Arts & Culture (10/08/25)

1 of 8

Lyra Garcellano exhibit at Spare Bedroom

THE art space Spare Bedroom, spearheaded by curator Alice Sarmiento, is designed for public programs that revolve around past and existing works of Filipino contemporary artists. This month, on display are offshoots of Lyra Garcellano’s text-based works from the last 20 years. The exhibition aims to capture her negotiations of the Philippine contemporary art landscape through comics, correspondence, and various other works on paper. Titled Stakeholding: Chapter 1, developed with the Mekong Cultural Hub and the Puon Institute and part of the Benilde Open grants program, it turns Ms. Garcellano’s position in the cultural sector into a game, so that players may understand what is at stake for those who occupy specific roles in culture and the arts. Stakeholding runs until Oct. 12 at the Spare Bedroom, 2/F Chapterhouse, 32 Madasalin St., Brdg. Sikatuna, Quezon City.

Dean Amado Valdez releases legal fiction novel

AT THE HEART of They Will Be in Heaven Before the Devil Knows, a new novel by Dean Amado D. Valdez, is the law portrayed as both a profession and a battlefield. It follows Filipino lawyers who must fight against corruption and abuse of power in the very institutions meant to uphold justice, opening with an attack targeting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Mr. Valdez, a former dean of the University of the East College of Law, drew from realities faced by lawyers and ordinary citizens alike. They Will Be in Heaven Before the Devil Knows is now available through www.cebookshop.com.

Silverlens presents Marina Cruz exhibit

SILVERLENS Gallery is featuring Fractured Fabric, a solo exhibition by Marina Cruz, where she delves into abstraction while exploring themes of family and heritage. Her new works span photorealistic paintings of garments and abstract mixed media works. It aims to celebrate the scars of the fabric — their holes, frays, and blotches — and showcase their beauty. The exhibit runs until Nov. 8 at Silverlens, 2263 Chino Roces Ave., Makati City.

MSO performs Philippine, Italian chamber music

THE Philippine Italian Association (PIA), in collaboration with the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO), is presenting the Filipino-Italian Chamber Music Concert on Oct. 16. The event will feature works by Nicanor Abelardo, Antonio Molina, Antonino Buenaventura, Antonio Vivaldi, Tomaso Albinoni, and Gioachino Rossini. At the helm of the performance is violinist Alessio Benvenuti, concertmaster of the MSO. Joining him on stage are Alfonso Encina on violin, Sara Gonzales on viola, Arnold Josue on cello, Lawrence Palad on bass, and Mariel Ilusorio on piano. The concert shall start at 7 p.m. Tickets, priced at P1,500 with 20% discount for senior citizens and PWDs, can be purchased from Jan Dacera at 0995-430-5118 or through the e-mail philitalassociation@gmail.com. The concert will be held at the Asia Pacific College Auditorium, 3 Humabon Place, Magallanes, Makati City.

Elisa Tan talk, exhibit this October

ARTIST Elisa Tan will hold an exhibition and a talk this month. Titled Elisa Tan: Container of Distance, the show brings the works of the late Filipino-Chinese conceptual artist to Space63 Comuna in Makati City. It is part of MCAD Commons, an exhibition project which offers the programming of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to a larger audience. The talks, led by scholar-curator Dr. Maria Cristina Juan and professorial lecturer Dr. Flaudette May Datuin, will expound on the late artist’s works and creative process. It will be held on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. The exhibit is free and available for public viewing until Nov. 16 at Space63, Comuna, 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Ext., Makati City.

Cultural events mark Spanish National Day

THE Embassy of Spain in Manila, through its Cultural and Education Office and the Instituto Cervantes, is holding a month-long celebration of Spanish National Day. The series of cultural events, which are open to the public, range from movies, exhibits, and talks. Among these are talks by Spain’s pre-eminent expert on the Philippines, Lola Elizalde. She offers three conferences: “Permeable Borders: Interactions between Population Groups in 19th Century Philippines” (Oct. 14, Casa Azul in Intramuros); “Modernizing an Old Empire: Controversies over the Introduction of a Reformist Policy in 19th Century Philippines” (Oct. 15, Centro de Turismo Intramuros); and “Leisurely Legacies: Social Histories of Recreation in the Spanish Philippines” (Oct. 16, UP Diliman). Several exhibits are part of the celebration, notably Mezcla: Interwoven Cultures and the Mantón de Manila at the Ayala Museum, that will run from Oct. 10 until Feb. 22, 2026. Currently ongoing are Four Centuries of Spanish Engineering Overseas, a permanent exposition displayed at the Centro de Turismo in Intramuros; while the Ateneo Art Gallery hosts A Synergy of Ventures. The Post War Art Scene in commemoration of Fernando Zobel’s centennial birth until February. A conference led by top Spanish industrial designer Héctor Serrano entitled “The Journey in Between” will be held at DLSU-St. Benilde (Oct. 14), UP Diliman (Oct. 15) and the University of Santo Tomás (Oct. 16). The public may also catch him at the Manila FAME on Oct. 17 and at the closing of the Manila Design Week on Oct. 18. Finally there is the Spanish film festival Pelikula/Pelicula, which showcases movies made not only in Spain but also in Latin America from Oct. 10 to 16. This year the film fest will include short feature films created by young Filipino filmmakers, one in Chabacano. This year 20 films from Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines will be shown at the Ayala Triangle Gardens and Power Plant Mall in Makati.

PPO concert features cellist Tomasz Strahl

THE NEXT CONCERT of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) will feature cellist Tomasz Strahl as the guest. It will also see the world premiere of Jeffrey Ching’s Creation Fugue and Arctic Chase, along with Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, and Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra. Under the baton of Grzegorz Nowak, the concert will take place on Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.

Japan Foundation Manila tells stories about Gaza

THE Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) will present a program IKUSAMONOGATARI II: Stories of Battle in Gaza on Oct. 20, 21, 23 and 25 in Manila, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro. JFM will present a unique chronicle of the conflict in Gaza as told through traditional Japanese music and storytelling. The performance aims to explore the shared human experiences of grief, hope, and impermanence across cultures and generations. Register via this link: https://bit.ly/storiesofbattle.