Mideo M. Cruz
Born in 1973, Mideo M. Cruz is an active cross-disciplinary artist-organizer based in Southeast Asia. His works show strong allegorical images of the social order. In 2011, he became controversial when his installation Poleteismo in the Cultural Center of the Philippines was strongly objected to by the Catholic Church, leading to exorcism rituals and a Senate hearing. Cruz states: “Most dialectical transitions in our histories consist of a traumatic event. It usually takes an unusual experience outside of the usual norms to achieve another sphere of conclusions”. Among his merits are the 2003 Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award, the 2003 Sungduan Grant and the 2006 Ateneo Art Award.