Human Rights exhibit
FOR SOME people, especially among those in positions of power, human rights are seen as an inconvenience, a frivolity, and a hindrance to progress, order, and the elimination of criminality. This view may betray a general lack of understanding or appreciation of human rights or a chasm between the values and realities of the poor, the middle class and the rich. Human rights define our humanity, and maybe the challenge of moving forward on this issue must begin with a return to the basics. The alphabet is one of the very first things that we learn as children. It is the foundation of reading, writing, and communication. The Weight of Words: An Alphabet of Human Rights, then, is a call to reflect on the basics, and to again contemplate the meaning and value of human rights. A project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and CANVAS (Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development), The Weight of Words will run from Nov. 24 to Jan. 21 at the 3rd floor and 4th floor Hallway Galleries. Participating artists Keith Dador, John Ed de Vera, June Digan, Electrolychee, Lala Gallardo, Gerilya, Meneer Marcelo, Jom Masolabe, Dan Matutina, Kevin Roque, Dan Palma Tayona, and Wesley Valenzuela each chose a letter or two to connect to a concept in human rights. The works in the exhibit will also be published as a book to be launched on the National Day of Human Rights on Dec. 10. The book will be distributed for free to disadvantaged communities in the Philippines as part of CANVAS’ 1 Million Books for 1 Million Filipino Children Campaign. For more information, contact the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division at 832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 and 832-3702, 0917-603-3809, e-mail ccp.exhibits@gmail.com, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
Artist talk
ON view until Dec. 3 at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is Attitude of the Mind: National Artist Jose Maceda Centennial while over at the Small Gallery, Datu Arellano’s Tahigami Music is on view until Dec. 10. There will be an artist’s talk on Tahigami on Nov. 25, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., at the CCP’s MKP Hall. As part of the talk, Mr. Arellano will do a live demonstration of Tahigami drawing and music-making. For more information, contact the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division at 832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 and 832-3702, mobile 0917-603-3809, e-mail ccp.exhibits@gmail.com, or visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
Homecoming exhibit
MUHON: Traces of an Adolescent City is the homecoming exhibition of the Philippines’ national pavilion at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2016. The exhibit is on view until Dec. 29 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. For Muhon, nine architects and artists were selected to start a conversation about the rapid creation and destruction of Metro Manila’s built heritage, and whether such conditions preclude the formation of the city’s cultural identity. Meanwhile, Framing the Spectacle of Space: Juan Arellano, Architect-Painter probes the creative life and works of Arellano through the thematic lens of theater and theatricality within the matrix of colonial pageantry, Hollywood and Broadway amusement, and architectural scenography. The exhibit, curated by Dr. Gerard Lico who currently spearheads the Metropolitan Theater Restoration Project, is on view until Dec. 29. The museum is located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Malate, Manila
Humor on exhibit
HUMOR ME: Joke Tendencies at the End of Irony, an exhibit at Artery Art Space featuring works by Robert Langenegger, Lindslee, Romeo Lee, Gene Paul Martin, Pow Martinez, Jonathan Olazo, and Marija Vicente, runs until Dec. 9. It features works exploring the frontiers of aesthetic wit. Artery Art Space is a contemporary art gallery plus a store and a snack bar located at 102 P. Tuazon Blvd., Cubao Quezon City. For inquiries, call 725-2837, and by e-mail arteryartspace@gmail.com.
Immersive art
THE Ateneo Art Gallery, in cooperation with CANVAS (Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development), presents The Settlement, a traveling public art installation by Mark Justiniani until Dec. 16. The Settlement is part of the artist’s current series of assemblages and installations which creates an illusion of infinite space through the careful manipulation of light and mirrors. Externally the artwork look like a shanty, while inside is rich in Philippine historical and cultural references such as martial law, the Marcos burial, the Aguinaldo Hall in Malacañang, Andres Bonifacio, a manananggal, and a mob of rallyists. The Settlement was first exhibited at the Ayala Museum as part of Art Fair Philippines 2017. It is open from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, contact the AAG at 426-6488.
