Exhibition featuring sustainable Japanese Architecture
THE JAPAN Foundation, Manila and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines present the traveling exhibition Built Environment: An Alternative Guide to Japan which will be physically exhibited from Sept. 1 to 30 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. The exhibit presents a rarely considered aspect of Japan, taking the built environment of the various regions of a country that is geographically diverse and often struck by natural disasters, with the aim of examining how Japanese people have engaged and struggled with the natural environment and how they have carried on and created locality. The exhibition features photos, texts, and videos to introduce a total of 80 buildings, civil-engineering projects, and landscapes which extends from the modern era of the late 19th century to the present, and geographically, it includes at least one offering from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures. It has been exhibited in countries like Vietnam, South Korea, China, India, and more. The exhibit will be launched on Sept. 1, 4 p.m., during an online webinar which will feature a virtual tour of the exhibit at the MET followed by a dialogue with the curator and a panel of Japanese and Philippine architects and an engineer focusing on the built environments both in Japan and the Philippines, using responsive design that withstand natural disasters including a perilous pandemic in both countries. The webinar will feature the exhibit curator Kurakata Shunsuke (Associate Professor of Faculty of Engineering at Osaka City University), Kurokawa Sho (CEO, Sho Kurokawa architects Co. Ltd.), Jo Miranda (Chairman, United Architects of the Philippines-Emergency Architects), Lorena Hernandez (Project Team Leader, TAO-Pilipinas) and will be moderated by architect Emmanuel Minana and a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees. The online webinar will be held on Zoom and Facebook Live. To register, go to this link: http://bit.ly/OurBuiltEnvironmentsWebinar.
British Council holds virtual exhibit
THE BRITISH Council and National Museum of the Philippines present the virtual exhibition Together Apart — Art world voices that connect us now, through the British Council in the Philippines’ website (https://www.britishcouncil.ph/programmes/arts/visual/platform). The exhibition highlights thoughts of art leaders in the Philippines, UK and other parts of the world during a global crisis. Responding through artworks from the British Council Collection, their reactions are deeply personal and serve as a reminder of the transformative power of art. Co-curated by the National Museum of the Philippines, the presentation allows a global audience to discover select pieces from the National Fine Arts Collection. The artworks bridge circumstances from the time they were created to today’s context. They evoke familiar feelings and perspectives presented through the exhibition themes, from anxiety to the need for solidarity. Notable artworks include those by well known British portraitist Lucian Freud and pioneering female abstract artist Nena Saguil from the Philippines, just to name a few.
Virtual Design Week 2020
AS PART of the Virtual Design Week 2020: Reflections on a New Digital Earth, a roundtable discussion entitled “Philippine Talks Academe: Equality, Community and Sustainability,” will be held, with industry experts and academic leaders speaking on how the Philippine creative industry and leading art educational institutions are adapting to the new normal despite the digital divides. Hosted by ACIIID (A Contemporary of Inspirational, Influential, & Interdisciplinary Design(er)s), a digital platform dedicated for news, inspirations and trends on design, fashion and the arts, the event aims to tackle the most pressing social issues today that affect design through the lenses of sustainability, equality and community. The panel will be comprised of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Center for Campus Art Director and Curator Gerry Torres, who will explain art and design in the academic scene and how the pandemic transformed physical exhibits to online installations and exhibitions, and animator and former Toon City Animation mentor Ian Tamara, who will discuss the technological innovations and methodologies of design in the Philippines. They will be joined by iAcademy School of Design and Arts Dean Jon Cuyson, who will identify the differences of virtuality and reality and the strategic improvement for industry partners, and University of Santo Tomas Assistant Professor Gemma Mendoza, who will explore the design cultures across South East Asia. The featured industry experts will likewise discuss the challenges brought by the transition and share their personal experiences and future projects. Benilde School of Design and Arts educator Nandi dela Paz will be the moderator. “Philippine Talks Academe: Equality, Community and Sustainability” will be held on Aug. 27, 7 p.m., via Zoom. Interested participants may register through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gsae5n_lRiOSNqXHCyzbWw.
Silverlens exhibits extended
SILVERLENS GALLERY’S current exhibitions, Hoarding Fossils in Blankets by Patricia Perez Eustaquio and Dashiell Manley’s eponymous show, will be extended until Sept.12. While viewable online, the gallery encourages viewers to see these exhibitions in person as there is hardly a substitute that compares to the experience of standing before a work of art and absorbing its scale, as well as the delicate nuances missed by its photographic reproduction. To ensure the health and safety of the gallery staff, guests, and larger community, the gallery is taking strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thus the gallery is not accepting any walk-ins. Gallery visits are limited and by appointment only, from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Upon entering the compound, security guards will take the visitor’s temperature and they will be asked to fill out a health inspection form. Hand sanitizer will be provided, and high-touch surfaces will be cleaned following each visit. All visitors are required to wear masks. The gallery is at 2263 Don Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati.For details, visit www.silverlensgalleries.com, call 8816-0044, 8816-0044, or 0917-587-4011, or e-mail info@silverlensgalleries.com.
54 works selected for Ateneo art prize exhibit
AMID THE CRISIS brought about by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the Ateneo Art Gallery celebrates its 60th anniversary with the announcement of the selected entries to the AAG-Marciano Galang Acquisition Prize (MGAP). On Aug. 27, AAG also celebrates the 96th anniversary of Fernando Zóbel, its founding donor. With the theme centered on COVID-19, MGAP encouraged Filipino artists to submit works on paper that reflect the turmoil, struggles, initiatives made, and hopes as the country continues to navigate through the pandemic. The AAG received 329 entries after closing its call last June from which 54 works on paper, rendered in different media, were selected by a jury to be part of the upcoming AAG-MGAP exhibit, which is tentatively scheduled for November. Each artist will receive a prize of P5,000 for each artwork selected for the show. Out of the 54 selected entries, the AAG will acquire 15 works for the museum’s permanent collection. The Embassy of Italy, through Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino, will also purchase two additional works for the growing Philippine contemporary art collection of the Embassy. Each acquired work will be awarded an additional P15,000 cash prize. The Ateneo Art Gallery — Marciano Galang Acquisition Prize was introduced last April following the cancellation of the 2020 Ateneo Art Awards due to the pandemic. With support from the Embassy of Italy, the AAG-MGAP program aims to extend assistance to the Filipino artist community who have been greatly affected by the crisis. The program also honors visual artist Marciano Galang (1945 – 2001), whose 1964 assemblage Cavite was the first work acquired through Fernando Zóbel’s Purchase Fund. The Purchase Fund was conceived in 1965 in line with Zóbel’s mission to build and strengthen the AAG’s contemporary art collection by funding the acquisition of new works by Filipino artists.
Ayala Museum goes virtual
FIVE MONTHS after quarantine started, Ayala Museum launched Ayala Museum Virtual — officially continuing the museum’s commitment in bringing Philippine art and culture to the virtual space. Ayala Museum Virtual marks a new phase in the virtual programming of Ayala Museum and Filipinas Heritage Library, which include museum programs “History Comes Alive! with Prof. Ambeth Ocampo” and the Rush Hour Concerts with the Manila Symphony Orchestra online for the first time, as well as new programs like Muni-Muni Stories, a podcast by the Filipinas Heritage Library on Original Pilipino Music. (Go to this link to view the Ayala Museum Virtual Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLpnR7_8_Fg.) Kicking off this slate of new virtual programs is “History Comes Alive! With Professor Ambeth Ocampo,” a lecture series that breaks down Philippine history for a contemporary audience. Now on its 10th year, the online lectures will be held on Sept. 18 and Oct. 2, and will take on two topics that have defined the year 2020: Pandemics and Fake News. The access rate for one lecture is P1,000 and P700 forteachers and students. The lectures as well as the upcoming Rush Hour Online Concert, are part of a fundraising drive called “Get Access, Give Access,” with proceeds going to Ayala Foundation’s Student Online Access Program that gives students online connectivity for the school year. For a donation of P2,700, an Ayala Museum’s Virtual pass will give access to two lectures and one Rush Hour Concert. Virtual Passes can be availed at http://bit.ly/AMVirtualEvents2020. “History Comes Alive!” Individual Passes are also available. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.ayalamuseum.org. For event inquiries, e-mail virtualevents@ayalamuseum.org.
