Free online lecture on art, travel and scholarship
WRITER, thespian, film artist, arts advocate, educator and scholar Sunita Mukhi will share her creative journey and impart expert advice as an artist, wanderer, and an academic in an online lecture entitled “Tall Tales of a Traveling Scholartist.” The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be conducted via Zoom on Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. Interested participants may register through the link: shorturl.at/mnuyM. Hosted by Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster (BACC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, the lecture will immerse the participants in the joys and challenges of art, travel and scholarship experienced in the Asian Pacific Dance Conference and Festival conducted in University of Hawaii in Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii and in the Storytelling and the Body: Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference held in Hotel San Marco, Verona, Italy. Ms. Mukhi will transport participants into her Hawaii talk wherein she emphasized how performance art tells stories of inclusion and intimacy. Her traditional and practiced-based research has become part of a cross-cultural exchange and celebration of the rich heritage of dance. She will likewise expound on her Verona venture, wherein she joined fellow artists in a creative exploration of the power of diverse narratives through her live and improvised demonstration entitled My Eyes Adore You: You Are Beautiful To Me. Her showcase, which sought to redefine and reclaim the essence of beauty, has been featured worldwide, such as in the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective’s suite entitled “Beauty at the Dumbo Arts” in New York. It had a local iteration at Benilde’s “Reinterpretations” exhibition at the Alto Mondo Gallery at The Picasso in Manila. For inquiries, visit the official Facebook page of Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster through the link: https://www.facebook.com/benildearts/.
Gateway Gallery Pocket Museum open to submissions
THIS year, the Gateway Gallery Pocket Museum will give artists the opportunity to have their artworks featured in the mobile app through Art Flex. Art Flex will feature weekly art submissions by Filipino artists based on a monthly theme. This is open to students, amateur, and professional artists. Art Flex will pick an artwork to be featured every Friday of the month For February, the theme is “My Home.” The theme for March is “My Summer,” while the theme for April is “Cebu” in celebration of the 500 years of Victory in Mactan. At the end of the quarter, one artwork will be selected based on the listed criteria. The winning artist will get to bring home prizes and a chance to exhibit at Gateway Gallery. In addition, two exhibits will also be uploaded this year and the bi-monthly feature of the Gateway Gallery Art Collection will be started this February. The Art Collection Feature will contain insights and perspectives of invited writers, curators, and educators. Gateway Gallery Pocket Museum mobile app is available for download in Google Play and Apple IOS. Gateway Gallery is the art museum of Araneta City devoted to the promotion of Philippine culture, heritage, and art. It is managed by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation. To know more about these programs, call 8588-4000 local 8300, e-mail at gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com, or like and visit its social media accounts.
Conrad unveils ‘Of Art and Wine: Thrive’ exhibit
THE CONRAD Manila has unveiled its art curtain riser for 2021, the 15th edition of its “Of Art and Wine” exhibit at Gallery C, featuring various artists from the Association of Pinoyprintmakers (AP) in an ensemble series entitled “Thrive.” The exhibit brings together 24 artists whose collective work of 34 art pieces underscore the art community’s courage to cope and conform as the world goes through inevitable changes and challenges, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. The exhibit represents the Association of Pinoyprintmakers conviction that the role of artists has always been to observe, reflect and translate these to tactile units using various media to create art that celebrates life conveying reflective narratives through printmaking. The works are on display for purchase at Gallery C until Feb. 19. For more information about “Of Art and Wine: Thrive” including the price list, call (632) 8833-9999 (Angelica Restrivera) or e-mail conradmanila@conradhotels.com.
4 exhibits at West Gallery in February
WEST Gallery has four exhibits this month running until Feb. 13. There is a group show, “End of the Spectrum,” which gathers new works by artists Allan Balisi, Bjorn Calleja, Jonathan Ching, Don Dalmacio, Paolo Icasas, Jonathan Olazo, Soler Santos, and Art Tavera, revolving around the color red. Then there are three solo shows: “Play, Cut, Stick, Paint” in which Ayka Go presents works that evoke a sense of longing and introspection but with a clear departure from her established process of painting images of origami landscapes; “Chops, Hams, Head” by Jemima Yabes, the artist’ fixation on chopped meat came with the curiosity for the commodity’s price hike in COVID-19-struck Metro Manila; and “Peeking Out from Under the Blanket,” where Nicole Tee ventures on to other types of processes on fabric, even as she retains enduring engagements with past themes and materials. Visitors are welcome by appointment. To make an appointment, call (02) 3411-0336.
Kulay Diwa selling Anita Magsaysay-Ho book
KULAY Diwa gallery is selling Anita Magsaysay-Ho, A Retrospective, a monograph published on the occasion of the first retrospective exhibition of Anita Magsaysay-Ho (1914-2012). The monograph encompasses the evolution of her work from the early 1940s to the late 1980s. In the more than 40 years of her career, Magsaysay-Ho developed a unique and inimitable style, with women as her first and dominant subject, and was one of the Philippines’ first modernist artists. The hardcover monograph, which includes an introduction by Purita Kalaw-Ledesma and an essay by Alice Guillermo, was published by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 1988. It is priced at P38,500.
Palacio de Memoria holds a flea market
ART, antiques, artisanal goods, conversations, food, and fun await art lovers as Palacio de Memoria holds a colorful and safe activity on Feb. 6 and 7, from 10 am. to 5 p.m. Inspired by the famous European flea markets, the event titled “Flea Market at Palacio de Memoria” will welcome fairgoers in search of one-of-a-kind art and antique pieces, great deals, and gastronomic delights. Palacio de Memoria will be housing several merchants and shops for its Antiques Fair including Gallery of Prints, Archivo 1984, Galeria Lienzo, the private collection of Edd Fuentes, Rue Angelique, and Vidro. There will also be Connoisseur Talks on Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. Art patron Dr. Jaime Laya will be sharing his knowledge and expertise during the discussion. This event will be moderated by Issa Litton. There will be food and libations on Feb. 7 at 11 a.m., featuring an exclusive menu and demo by Cibo di Marghi, as well as a Cognac master class and open bar by Remy Martin on Feb. 6 and 7 at 1 and 3 p.m. Capping off the two-day affair, Palacio de Memoria will hold a Cigar Night on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m., where guests will learn about cigar carving and rolling with Tabacalera Incorporada. They will also serve with drinks by Don Papa Rum. To ensure the health and safety of everyone, Palacio de Memoria will implement strict safety measures throughout the duration of the fair. Palacio de Memoria is located at 95 Roxas Blvd., Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City. The event is open to the public, but registration is required. To register, e-mail john@casadememoria.com. For more information, visit https://www.palaciodememoria.com or follow @thepalaciodememoria on Facebook and @palacio.de.memoria on Instagram.
Night of ideas with CCP, French Embassy
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) supports the global exchange of ideas and knowledge that is “La Nuit des idees” (The Night of Ideas), organized by the Embassy of France in Manila. On Jan. 27, the pocket event — dubbed “Proches a velo: Closer by Biking” — put the spotlight on the development of the culture of cycling in the Philippines. The CCP has always been a destination for most bike enthusiasts in the country. During the pandemic, the biking community has indeed grown leaps and bounds. Among those who attended the event were (L-R): Arturo Carballo, Jr. (Project Lead, SM Bike-Friendly Initiative); Chris Millado (CCP Artistic Director); Martin Macalintal (Cultural Attaché, French Embassy); Cyril Rocke (Vice-President, European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines); Marc Piton (Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, French Embassy); Cameron Gray (electric bike distributor); and Howie Severino (broadcast journalist).
Nicole Coson, Frank Callaghan in Silverlens
SILVERLENS presents two solo shows this month, both running from Feb. 11 to March 13. “Exoskeleton,” a solo exhibition by Nicole Coson, is an extension of the artist’s thesis presentation at the Royal College of Art in London, where she recently completed an MA in Painting. Produced during the pandemic, this series of works was prompted by society’s sudden transformation from public to private. This change, which occurred on a global scale, urged Ms. Coson to consider the renewed way in which people viewed the outside world — through the glass of their windows. Through Venetian blinds, a domestic object perceptible both inside and out, Ms. Coson subtly communicates society’s seismic shift in a manner that contrasts the volume of its context and import. Meanwhile, in “Flux,” a solo exhibition by Frank Callaghan, the artist shifts his attention away from the moon, instead focusing on capturing moonlight, seascapes, as well as the surface of the water itself. The photographer actively explores disruption by intervening restful scenes to encourage disarray. Through long exposures at night with minimal post processing, Mr. Callaghan continues to push the potential of what a single photographic exposure can compress to a surface. Simultaneously, he explores how the surface can act as an intermediary of meaning. Visits to the gallery, located at 2263 Don Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati, are by appointment only. Call 8816-0044, 0917-587-4011, or e-mail info@silverlensgalleries.com.
