One of Alwin Reamillo’s most ambitious undertaking, the Mang Emo + Mag-himo Grand Piano Project grew out of a cross-cultural collaboration that began in 2005. Reamillo went in search of the craftsmen from his late father’s defunct piano-making workshop, who had learnt the techniques and methods developed by Reamillo’s father. Working with them, Reamillo created this sculpture that functions as a musical instrument, commemorating his father and artisanship. It is titled “Mang Emo,” after his father’s nickname in the workshop, and “Mag-himo,” a word in the Philippine Waray language, meaning “to make, to create, to craft.”

The piano was reconstructed using materials found in the disused workshop and beautifully inscribed with portraits and drawings. It is where family history and memory meet. At the same time, it tells the story of globalisation and its impact on local economies and migration. Reamillo considered the work a “social sculpture,” an embodiment of a generosity of spirit. Through inviting others to play the piano to create new compositions, their participation extends the work’s lifespan and legacy. The project references the Filipino notion of bayanihan (community solidarity), harnessing art, memory and the creative potential in discarded objects to empower individuals and communities. The piano is presented as an installation, surrounded by “wing-works,” sculptures that resemble wings made of salvaged piano parts. Each “wing-work” carries imageries or symbols that evoke the project’s journey through different countries, illustrating the richness of the project.