Strange Fruit

Parallels

28 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

Strange Fruit is an artist collective representing a broad spectrum of photo-based works. The group promotes all genres of photography to develop a community of lens-based practitioners and educate visual-literate audiences. In previous editions of Art Fair Philippines, photography was featured prominently, with the entire 5th floor of The Link dedicated to photographic exhibits in various booths and special project spaces. As the art fair transitions into a hybrid format for the 2022 presentation, some of these photographers have come come together for a more focused and consolidated show at The Alley, giving the public an opportunity to view a selection of works in person. While still partially operating within the limitations of the pandemic, the photographers have continued to re-examine their archives , reflecting on images that strongly resonate with their subconscious. The result is a diverse collection showing multiple perspectives from some of the most active, visionary and contemporary photographers today.

Qube Gallery

INTO THE BLUE

23 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

In the exhibit INTO THE BLUE, mixed-media artist and printmaker Angela Silva invites viewers to immerse themselves in a deep blue panorama of works in cyanotype, an antique image-capturing method that predates film photography and produces pictures in gradients of cyan. Divided into two sub-shows, INTO THE BLUE presents the artist’s dexterity and sensitivity in employing the cyanotype process – her technique and medium of choice since the mid-2010s – to present a compelling and perceptive oeuvre.

INTO THE BLUE Slow light Botanicals

In the exhibit INTO THE BLUE, mixed-media artist and printmaker Angela Silva invites viewers to immerse themselves in a deep blue panorama of works in cyanotype, an antique image-capturing method that predates film photography and produces pictures in gradients of cyan. Divided into two sub-shows, INTO THE BLUE presents the artist’s dexterity and sensitivity in employing the cyanotype process – her technique and medium of choice since the mid-2010s – to present a compelling and perceptive oeuvre.

The first-floor exhibit presents Silva’s family – a once-fabled landed and shipping Western Visayan dynasty – as the subject for thoughtful and compassionate examinations of family dynamics, class structures, and societal conventions of a bygone era. Entitled “Return to Shadow Memories,” this multi-generational family album of cyanotype works consists of family photos and archival documents that have been digitally manipulated, hand-processed, and constructed into portraits, artist books, collages, and an installation that connect chronologically. In using the word “shadow” in her title, the artist alludes to those persons who had helped mold the lives of every member of the family, herself included: these are the numerous nannies, or mga yaya in Filipino – shadow mothers – who had been at the forefront of their rearing yet had remained in the background as they knew their place in the household. The artist also recognizes other connotations of “shadow” – protection and constraint, concealment and darkness – as her works touch on the ramifications and responsibilities of wealth, inheritance, and status, all of which inescapably enveloped the lives of generations in the clan.

The second floor showcases Silva’s experiments with wet cyanotypes, a variation of the cyanotype process resulting from the alchemy of acids, salts, and for this show, dried herbs from the artist’s kitchen and foliage from her garden. Playful, evocative, and alluring, the artworks in the exhibit “Slow Light Botanicals” display the artist’s technical expertise and openness to innovation.

In INTO THE BLUE, Angela Silva deploys and establishes the cyanotype, more popular in the last century for its utility in churning out architectural blueprints, as a visual device to conjure story, emotion, insight, and atmosphere, and therefore, as an unconventional medium for artistry.

Words by Georgina Luisa O. Jocson

1335/MABINI

Reconsidering the Present

23 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

Reconsidering the Present is a series of three distinct exhibitions – all focusing on the interconnectedness of the local and the international, shining a light on how art can both stir and steer society towards a more connected future.

Reconsidering the Present Curated by Ricky Francisco

In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has been made more aware of just how important sustainability and self-sufficiency are.

It is with this in mind that 1335/MABINI proudly presents: Reconsidering the Present, a series of three distinct exhibitions – all focusing on the interconnectedness of the local and the international, shining a light on how art can both stir and steer society towards a more connected future.

The first of these collections is by the young sisters Julia & Jheane. Coming all the way from Cebu, their series Paperweight reflects upon the Filipino cultural identity by showing the foreign influences that have contributed to it. With the use of jusi and balikbayan boxes to depict foreign iconographies – a juxtaposition between the material and the image emerges.

Parallel to this is Melissa Yeung-Yap’s Solace in Shadows, paintings and sculptures that combine contemporary and imported oil paint with the indigenous t’nalak weaves of the T’boli people. Rather than showcasing the fear and dread that shadows often instill, this collection veers more towards the peace and comfort that they can also provide.

The last one to be presented is by the artist known only as 0270501, whose works give attention to the concepts of time and memory. Using local materials such as abaca, 0270501’s Rescheduled Mindfulness seeks to induce a kind of stillness amidst our chaotic reality, providing an opportunity for viewers to simply drift in the moment and meditate on the world.

By putting the works of these artists side by side, 1335/MABINI reaffirms its mission to nurture local voices while possessing a global outlook – ever-hopeful for a better and more sustainable world.

The Crucible

The Crucible Gallery Explores NFTs for Art Fair Philippines 2022

23 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

The Crucible Gallery launches contemporary artists’ works as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for viewing and bidding.

The Crucible Gallery launches contemporary artists’ works as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for viewing and bidding.

The gallery first explored the world of NFTs upon the invitation by CryptoPop in January this year to explore a new way of exhibiting art. The Crucible launched its first NFT (feat. Kajo Baldisimo last Jan. 25) and is currently working on the next tokens by Junyee, Igan D’Bayan, and Alfredo Aquilizan (with drop dates to be announced).

The project is a collaboration between the gallery with Luis Buenaventura and Anton Vera Pinoy, rockstars in the world stage of NFTs.

The Crucible Gallery NFTs will be auctioned at the blockchain market throughout the summer of this year. For information on the preview and bidding of the NFTs, contact 0917-5014595 (look for Chari) or The Crucible Gallery via Facebook Messenger.

To discover more works by contemporary artists, visit The Crucible Gallery’s Backroom Exhibit during Art Philippines 2022.

Grounded Arts And Culture Studio

States of Cadence II

23 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

Art is always in flux, but there will always be a continuing thread. Grounded presents: States of Cadence II —- a multi-sensory exhibit on timelessness and infinite evolution of the human spirit, through connection, compassion, and engagement with the natural world.

A perpetuation of the artistic investigation of the Grounded Artist Network (GAN) into various shades of time (past, present, and future) interspersed width cadence - a natural rhythm and flow, a frequency that the artists coalesce with to truly express themselves, States of Cadence II shifts its focus to other aspects of this dance; such as the untamed, limitless aspects of timelessness. Bringing their exploration of craft, technique and style, the GAN artists cast impressions on concepts and handpicked moments out of time, invoking a sense of permanence to what could have previously been considered fleeting.

The ability to “time travel” through art - glimpsing past and parallel worlds, setting a kaleidoscope to the present and peeking into possible futures is what makes it so powerful. Through art, we step into the shoes of those who have lived long before, taking stock of where we are currently, leaving messages and clues for those to come– a thread of meaningful connection beyond any perceivable timeline.

The exhibition features paintings, prints, tapestries, photographs, and other mixed media works that bear witness to our ongoing existential pursuit in relation to time, and brings focus to how we can move from being mere spectators to fully inhabiting and contributing to where–and when, we are.

The exhibition presents a selection of both introspective and participative rhythm in the effort to restore connection between viewer and the environment they inhabit– with other humans and life forms. Every element is inextricably alive.

This selection from the Grounded Artist Network invites the viewer to explore the intricate, labyrinthine systems and states of being, and the reparative role that art and compassion plays within these systems. New acquisitions on view for the first time include photographs from our featured artist, French photographer Camille Robiou Du Pont whose work knits together sensory journeys of the wild woman through water surface, depths, island ecology, freedom, dreams and rootedness in duality–all under the umbrella of cosmic elements reveling in the beauty and prowess of the Divine feminine. Lucia Fischer also explores themes of feminism and female identity.

Typhoon Odette Fundraiser

In light of recent events surrounding the devastation brought about by Typhoon Odette, Grounded has partnered with Oceanus Conservation and continues its commitment to ocean advocacy by raising funds for the rebuilding of schools in Siargao Island. The exhibit features Camille’s eerily arresting photos of the destruction of Typhoon Odette, as well as her portraits engraved on wood by Siargao local artist Niko Kanar.

Once again, beyond a coalition of contemporary art, the exhibition is motivated by the following questions:

How do we travel through time with art? What can we associate as guideposts, beacons as we surge into the unknown?

Is it possible to find a way to nurture ourselves and others without wreaking havoc to our planet?

How do we reframe our states of consciousness, invoking more intentionality and connection? - synchronization and coordination, a deeper sense of community?

Whereas States of Cadence Exhibit I was presented solely online, States of Cadence Exhibit II exists between the digital and physical realms, as Grounded has partnered with Karrera Showroom for its physical space.

As an automobile curio mini museum - cafe and bar hybrid, Karrera is home to the automotive timelessness in the form of the classic, vintage cars displayed and housed. This dynamic and playful environment embodies Grounded’s values of creativity through engineered design, whilst encouraging a sense of self-propelling progress and forward-flow. Just as various forms of art invite the viewer to delve into detail, Karrera’s offerings transmit interior and exterior elegance, evident to the veteran motor connoisseur and civilian alike. On the same track, running threads between Karrera and Robiou Du Pont’s stills, and Lucia Fischer’s works, are linked in the tradition of most vehicles taking on the feminine gender (relating the the idea of a female figure such as a mother goddess or deity guiding and protecting driver and passengers alike)--both vessels of power and elegance.

People work with time as artists work with their own instruments of creation. Through both mediums we fashion the narrative and bring meaning to our stories. This iteration of States of Cadence focuses on a collective body of work whose resonances endure through any era, but are particularly poignant in today’s world.

A collaboration with Karrera, States of Cadence II is presented by a curatorial team composed of Grounded founders: Marika Manglapus-Ledesma, Carina Alejandrino-Arenas and Bianca Yuzon-Henares. States of Cadence II is on view from March 23, 2022, through April 1, 2022. The exhibition offers an intimate portrayal of boundless beauty through art featuring the work of 19 artists from the Grounded Artist Network Program, as well as new insights that transcend boundaries by introducing both specific and expanded narratives of various states of evolution through the lens of timelessness.

Art Elaan

Personal Resonance

23 Mar to 1 Apr 2022

Featuring the works of Ambie Abaño | AADA | Andrei Baldovino | Grandier Bella | Rene Bituin | Ferdinand Cacnio | Dennis Capellan | Reynold dela Cruz | Joselito Jandayan Gerry Joquico | Niccolo Jose | Gino Nagret | Wilfredo Offemaria | Nikko Pelaez | Reuel Rendon | David Requilme | Tammy de Roca | Joen Sudlon

Personal Resonance

A smorgasbord of styles and genres presents itself in this considerable group exhibition featuring 18 artists.

Resonance gathers Filipino talents who have successfully carved their own space in their respective fields, visualizing sentiments and depicting their truths.

Gerry Joquico’s surrealist works, for instance, shoot a pang of curious nostalgia, while that of David Requilme takes us to otherworldly excitement. Textured strokes as Tammy de Roca does the same but with water and seascapes.

There’s a busy street of faces passing by as well, from Ambie Abaño portraits on woodcut, to the quirky and haunting illustrations of Dennis Capellan and Joen Sudlon, to the bizarre visages of Joselito Jandayan. Ruel Rendon focuses on human feelings represented by figures that melt and mold. Nikko Pelaez and Wilfredo Offemaria portray divinity in characters.

The abstractions of Andre Baldovino and Rene Bituin, as well as pop art of Grandier Bella and Ali Alejandro.