Artbooks holds 8th Anniversary Sale
TO mark its 8th year, artbooks.ph is offering 10% off on selected books until Nov. 30. For the full list of discounted books, check this link, https://tinyurl.com/8THYEAR. Use the code 8THYEAR upon checkout to avail of the discount.
ARTablado presents ‘Limitless Expressions’
ROBINSONS Land’s ARTablado initiative was birthed by the desire to empower Filipino artists of all levels and from all regions, and to connect them to a wider audience. An art group with the same vision is Art Show Philippines (ASP), an artist-run community that aims to provide a global platform for Filipino artists. What began as an online gathering of artists during the pandemic has become a multimedia organization of over 2,000 members from all over the archipelago with over 100 exhibits to its name. On view until Nov. 15 is Art Show Philippines’ latest exhibit, “Limitless Expressions,”at Robinsons Land ARTablado in Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria. The exhibit has over 70 artworks by 22 artists: Anne Labesores, Aubrey Alminana, Bie Aya, Charlene Payawal, Cherry Agoyaoy, Dhennis Sigua, Frederick Epistola, Hannah Castalone, Irene Abalona, Jay Vincent Gatdula, Jaymee Liz, Joyce Palting, Mai Pimentel De Dios, MORI, Patrick Miranda, Peter Paul Cubar, Raneil Ibay, Raymart Mata, RH Baula, Sarah Manila, Tope Villaneuva, and Zol Domingo. “Limitless Expressions”is a feast of styles and palettes — with genres ranging from realism to impressionism, surrealism, fauvism and abstract expressionism. The people behind the canvases are interesting as well.
Melissa Villaseñor’s ‘Bougainvillea At Iba Pa’
FOR Melissa Villaseñor, art most definitely imitates life. Stepping into her Antipolo home immediately transports you to a dreamlike idyll where a carpet of dried bougainvillea’s on a path greets visitors. Ms. Villaseñor captures the dreamlike and ephemeral qualities of these fleeting blooms in her primary body of work. For this exhibition, “Bougainvillea At Iba Pa,” her abstracts are done in acrylic and she uses bolder colors. The exhibit runs until Nov. 10 at Art Lounge Manila at The Podium, Mandaluyong City. For more information, visit Art Lounge Manila on Facebook and Instagram @ArtLoungeManila or visit the website atwww.artloungemanila.com.
Zaballero’s ‘Fondly Remembering Spain’ exhibit
INSTITUTO Cervantes presents “Fondly Remembering Spain,” an exhibition of Phyllis Zaballero’s “Spanish paintings.” The exhibit is on view at the Instituto Cervantes’ Intramuros branch from Nov. 10 to Jan. 22, 2023. These paintings, including some from private collections, were inspired by the years Ms. Zaballero spent in Barcelona and memories of her trips around the Iberian Peninsula from 1957 to 1960 which had a strong impact on her as an artist. Her first artworks developed in an extraordinary period of Philippine painting, from the 1950s to the 1980s. “Fondly Remembering Spain” is organized by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain. For further information, visit Instituto Cervantes’ website at manila.cervantes.es, its Facebook page (InstitutoCervantesManila) or Instagram (institutocervantesmanila).
Rudolf Golez, Noam Zur in PPO concert
PIANIST Rudolf P. Golez will be the featured soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) season concert on Nov. 11, 8 p.m., at the Metropolitan Theater of Manila. For the concert, Mr. Golez will perform George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Other works to be featured in the concert are Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Nicanor Abelardo’s Cinderella Overture, and Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Mr. Golez concertizes mainly in the Philippines and the United States and looks forward to gain exposure in the concert stage of the capitals in Europe even as he carries out his responsibilities as Dean of the Liceo Conservatory of Music in Cagayan de Oro. He also endeavors to record his life’s repertoire in a CD and may include instructional material for his students. In 2021, he finished his Doctoral program in piano performance at the Philippine Women’s University. The concert is the third offering in the PPO’s 38th concert season entitled Metamorphosis and continues the PPO search for its new Music Director. Metamorphosis features eight conductors, five of whom are shortlisted for the Music Director position. Guest conductor Noam Zur takes the helm of the PPO for this concert. Since 2017, he was the principal conductor and artistic director of the State Symphony Orchestra of Salta, Argentina. He has over 20 years of professional and conducting experience during which he developed an expansive repertoire in opera, ballet and symphony. He is also a composer and arranger, having recorded his own works in Funkhausorchester des WDR Köln in 2016 which he conducted as well. For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
New takes on Filipino lullabies
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) embarks on developing, showcasing, and promoting indigenous lullabies through HIMIG HIMBING: Mga Heleng Atin, to be launched on Nov. 13, 4 p.m., at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. A project of the CCP Arts Education, through the Audience Development Division, Himig Himbing features eight music videos of lullabies from different regions of the country. The project aims to reintroduce the Philippine indigenous lullabies to contemporary audiences and develop nurturers that are grounded in Philippine songs and hele. Based on the research of ethnomusicologist Sol Trinidad and arranged by musical director Krina Cayabyab, eight filmmakers create their film interpretation of the featured lullabies: “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan,” “Katurog na, Nonoy,” “Wiyawi,” “Aba-aba,” “Hele,” “Dungdungwen Kanto,” “Tingkatulog,” and “Ili, Ili, Tulog Anay.” The filmmakers are: Sigrid Bernardo, Mes De Guzman, Law Fajardo, Teng Mangansakan, Thop Nazareno, Carla Ocampo, Milo Tolentino, and Alvin Yapan. For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph).
Triple Threats concert series presents Arman Ferrer
SINGER and theater actor Arman Ferrer will be the second-act performer of the Triple Threats concert series on Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Mr. Ferrer is one of three tenors featured in the concert series that will highlight the luminaries of Philippine Musical Theater. He was only 21 years old, and had no acting experience when he auditioned for the zarzuela Walang Sugat at the Ateneo in 2010, bagging the lead role of Tenyong. He reprised the role in Tanghalang Pilipino’s staging of Walang Sugat, directed by Carlitos Siguion Reyna, at the CCP. After that, he appeared in The Best of Opera at Resorts World Manila, A Christmas Carol for 9Works, Mabining Mandirigma at CCP, and two original musicals by director Joel Lamangan, Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, and Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical. In 2021, he bagged the title role in the musical Lapu Lapu, the first production staged at the newly renovated Metropolitan Theater, directed by Dexter Santos. For tickets and more information, visit the CCP’s official website, https://culturalcenter.gov.ph, and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/culturalcenterofthephilippines.
Galeria Paloma launches educational initiative online
GALERIA Paloma launched its educational initiative, Perspectives, with a panel discussion in partnership with Binance and Palladium called “Collecting Crypto Art,” a recording of which is now available for viewing online on its website (galeriapaloma.com) and its YouTube channel. “Taking a step further beyond organizing educational events like panel discussions and lectures, the 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 which is viewable on the gallery’s website, 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 from different key sectors 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 art.
Indayugang Banal explores Filipino political fandoms
THE AWARD-WINNING Carlo Vergara, creator of Zsazsa Zaturnnah, explores the influence of social media in Filipino political fandoms in the full-length production entitled Indayugang Banal: Isang Superpowered Komedya. A study on Filipino political fandoms, it inspects the platform of entertainment, politics, and propaganda and how online presence shapes the mindset of Filipinos towards idolization of public figures. The two-hour hybrid play transports the audience into a fictional city with growing fanbases for Philippine gods and goddesses. It follows the adventures of the masked hero Buana, who is out to cleanse the metropolis of criminals and supernatural creatures, particularly aswangs; the young Lourdes Remedios, who dreams of becoming of a successful vlogger and content creator; and her supportive boyfriend Paolo, who keeps with him a strange and unsettling truth. Indayugang Banal: Isang Superpowered Komedya is directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio with dramaturgy by Dominique La Victoria. It is produced by Maiba 18 Productions and Teatro 77, two groups of young thespians from the Theater Arts Program of the School of Arts, Culture, and Performance of the College of Saint Benilde. Indayugang Banal is open to the public. It will be on view live at the 5/F DAC Theater of the Benilde Design and Arts Campus on Nov. 10 and 17, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. The pre-recorded performances will likewise be available via livestream from Nov. 21 to 27, with shows at 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. Live performance tickets are available for P300 at https://bit.ly/3eOaPFU, while online show tickets are P280 at https://ticket2me.net/e/35929. For more information, visit the official Facebook Pages of Maiba Productions (https://www.facebook.com/maiba18prod) and Benilde Theater Arts (https://www.facebook.com/benildetheaterarts).
National Poetry Day to be held on Nov. 22
ADVOCATES of Filipino poetry, headed by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario (Rio Alma), have joined forces to mount the first-ever celebration of National Poetry Day or “Pambansang Araw ng Pagtula” to be held on Nov. 22 — the 128th birth anniversary of Filipino poet Jose Corazon de Jesus, a.k.a Huseng Batute, who is known for his poem, “Bayan Ko.” With the theme “Ibalik ang tula sa puso ng madla,” (“Bring poetry back into the people’s hearts”) Pambansang Araw ng Pagtula will have a live poetry marathon at the Metropolitan Theater featuring at least 50 Filipino poets and performers, and a book launch and poetry book fair in the same venue. For updates about Pambansang Araw ng Pagtula, visit the Facebook pages of San Anselmo Publications, Inc. and LIRA.
PETA presents Walang Aray
THE PHILIPPINE Educational Theater Association (PETA) is finally returning to the theater for full live performances featuring a new original Filipino musical, Rody Vera’s Walang Aray. Presented by PETA with Indie.Go Media, Walang Aray is a genre-defying adaptation of the screenplay Walang Aray, based on Severino Reyes’ classic zarsuela, Walang Sugat. The musical mashes the timeless classic with contemporary language, funk and pop tunes, and tongue-in-cheek humor. This old-meets-new production is directed by Ian Segarra, with original music by Vince Lim, and caps PETA’s emerald year. Walang Aray runs at the PETA-Phinma Theater, PETA Theater Center, New Manila, Quezon City, from Feb. 17 to May 14. For partnerships and show-buying inquiries, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112 or e-mail PETA at petatheater@gmail.com.
Crimson Boracay’s New Artist in Residence
ARTIST Je An “Govinda” Marquesto officially takes over for Eric Egualada as artist in residence at Crimson Resort and Spa, Boracay this month. Mr. Marquesto will take over for Mr. Egualada with regard to the art classes offered to guests staying at the resort, as well as locals who want to enhance their creative skills. Along with classes in watercolor and acrylic painting, he will also teach guests how to do thread art, a mixed-media discipline wherein nails and different colored threads and yarns are used to create works of art. He will also be a regular participant at Crimson’s signature Art on a Plate sensory experience dinners at the Mosaic Latin American Grill in November and December. Mr. Marquesto has done artistic commissions for leading corporations both here and overseas. His work appears in numerous locations throughout the Philippines, including pieces on display at the Raffles Hotel, the Dean and Deluca Cafe in Makati, and the Dusit Thani in Davao.
