Arts & Culture (09/15/21)
Fund-raising virtual auction set
THE SANTUARIO de San Antonio Parish Francisfest will hold SpectaculART 2: An auction of art, jewelry and homeware on Oct. 1-3. Both new and pre-loved pieces are up for grabs, with the proceeds of the auction going to the parish’s social services and development ministries and those of its sister parishes. Online viewing of the items up for auction begins on Sept. 25 at www.spectaculartph.com. A preview of selected items also starts on Sept. 25 in the San Antonio Parish Center (by appointment). SpectaculART 2 will feature fine jewelry, estate jewelry, artisan jewelry and an assortment of diamonds, pearls and colored stones. The homeware collection will feature European, Asian, and locally sourced pieces ranging from antique, vintage, and contemporary furniture and home décor. This year, SpectaculART 2 shall showcase a selection of art works by: National Artist for Visual Art Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Impy Pilapil, Romeo Tabuena, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Gus Albor, Ramon Diaz, Jojo Guingona, Noli Principe Manalang, Isabel Campa, Ivy Lim and Marivic Rufino. Unique prints by Salvador Dali and John Lennon will also be for sale. SpectaculaART kicked off its first edition last year in response to the pandemic and the quarantine restrictions imposed upon us. Online bidding is from Oct. 1 to 3 at www.spectaculartph.com. For more information, visit www.Instagram.com/SpectaculArt.ph, www.Facebook.com/SpectaculArt.ph or send an e-mail to hello@spectaculartph.com.
Talk on dance during martial law
MULTI-AWARDED choreographer, director and mentor Denisa Reyes will reveal the artistic process behind her iconic 1985 work Te Deum, the social commentary that served as the prayer of the Filipinos during the dark days of Martial Law, in the online talk show HistophTV. The episode, entitled “Martial Law, Te Deum, and Denisa Reyes,” links the role of dance to a historical event. It highlights the participation of creative thinkers in producing art criticism that engages the community in the political, economic and social landscapes of the Philippines. She will elaborate on the performativity of cultural identity and the political interventions involved in her creative process. Premiered in Manila a year before the collapse of Martial Law, the piece was named after the traditional Latin Christian hymn “Te Deum laudamus,” which means “We Praise Thee, Oh God.” Organized by the Dance Program students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, HistophTV was launched by Benilde Dance Chairperson and History of Philippine Dance professor Nina Anonas. The discussion is free and open to the public. It will go live on Sept. 24, 5 p.m., on the official Facebook and YouTube channels of Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster. Interested viewers may register at t.ly/Xgdy. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/benildearts.
CCP presents kundiman in online musical series
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Kung Hindi Man online musical series celebrates the Filipino kundiman on Sept. 25, 6 p.m. Soprano Lara Maigue, Gian Magdangal, and Clem Castro of the band Orange and Lemons will perform songs that range from the traditional kundiman to the more contemporary interpretations of the genre. The online musical series will stream on the CCP Office of the President Facebook page.
Visa, TP promote financial literacy with web series
DIGITAL payments company Visa and Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), are launching a new version of their financial literacy themed play Lukot-lukot, Bilog-bilog. Turned into a five-episode web series, Lukot-lukot, Bilog-bilog will be free for streaming starting this September. Launched in 2017 as an interactive musical that is supported by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Lukot-lukot, Bilog-bilog tells the story of teenager Gwyneth as she struggles to handle her finances and learns the value of proper financial management with help from her family and friends and some Filipino heroes brought to life. Written by Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Avic Ilagan, the new Lukot-lukot, Bilog-bilog stories feature five web episodes that focus on various financial topics such as the concept of promotional sales, value of saving, basics of credit, earning additional income, and scam awareness and prevention. Financial literacy experts Salve Duplito and Rose Fres Fausto are also featured in the after-show interviews with Lolo Sally to enlighten the audience by providing financial education tips. The web series is accessible through the social media sites of Tanghalang Pilipino (Facebook, YouTube) and its other non-profit organization partner for children’s education, Teach for the Philippines (facebook.com/teachforthephilippines). It will also be showcased on Visa’s Facebook channel.
Silverlens’ September shows
SILVERLENS’ shows for the month of September are “Collectors Plus,” “Brighter Than Many Ever See” by Issay Rodriguez, and “Domestic Abstractions” by Jill Paz, the last of which is an Online Viewing Room (OVR) presentation. These shows will be accessible both online and onsite in the gallery space, until Oct. 2, and Sept. 25 for the OVR. This is the second edition of Collectors Plus, this time featuring Philippine contemporary art from the years 2005-2019 at its core. Put together by an early patron of Southeast Asian art, the show features early works by Vic Balanon, Yasmin Sison-Ching, Chati Coronel, Nona Garcia, Mit Jai Inn, Winner Jumalon, Yayoi Kusama, Pow Martinez, Maya Muñoz, Elaine Navas, Bernardo Pacquing, Norberto Roldan, Don Salubayba, and Wire Tuazon. Alongside Collectors Plus, Silverlens will be installing its Art Basel OVR pieces. The gallery is participating at the Basel show of Art Basel with a solo booth of Pacita Abad, opening on Sept. 21. Visit the page on the gallery’s website. Ms. Rodriguez’s third solo exhibit, “Brighter Than Many Ever See,” features various prints of genetically modified ornamental plants, presented by the artist and her discoveries in research by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. In understanding the transformation of plants, the artist associates the process to the renewal of human memories and experiences as we co-exist with these life forms, especially in a time of a global pandemic when we are forced to stay inside our respective dwellings and confront our realizations on life and mortality. Jill Paz, a Filipino-Canadian artist continues her ongoing investigation of how objects fall apart, its subsequent need for repair, and how these structures of preservation connect to values of interdependence and interconnectedness in “Domestic Abstractions,” her first solo exhibition with Silverlens. The new body of work consists of 20 intimately scaled panel paintings. Each painting has an intricately detailed surface, made by the digital optical tool of a laser machine and then layered with acrylic washes on top of a gesso ground.
Koryolab 2021 launches virtual residency program
Koryolab is the second tier of the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) Choreographers’ Series, a three-part platform in support of the Filipino choreographer. It is a laboratory and research platform for the development of mid-career choreographers. The Koryolab 2021 Virtual residency program took in 10 artist-choreographers, namely Al Garcia (Taipei), Buboy Raquitico (NCR), Dingdong Selga (Eastern Visayas), Gerard Hechanova (Caraga), Gia Gequinto (NCR), Jared Luna (NCR), Nicole Primero (Western Visayas), Niño Horario (Western Visayas), Sasa Cabalquinto (NCR), and Sherwin Santiago (CAR). The virtual residency will have four episodes featuring eminent Filipino artists from various fields. Episode 1 will be rolled out on Sept. 16 (2 p.m.), with filmmaker Ed Cabagnot taking the participants on a brief tour of Philippine cinema, dubbed “Discovery: The Pinoy Experience in Cinema.” Verne de la Peña provides insights on soundscapes in Episode 2, titled “Sounding Time and Space: Jose Maceda et al,” on Sept. 16 (7 p.m.). In this episode, the audience gets a glimpse on the musical ingenuity of National Artist Jose Maceda. In Episode 3: “Dancing with the Alien: Bodies versus Machines,” on Sept. 17 (2 p.m.), Tad Ermitaño explores the irreversible correlation of dance and technology, a phenomenon prevalent during the pandemic. Jay Cruz shares his process and ideologies as a choreographer in Episode 4 on Sept. 17, (7 p.m.). Dubbed “Choreography as a Critical Practice.” All episodes will be streamed at the CCP, CCP Choreographers Series, and CCP Arts Education Facebook pages.
Virtual Field Trips with Ayala Museum
WHILE learning continues online, Ayala Museum presents the educational program “Back to School: Virtual Field Trips” in October. It allows learners to go around the world using Google Maps and learn about Philippine history and culture through objects from the Ayala Museum collection. The following virtual field trips will be held: “Trade and Shopping” (Oct. 9) to appreciate everyday objects that are a result of very old connections with other countries; “A Visit to Old Manila” (Oct. 16), visit 19th century Manila and see how life was like in the city back then; and “The Road to Independence” (Oct. 23), understand the importance of your rights as a Filipino and the importance of being an independent country. The timeslots are 10 to 11:30 am., and 4 to 5 p.m. Tickets are priced at P1,950 (Season Pass for all three tours); P750 (regular); and P600 (discounted for Ayala Museum members, and ARC Cardholders). For more information, visit Ayala Museum: Back to School Virtual Field Trips (google.com).
