: Arkisens’ Layered-Terrain Home for Three Generations

Located in Paroc, Pampanga is MQ Residence—a tropical-modern private residential home designed by Marikina-based architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to createGo to Architecture Glossary firm Arkisens, spearheaded by principal architect and co-founder […]

Benilde’s New Aseana Campus Interweaves Learning and Creativity 

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) will open its new campus in Aseana City, Parañaque. Occupying a 3,845-square-meter site, the new development signals a fresh chapter for the college, where architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, […]

The Galleon Shapes a New Chapter for Ortigas

As one of Metro Manila’s established central business districts, Ortigas has grown into a vibrant center for business, commerce, and urban living, strategically spanning Pasig, Quezon, and Mandaluyong City. At the core of the district lies the Ortigas CBD, home to some of the country’s leading corporations and institutions. Adding a new dimension to this […]