Arts & Culture (07/14/21)
Art Inspires series at the Met
THE METROPOLITAN Museum of Manila presents the second series of Art Inspires titled “Heritage, Identity, and Nationhood” on July 17 (10-11 a.m.) via Zoom. It will feature a series of interviews with artists, curators, scholars, and writers, with a focus on the artistic process and experience in reference to an artist’s work or body of works featured in ongoing exhibitions at the museum. The second installment begins with an online screening of the experimental collaborative video Mother Load by Josephine Turalba and Angel Velasco Shaw, followed by a conversation with the artists and Mercedes Tolentino, the curator of the exhibition, “In Full View: The Metropolitan Museum of Manila Collection.” To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkfuCpqTspHdKPsTMAcFMAlaYqQC7x09Xw. For more information, visit https://metmuseum.ph/.
‘Dispersion’ at Art for Space Gallery
ARTISTS Ian Inoy and Pat Frades are showing their works in the exhibit “Dispersion” at the Art for Space Gallery. Having their own voices and own art processes, the artists created artworks that explore their own expressions of individuality and identity. Mr. Inoy merges found objects and junk as his unique way of expressing his identity in his abstract and heavily textured works. Ms. Frades uses clay as her medium. Her style elaborates a combination of colorful mushrooms and coral-like elements. The Art for Space Gallery is at the ground floor of the Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/artforspaceph/.
Several exhibits at West Gallery
WEST gallery has several exhibitions currently on view until July 31. One of these is Anton Mallari’s “Sibol,” his new collection of oil portraits that imagine a springing forth of change or new tidings. Mr. Mallari’s traditional portrait style shows a different, almost nostalgic side in this series, with his feminine subjects and botanical motifs awash with bolder floral patterns in different states of bloom and opacity. “Sibol” retains the artist’s noir theme, while also adding softer colors and bolder gold linework, as if to signify a change of air or seasons. Rocelie V. Delfin’s “Kapaligiran” is composed of a series of nine pen and ink images of houses made during quarantine which reflect the isolation she experienced throughout those weeks. Six larger drawings depict idyllic forests occupied by tropical houses remote from one another. Also on view are Lynyrd Paras’ exhibit “Love is Greater than Fear of Death,” and Johanna Helmuth’s “Hereafter.” The gallery is at 48 West Ave., Quezon City. Visits by appointment only, on Mondays to Saturday. To make an appointment, contact the gallery at 3411-0336.
Nat’l dance qualifiers highlight SEA hip-hop
SOUTHEAST Asian hip-hop culture is spotlighted in the national qualifiers of Redefining Elements: A Hip-Hop Pageant, a competition that aims to reformulate the approach to the popular genre in terms of talent, knowledge, technique and engagement in the society. A collaborative platform built by the academic and hip-hop communities, the friendly showdown investigates the diverse effects of the discipline on the youth, both locally and in neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Hosted by Benilde Experimental Dance and the Dance Program of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, the champion will represent the country in the international competition. Redefining Elements: A Hip-Hop Pageant will go live via Zoom and Facebook on July 24, 5 to 7 p.m. Audience may secure their tickets for P100, which allows them to vote for their favorite dancers and help them win a special prize. Register at https://tinyurl.com/bk3h7bu5. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenildeExDance.
2-year archaeological project in Northern Cebu
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL survey and excavation have started in San Remigio and other parts of Northern Cebu as part of the efforts to preserve the Cebuano heritage. The two-year Northern Cebu Archeological Project, a joint initiative of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and Aboitiz Foundation, in collaboration with the University of San Carlos in Cebu aims to establish a protocol and methodology for systematic archaeological studies in Cebu. Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. granted the NMP a P2-million donation in support of its archeological heritage preservation initiatives. Through the project, a template for continuing studies and resources to archive and preserve data of archaeological sites and landscapes will be developed. The primary objective is to develop a geospatial database to record all archeological sites and resources in Cebu through the use of state-of-the-art archeological methods and applications. It also aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of archeological findings in Cebu especially those belonging to the Metal Age. This catalogue shall be a useful reference for further studies, for the development of a comprehensive preservation program, and for crafting sustainable information dissemination program through local and international publications. The two-year project is scheduled in four phases. Towards the last phase of the project, collected cultural resources will be shown publicly through an exhibition that will piece the stories of those sites in the forthcoming National Museum Central Visayas Regional Museum in Cebu.
Mo_Space holds 2 exhibits
MO_SPACE is opening two exhibits on July 17, which will run until Aug. 15. To be shown at the Main Gallery is Elaine Roberto-Navas’ “Something Of Everything In Everything,” and at Gallery 2, Katrina Bello’s exhibit “Drawing The Farthest Land.” For “Something Of Everything In Everything,” Ms. Roberto-Navas’ start from traces of photographs to paintings on canvas, each image a paean of philosophical musing that reveals the interconnectedness of things. In her latest exhibition, Katrina Bello uses soft graphite gestures on paper, tracing a journey in nature, as well as a trail through a migrant life, with works either gargantuan in scale, vast like a redwood forest or a wide-open sea, or a microcosm that fits in the palm. The two exhibits will be open for public viewing at MO_Space from July 17 to Aug. 15. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For inquiries, contact the gallery by telephone at 8403-6620, by mobile at 0917-572-7970.
Spanish LGBTQIA+ short film series
THROUGHOUT July, the Instituto Cervantes Vimeo channel has been hosting a short-film series Te estoy amando locamente (Falling in love with you madly), featuring eight LGBTQIA+ stories by various Spanish filmmakers. Su (2019), a complex story about love and life, directed by Laia Foguet will be streamed on July 14 and 15 (link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/557679177). Meanwhile, the award-winning short film Víctor XX (Ian de la Rosa, 2015), will stream on July 17 and 18. The movie will be accessible through https://vimeo.com/557683845.