Jigger Cruz, "Dead End", detail
Between awaiting this upgraded site and attending to a ton of work, September just whizzed by me. Manila’s art scene yielded some incredible shows. While I did get the chance to catch most of them, I couldn’t find the time to sit down and write. For posterity’s sake, I thought I’d document them here anyway. Here are September 2011’s highlights: Continue reading
Noell El Farol Death Mask (Black) and Death Mask (Clear)
Plainview Goal, Mixed Media Installation by Don Salubayba
Maps have fascinated for ages. Picture crude etchings discovered in caves, a diagram of the heavens crafted by ancient man to guide his destiny. Or the rudimentary representations of land and sea that steered Balboa, Columbus, and Magellan to historic conquests. In those days, cartographers depicted a flat planet that ended in a precipice, beyond which lay the great
Patricia and Patring by Tina Fernandez
unknown. What would the legendary explorers make of the GPRS features in cars and phones of today, when one touch of a button steers us precisely two kilometers to the east or west, or pinpoints locations with precision? Proof that maps serve both as guide and historic document, getting more sophisticated as man marches on to progress.
Makina Anatomika by Brendale Tadeo
Detail, Leeroy New Hanging Installation
In this show, Art Cabinet Philippines challenges 12 artists to come up with their take on maps, each one alloted a space of their own choosing in a recently-vacated penthouse. The non-traditional venue, with its commanding views of the city skyline, help unleash the powers of their imagination, fueling creativity in what promises to be a truly unique show. Hopefully, this heralds the beginning of a series of great concepts, a different way of viewing and appreciating the visual arts.
Allegorical Partition by Anton del Castillo
Alice by Lea Lim
2805B Map Ruminations by Anton del Castillo, Marc Cosico, Tina Fernandez, Mark Gaba, Mark Andy Garcia, Lea Lim, Leeroy New, Sandra Palomar, Alwin Reamillo, Don Salubayba, Brendale Tadeo, and Ian Victoriano is on view from 4 to 14 December 2008 at Apt. 2805B, Three Salcedo Place, Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village. Viewing times are from 5 to 8 pm. Contact (+63928) 5504816 or www.artcabinetphilippines.com
By Sandra Palomar
Detail, Who are the People in Your Neighborhood by Don Salubayba
Crab Ilokandia by Alwin Reamillo
The Kumot Adventure by Marc Cosico
Detail: Neil Pasilan Installation
TUTOKKK: KRISIS, KALUNASAN…ANONG K MO? AT BLANC COMPOUND
Three years ago, a core group of concerned artists came together to make a stand against the spate of extra-judicial killings that hit unrecognized, anonymous, mostly rural, Filipinos. Since then, this loosely-organized band of artists, headed by Manny Garibay and Karen Flores, have made it
Manny Garibay and Racquel de Loyola
tradition to put together an exhibit on or around December 1, Human Rights Day. To quote core member Noel Soler Cuizon, “Tutok employs art as medium, message, and motivation” to call attention to important issues affecting our daily lives, collaborating with NGOs like KARAPATAN and educational institutions such as the University of Sto. Tomas, St. Scholastica’s College, and Ateneo de Manila University.
For this, their anniversary show with an array of over a hundred 18 x 24 inch works, TutoK challenges both artists and the community at large: what do you make of a nation, and a world, in financial crisis?
The show is on view from 30 November to 10 December 2008 at Blanc Compound, 359 Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong, Ph: (632)752-0080 www.blanc.ph
Mark Andy Garcia and Lynyrd Paras
Entrance Installation by Don Salubayba
By Bogie Ruiz
Detail: Mimi Tecson Collage
By Jay Pacena
ECLECTIC BY MICHAEL CACNIO
Michael Cacnio’s brass sculptures, with their decorative, often humorous, take on everyday Philippine life may seem poles apart from TutoK’s more
Detail: Subok
thought-provoking pieces. Mike’s works are easy and whimsical and popular; his shows quickly sell out. But the underlying viewpoint perhaps falls within the same spectrum: that of celebrating one’s Pinoyness with aplomb, no matter what life hands you.
Buking!
Eclectic by Michael Cacnio, 24 November to 7 December 2008 at 1/0f Gallery, The Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Ph (632)901-3152 Email: 1of.gallery@gmail.com
