Disco Bombs, Suspended Leaps, and Shadowplay Explode At UP Vargas Museum

The UP Vargas Museum seems to have become a pretty exciting space this past year.  While it had always housed an important

By Jose Tence Ruiz

collection of paintings and memorabilia, it has transformed into a significant venue for contemporary art. In the past few months, we have seen a series of  exhibits by artists represented by Manila’s leading commercial art galleries.  Consequently, university students have gained access to works by artists critical to the current art scene.  Credit must go to curator Patrick Flores. And this latest trio of shows that he put together, all three that opened simultaneously this week,  definitely underscores this  development . Continue reading


Of Skulls and Butterflies: ARTHK 10

Damien Hirst, "Transcience Painting"

 

Skulls and butterflies may as well have been the  mantra of ARTHK 10, this year’s edition of the Hong Kong Art Fair. You saw them everywhere, most notably those of the Damien Hirst variety. Continue reading


Death is Alive at the Art Center

Kiko Escora, "Bungi"

In the absence of any exhibit notes or artists’ statements, it seems safe to assume that The Death of Death (Is Alive and Kicking) is a group show about death.  Simply go by the number of skulls up on the walls of the Art Center at SM Megamall.  It would have been nice to understand what went behind the more subtle, less archetypal works.  But then again, sometimes a piece should just hit you, make an impact on first impression.  After all, art need not always explain the meaning of life.  Or in this case, death. Continue reading


My Favorite Shows of 2009

It turns out, I chose one per quarter.  These are personal favorites, exhibits in commercial spaces I found unforgettable. I don’t  expect universal approval.  Feel free to disagree.   Here goes (in chronological order): Continue reading


They Definitely Have K: Kidlat Tahimik, Kidlat, Kawayan, Kabunyan, and Katrin De Guia

"Ay Apo! May BambooKam Indigenous Film Crew!" Installation by Kidlat Tahimik

I could not believe that in the most unexpected place at the heart of Makati I would stumble onto a really beguiling show.  A friend told me that Ricco Renzo Gallery at the LRI Plaza in Reposo St. had small pieces that I may find interesting.  Without expecting much, and seeing that I had actually completed the Christmas shopping, I decided to drop by on my way home.

Installation detail, BambooKam bulol

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Kawayan ROCKS!!!

Kawayan de Guia, "Rock and Roll"

Kawayan de Guia, "Rock and Roll" jukebox

One of the best shows I’ve seen this year.  I can say that right off the bat.  I thought Kawayan de Guia would have a hard time topping the installation he did for the CCP Thirteen Artists exhibit.  In Katas ng Pilipinas:  God Knows Hudas Not Play, he brings that concept further, develops it into a full-blown show, and made my jaw drop! He wowed all of us who happened to catch him putting this show together at The Drawing Room in Makati. Continue reading


Thirteen Artists at the CCP 2009

 

Exhibit entrance

Exhibit entrance

With the crowds surging around me, it felt like Megamall a day before Christmas rather than the middle of July at the bastion of Philippine culture.  Thirteen artists stood onstage, each one clutching what looked like mega-sized, brightly-colored, multi-layered  snow cones.  The ceremony marked the formal recognition of the triennial Thirteen Artists Awards, given to progressive artists below the age of 40, successors to the original Thirteen Moderns who had challenged the accepted notions of ccp other entrancePhilippine art seventy years ago. Continue reading


Serendipity at Silverlens

At the gallery's foyer, a grouping of the works of Julius Clar, Kawayan de Guia, Neil Oshima, and Allan Razo

At the gallery's foyer, a grouping of the works of Julius Clar, Kawayan de Guia, Neil Oshima, and Allan Razo

I have conscioulsy refrained from writing about photograph exhibits.  I can appreciate good composition, and to a certain extent, great lighting.  I even follow some of the contemporary art practitioners who work with this medium.  Cindy Sherman and her manifold manifestations fascinates me.  Its  just that I am a total ignoramus when it comes to the processes used to bring forth photographic images.  A real handicap because in the art of photography, just as it is in printmaking, a knowledge of the techniques employed by the artist deepens one’s appreciation of the final output. Continue reading


Viewing The Paulino Que Collection of Young Contemporary Artists (aka, The I Wish They Were Mine Show)

Three years ago, Ambeth Ocampo arranged for the

Kim Atienza and Ayala Museum's Ken Esguerra with Jojo Legaspi's "St Thelma"

Kim Atienza and Ayala Museum's Ken Esguerra with Jojo Legaspi's "St Thelma"

Board of Trustees of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines to view Paulino and Hetty Que’s collection of Philippine art and historical objets.  Ambeth, perhaps only half-kidding, dubbed the occasion the tour of the”… real National Gallery”.  As he took us through the assembly of works, from Juan Luna’s canvases, to Fabian dela Rosa’s landscapes, then onto the Amorsolos, and the Thirteen Moderns, from the Ben Cabs to the Ang Kiukoks, we realized what Ambeth meant.  The staggering display covered the whole gamut of Philippine art history from Damian Domingo’s Academia de Dibujo to the 1980s.   Continue reading


30 Hours in Singapore: ArtSingapore, the Biennale, Christie’s Preview, Thai Encounter, and Dinner with a National Artist

Identities by Ronald Ventura

Identities by Ronald Ventura

Sometimes, a journey planned spontaneously turns out more interesting than one crafted around a carefully drawn up itinerary.  About two weeks ago, this is exactly what happened to me when a last-minute trip to the Lion City yielded a surprising bonanza of memorable exploits.

Turning Back by Ronald Ventura

Turning Back by Ronald Ventura

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