Sen Tito Sotto Defends Pinoy Artist Accused of Copying Floating Oblation from Virgins of Apeldoorn

Meet Ferdinand Cacnio, the Filipino visual artist who created UPLift, a golden sculpture of a floating woman dubbed as the female oblation, or the floating oblation. But despite the artistry, he is now being accused of copying it from an international art - Virgins of Apeldoorn of the Netherlands. Nevertheless, Senator Vicente 'Tito' Sotto defended him.



Called the UPLift, Ferdinand Cacnio dedicated his creation to his alma matter, University of the Philippines Diliman campus. But shortly after it went viral on social media, many netizens including Lei Lois Tolentino Azarcon, believed that the floating oblation was copied from Virgins of Apeldoorn, a creation of Dutch sculpture Elisabet Stienstra in 2001.

In a separate Facebook post, Cacnio denied allegations of plagariasm. He noted that he has never seen Stienstra's work of art, and has not yet been to Netherlands. "I was not inspired by her, I did not model my work after hers. I am not guilty of plagiarizing or copying her work, "Virgins of Apeldoorn". #UPLIFT is my own creation." He wrote on Sunday.

Bing Castro Cacnio, Ferdinand Cacnio's wife, said that her husband is a Civil Engineer who has previously created woman sculptures. His daugher, Bianca Cacnio, emphasized that UPLift is only one of her father's floating woman since 2007. However, Thom Puckey, Elisabet Stienstra's husband, who learned about the controversy, is not convinced.

“Mr. Cacnio’s sculpture (UPLift) does not only imitate her idea in general terms, but also in specific terms: the long hanging hair, the falling-back head, the outstretched arms, the outstretched body. The similarities are too evident to be coincidental. Plagiarism is still plagiarism even if a few details have been altered,” Thom Puckey wrote on Facebook.

But while netizens are still voicing out their opinions about Cacnio's alleged plagiarism, Sen. Tito Sotto came to rescue the Pinoy artist. Sotto, who himself has been accused of plagiarizing a blog post in his speech in 2012, said that UPLift may have some similarities with Virgins of Apeldoorn of the Netherlands but it does not mean it was copied from it.



"Bilang isa ring artist sa music, ramdam ko pag kinopya ang aking gawa o hindi. Ang isang artist naman, kung ano maisip nya gagawin nya. Hindi muna sya maghahanap kung may gumawa na nun o wala pa. Tsaka, pina research ko ang iba pa nyang ginawa. Nakita ko nga na talagang mahilig sya umukit ng babae." Sen. Tito Sotto told reporters, Monday.

Contributed by Karenina Saulo