Arts & Culture (11/16/22)

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ARTablado, Luis Ac-ac team up for charity show

ARTABLADO, Robinsons Land Corp.’s platform to showcase Filipino artistry and ingenuity, and master carver Luis Ac-ac of Paete, Laguna, joint forces in mounting a philanthropic exhibit aimed at helping artists and organizations displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceeds from the show — “Ac-ac Gives Back: Artists para sa mga Artista” — which will run from Nov. 16 to 30 at ARTablado in Robinsons Galleria, will go to Diwang Pinoy Organization, Inc., and Museo Ac-ac’s Jose D. Caancan Memorial Sculpture Competition. These organizations will utilize the proceeds in the form of, among others, artistic, educational, and psycho-social support. Mr. Ac-ac chose Diwang Pinoy for its role in supporting students, artists, and cultural workers affected by the pandemic through financial support for them to mount their recitals, exhibits, and live performances. It also helps these artists and cultural workers complete their college education and provides them assistance during calamities and other challenges. Launched in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, the Jose D. Caancan Memorial Sculpture Competition bats for the safeguarding of Paete’s age-old wood carving tradition and encourages the youth to venture into the world of art. Forty of Mr. Ac-ac’s works will be on view during the two-week show, curated by his daughter, Marygrace Ac-ac. The works revolve around the theme of Filipino folk life, Mr. Ac-ac’s favorite subject, which are finely executed in the classical tradition of sculpting. For more information, contact Marygrace Ac-ac at 0917-871-7799 and museo.acac@gmail.com or Rosana Villegas of ARTablado at RoseAnn.Villegas@ronbinsonsland.ph.

Mo_Space holds group show

ON view at Mo_Space’s Main Gallery and Gallery 2 until Dec. 5 is “Phylogeny of Desire,” a group show curated by Ronald Achacoso. Mr. Achacoso describes it as, “an art exhibition showcasing a selection of works from artists, botanists, and plant enthusiasts who draw inspiration from the astounding morphological diversity and the intriguing ecological complexities of the plant kingdom — particularly the unique assemblage of Philippine flora — and trace its resonance in the fundamental processes of art making”. He goes on to say: “The show also pays tribute to and commemorates the Dr. Leonardo Co, arguably the most important plant taxonomist and field botanist the country has produced in the last few generations, and whose tragic and untimely demise 12 years ago has left a gaping void in the world of Philippine Botany at this most critical point in time.” MO_Space is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at MOs Design, Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig. For inquiries, call 8403-6620, or 0917-572-7970.

Exhibit features BPI art collection

IN collaboration with Ayala Museum, the BPI Foundation opens the 2022 BPI Art Exhibition, “Phases, Places, Faces” on Nov. 16 at the Ayala Museum in Makati. Culled from the BPI art collection, the display of art aims to showcase life’s beautiful facets as presented by Filipino visual artists of yesteryears and of the present, curated by the Senior Curator and Head of Conservation of Ayala Museum, Kenneth Esguerra. The exhibit runs until Dec. 31

Guitarist Ivar Fojas in CCP concert series

CLASSICAL guitarist Ivar Fojas will hold a solo concert as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Special Concert Series on Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater). Dr. Fojas currently works as a guitar professor at the Philippine Women’s University School of Music Graduate School where he mentors masters and doctoral-level guitar students and teaches Ph.D. courses in music, and is an associate Professorial Lecturer 5 at De La Salle University Literature Department. Dr. Fojas conducted research on the lute works of J.S Bach that culminated in a lecture. This led him to baroque guitar performances with the Helios Ensemble and Arizona Baroque. He presented numerous solo recitals and performed guitar concertos in the Philippines by Mauro Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Federico Moreno-Torroba, and Joaquin Rodrigo with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and Peace Philharmonic Philippines, among other events. In 2020, Dr. Fojas was featured in an online concert under the Sunshine Classics concert series together with the Kabataang Gitarista (KG). For more information about the event, follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dulaang UP’s The Reconciliation Dinner

THE STAGE is set for Dulaang UP’s 45^th Theatre Season opener, The Reconciliation Dinner, a new one-act play by Floy Quintos and directed by Dexter M. Santos. The play is a dark comedy about friends trying to heal unspoken hurts, suspicions, disbelief about the choices of those they thought they knew well. In light of the 2022 elections, how well do we really know those we hold dear? And how far are we willing to go to overlook the choices they make? The cast is led by Stella Cañete-Mendoza and Frances Makil-Ignacio. They are joined by Randy Medel Villarama, Jojo Cayabyab, Nelsito Gomez, Hariette Mozelle, and Phi Palmos. This is Messrs. Quintos and Santos’ sixth theater collaboration, having worked together on The Kundiman Party, Angry Christ, Ang Huling Lagda ni Apolinario Mabini, Ang Nawalang Kapatid, and Collection. The Reconciliation Dinner runs from Nov. 18 to 20 at the UP Theater Main Hall Stage, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me (https://ticket2me.net/e/36022). The production will also have a limited video-on-demand release via Ticket2Me. For ticket inquiries e-mail dulaangup.upd@up.edu.ph or message the Facebook page Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP Official Page).

The Future of Libraries discussed in seminar

INSTITUTO Cervantes de Manila will hold a seminar titled “The Future of Libraries” on Nov. 19 at its center in Intramuros (Calle Real, Plaza San Luis, Intramuros, Manila). It will be composed of a lecture and a round table discussion. The lecture will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the round table discussion will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Libraries have always had a respected role in society, being repositories of knowledge that have helped civilizations advance, and where people could enrich their minds and keep themselves entertained without the expectation of shelling out money for everything. Nowadays, however, libraries are faced with many challenges brought about the digitalization of information, the increasing number of diversions for the public, and the difficulties brought about by the pandemic. The seminar speaker is Carme Fenoll, Director of the Culture and Community Area of the library of the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. The round table discussion will have representatives from the National Library, the Miguel de Benavidez library of UST, the Ortigas Foundation, and the Aurelio Montinola Jr. library of Alliance Française. This event is open to all and is free of charge. Confirm attendance by sending an e-mail to cenmni@cervantes.es.

Joseph the Dreamer returns for a limited run

TRUMPET’S musical Joseph the Dreamer returns, with performances until Nov. 27 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center, Taguig. The musical tells the Biblical story of Joseph, who brought the Jews into Egypt. Written by Freddie Santos, the musical is based on Cam Floria’s cantata entitled Dreamer: What Really Happened to Joseph. This production is a re-imagined version directed by Paolo Valenciano, featuring updated musical arrangements by Myke Salomon as well as an updated script. For tickets visit, https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=JOSEPH22&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=posts&utm_campaign=JTD. 

Hanbok Fairytale exhibit ongoing at KCC

FAIRYTALES are reimagined in the exhibit “Once Upon A Time… Hanbok Fairytale of Wooh Nayoung” at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines, which is ongoing until Feb. 28, 2023. Korean artist Wooh Nayoung created 32 illustrations featuring reinterpreted scenes from fairytales written by Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Lewis Carroll and various other authors. The characters in the illustrations wear the traditional Korean Hanbok together with their representative colors. Malakas and Maganda of the Filipino legend will also be drawn by the artist in a traditional Korean painting style. The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines is at 59 Bayani Rd., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The center is open Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. Admission is free. Guests are advised to bring their vaccination card to present upon entry. A maximum of 60 people are allowed inside the building at a time for health and safety regulations.

Discussion on Imelda Cajipe Endaya’s work

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) Visual Arts and Museum Division presents the “Teodora Alonso Reading Club: A Discussion on the Work of Imelda Cajipe Endaya,” a public conversation on the artistic and cultural works of the visual artist, on Nov. 26, 3 p.m., at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (CCP Main Gallery). The event is named after one of Cajipe Endaya’s artworks, titled The Teodora Alonso Reading Club, which is included in the ongoing retrospective exhibit of her work at the CCP. The painting shows a palimpsest of an archival image of Teodora Alonso with her daughters and granddaughters wielding books that contend with the friarocracy. Critic Eileen Legaspi Ramirez and artist Judith Adam will join the discussion via Zoom, while artist Brenda Fajardo and scholar Neferti Tadiar will be presenting pre-recorded videos. Ms. Cajipe Endaya will be on site to share her own reflections and insights. Professor Sofia Guillermo will moderate the discussion. The event will conclude with the turnover of In Certain Seasons Mothers Write in the Time of COVID, an anthology whose book cover features Cajipe Endaya’s artwork Salinlahi’y Iligtas. The anthology was published by the CCP Intertextual Division and Philippine PEN. The discussion is open to the public. The program will also be streamed live via the CCP, CCP VAMD, and CCP Intertextual Division’s Facebook Pages. For inquiries, contact the CCP VAMD, Production and Exhibition Department, at 8832-1125 loc. 1504/1505, e-mail (vamd@culturalcenter.gov.ph), or through @ccpvamd on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Mula sa Buwan returns in December

THE MUSICAL Mula sa Buwan returns to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati in December after its run in August and September, but there are changes in the cast this time around. Barefoot Theatre Collaborative announced that the role of Christian, most recently essayed by Markki Stroem, will now be played by MC Dela Cruz. Joining the cast for the December run is Cedrick Juan who will play Maximo, and Khalil Tambio as Limon. Reprising their roles are Myke Salomon as Cyrano, Gab Pangilinan as Roxane, Phi Palmos as Rosanna, Jon Abella as Tato, and Jillian Ita-as as Gabriel. Directed by Pat Valera, Mula sa Buwan is an original Filipino musical based on Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Soc Rodrigo’s Filipino translation. There will be performances from Dec. 2 to 4 and Dec. 9 to 11 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater of Circuit Makati. For tickets visit https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/. 

The second Gador Awardees

A CEREMONY for the second Gador Awardees was held at the newly built Tagum City Cultural Center Theater on Nov. 5. The Gador Award is a recognition program for outstanding artists, cultural administrators and organizations in Mindanao initiated by the Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) Mindanao network of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and facilitated by the CCP Cultural Exchange Department (CED). The 13 recipients this year are Dr. Christine G. Ortega (literature/cultural administration, Iligan City); Dr. Helen Tejero (music, Iligan City); Francisco Englis (music/Iligan City); Ronolfo “Popong” Landero (music/Davao City); Br. Carlito “Karl” Gaspar (theater/cultural administration, Davao City); Kubali Millan (visual arts/Davao City); Waway Saway (Talaandig/music, Lantapan, Bukidnon); Nilda Mangilay (Subanen/indigenous art, Zamboanga Del Sur); the Kathara Dance Theater Collective (dance-theater, Davao City); the Kaliwat Performing Artists Collective (theater/cultural administration, Davao City); the Tambuli Cultural Dance Troup, (dance/indigenous art, Tawi Tawi); the MSU Kabpapagariya Ensemble (theater/cultural administration, General Santos City); and the Dumendingan Arts Guild (cultural administration/indigenous Art, Pagadian City). The Gador Award aims to recognize exceptional individuals and organizations who have contributed to the flourishing of arts and culture in the region. The awardees for this year were chosen from a total of 20 nominations from the KSS Mindanao network. In 2020, the first Gador Awards were conferred on six individual honorees — Agnes Locsin, Maria Todi, Sunnie Noel, Steven P.C. Fernandez, Nestor Horfilla, and Joey Ayala — and two organizations — the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble and the Integrated Performing Arts Guild.

Galeria Paloma launches educational initiative online

GALERIA Paloma launched its educational initiative, Perspectives, with a panel discussion on “Collecting Crypto Art,” done in partnership with Binance and Palladium. A recording of the panel discussion is now available for viewing online on its website (galeriapaloma.com) and its YouTube channel. “[T]he gallery would like to offer these resources as recordings on accessible platforms,” gallery director Kimi Rocha-Delgado said in a statement. “We do our best to gather key insights from professionals beyond our local art scene to get a pulse of current movements in global art, and then present these insights accessibly and relatably.” Apart from the approximately one-and-a-half hour full recording, the gallery has identified key clips and quotes for those who may want to familiarize themselves with key concepts and insights with easy references, especially on topics that may seem intimidating or opaque, like web3. Panelists emphasized the central role blockchain technology assumes in the changing art landscape: Fatmire Bekiri, Head of Tokenization at Sygnum Bank, the world’s first digital asset bank; Gareth Fletcher, program director at Sotheby’s Institute of Art; Kenneth Stern, general manager of Binance Philippines; and Regie Tongol, lawyer and collector of both crypto and traditional-form art.

500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines book launch

ANG BAGONG Bayani Assembly (ABBA) of the Knights of Columbus will launch the coffee table book, 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines, on Nov. 16 at Club Filipino Greenhills, San Juan. The book opens with the discovery of the Philippines, followed by the establishment of the early Catholic churches, the influential friars, the rise of Catholic universities, and includes an essay on the Virgin Mary by Fr. Alexander Balatbat. The book also includes a history of the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines by Rene V. Sarmiento. “Our objective was to present the historical perspective and at the same time capture the rich contribution of Christianity and other European influences to our cultural development,” a press release states.  The book is published by Ang Bagong Bayani Assembly (ABBA) of the Knights of Columbus, with an editorial team, headed by Matias V. Defensor.

Araneta City lights up its traditional belen

TWO weeks after lighting its iconic 100-foot Christmas tree, Araneta City kept its holiday celebration alive with the traditional lighting of its giant Belen on Nov. 11. The life-size belen — a classic Christmas icon that depicts the nativity of Jesus Christ — is located at Gen. McArthur Avenue (between Farmers Market and Farmers Garden). Lighting the belen has been a tradition since 1991. Other upcoming activities include the opening of two classic attractions that are back at Araneta City this year — the Christmas on Display, and the Fiesta Carnival.