Online upcycling workshop
IN LINE with its ongoing exhibit “Cone of Concern,” the first solo exhibition of the South Korean artist Haegue Yang, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde presents an online workshop, free and open to the public. Professional industrial designer and illustrator Manuel Dacanay will guide participants on how to transform day-to-day equipment into sculptural and decorative yet functional pieces in a class on upcycling domestic objects, scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. A model maker for various design and advertising agencies and an expert in both traditional and computer aided modeling, he will elaborate on the importance of creative consumption and the object’s history to better transform it into a new work of art. He is also an instructor in the Industrial Design program of the college’s School of Design and Arts. For more information on the guidelines for the workshops and to discover more about the exhibit and its corresponding public programs, visit www.mcadmanila.org or follow @MCADManila on social media platforms.
Betsy Westendorp at the Met Museum
THE METROPOLITAN Museum of Manila presents “Passages,” a retrospective exhibition of Spanish artist Betsy Westendorp. A Filipino by virtue of her marriage to the Spanish-Filipino Antonio Brias, Ms. Westendorp has spent more than half her lifetime in the Philippines making art. The retrospective’s title “Passages,” alludes to her departure from her home country upon her marriage, commencing what would be a lifetime relationship with the Philippines, leading to her self-definition as a woman, a wife and mother, and artist. Over 100 artworks spanning more than 60 years of Ms. Westendorp’s painting career form the retrospective collection curated by Dannie Alvarez, and featured in a catalogue written by art critic Cid Reyes. Her body of work consists of portraits of the society elite of Madrid and Manila, her landscapes of Philippine terrain, seascapes of Manila Bay, her colorful celebration of Philippine flora, in particular the various species of the native orchid, and, literally in the sunset of her years, the grand symphonic cloudscapes across Philippine skies. The exhibit will be on view at the Ground Floor Galleries of the Metropolitan Museum from Jan. 29 to March 15. A Virtual Opening and 3-D Virtual Tour will be held on Jan. 29. Also opening on Jan. 29 is “In Full View: The Metropolitan Museum of Manila Collection and Archives,” a visual narrative and documentation of the 45-year history of the museum as a cultural institution. The collection of works gathered through the donation of friends and patrons of the Met Museum over time presents a parallel narrative to the development of Philippine art in recent years, with works by modern and contemporary artists from the Philippines and abroad. New acquisitions from 2020 include Rico Lascano’s Spatium Divinae II (2018). The exhibit will be on view at the museum’s Upper Galleries from Jan. 29 to March 15.
BPOnStream holds masterclass
BPOnStream will hold a masterclass with Tina Pereira on Jan. 20, 10 a.m. Ms. Pereira is First Soloist of The National Ballet of Canada. Tina Pereira was born in the Port of Spain, Trinidad and trained at Canada’s National Ballet School. She joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2001, leaving in 2004 to dance with Het Nationale Ballet. Ms. Pereira re-joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2006 and was promoted to First Soloist in 2009. In 2007, Ms. Pereira won The Seventh International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize and was invited to perform “Prokofiev Pas de Deux” at the New York debut of Morphoses. Registration is free at ballet.ph.
Muni-Muni Stories episode 8 out
FILIPINAS Heritage Library and the OPM (Original Pilipino Music) Archive present the latest episode of the MUNI-MUNI STORIES: A Podcast on Filipino Music. Episode 8 features Raymund Marasigan discussing the song “Betamax.” The podcast will be released on Jan. 22, 6 p.m., on Spotify. It will also be available on Apple Podcasts. In the episode, Mr. Marasigan explores the role of places in music. Place-names abound in lyrics and album titles by his many bands Sandwich, Pedicab, Basement Lung, Cambio, and the Eraserheads. The exchange on the highlighted song “Betamax” pays tribute to Sandwich’s OPM heroes. Raymund ponders the lesson of moving forward in creativity as in life journeys. For updates regarding the episode upload schedules, visit Filipinas Heritage Library and the OPM Archive websites.
Silverlens joins S.E.A Focus 2021
SILVERLENS has announced its participation in S.E.A. Focus 2021 with a dual presentation of news works by Philippine artists, Gregory Halili and Pow Martinez. This marks the gallery’s second entry into the Southeast Asian initiative, in both their digital and physical offerings, S.E.A. Focus Digital and S.E.A. Focus Curated respectively. S.E.A. Focus Digital will be an online platform moderated by Artsy, enabling the art fair to reach a global audience with a seamless discovery-to-collection experience. Alongside this online edition, S.E.A. Focus Curated will be showcased onsite in Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore, in an exhibition entitled “hyper-horizon.” Although contemporaries, Halili and Martinez have different approaches in their art making, and thus have contrasting bodies of work. While the former favors cool-toned miniature works executed on natural materials, the latter prefers completing colorful compositions on large-scale canvases. S.E.A. Focus Digital and S.E.A. Focus Curated, “hyper-horizon” will be open to the public from Jan. 22-31. Meanwhile, on view at Silverlens’ Online Viewing Room are eight new works by Ryan Villamael. Culled from the artist’s “Vista” series, which he began while in lockdown, these delicate pieces depict a world beyond an enclosed space, beyond restriction. Moved by his surrounding environment — including Laguna de Bay — Villamael reacquainted himself with painting, a medium he has eluded since youth, to transport his viewer through a string of evocative landscapes. “Vista” is on view until Jan. 28. For details visit www.silverlensgalleries.com.
Zobel photos, Orlina glass highlights in Leon Exchange online auction
LEÒN Gallery will hold the Leòn Exchange Online Auction 18 on Jan. 23 and 24, starting at 11 a.m. The weekend event features art, prints, jewelry, and watches on Day 1: The Collector’s Vault, and furniture, objets d’art, silver, glass, porcelain, and china on Day 2: The Heiress’ Homes and Tables. Top-billing the art are three lots of unconventional flower and plant photos by business tycoon and master photographer Jaime Zobel de Ayala, and three glass sculptures by Ramon Orlina, who pioneered the use of Asahi glass in art-making and is widely regarded as “Father of Philippine Glass Sculpture.” Also on the auction block are works by Napoleon Abueva, Eduardo Castrillo, Arturo Luz, and Vicente Manansala alongside pieces from Pacita Abad, Angelito Antonio, Norma Belleza, Prudencio Lamarroza, and David Medalla. Works from contemporary artists such as Pam Yan Santos, Geraldine Javier, Kawayan de Guia and Max Balatbat are also up for sale. Also part of this online auction is Albert Garcia’s entire collection of Asian antiques and ephemera. View the catalog online at www.leon-gallery.com/e-catalog or download the catalog at www.leon-gallery.com/download/catalog. To join the auction, go to www.leonexchange.com and register as a buyer. Visit www.leon-gallery.com or contact info@leon-gallery.com or call 8856-2781 for more information.
CCP launches literary e-book on COVID-19
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines, through its Intertextual Division, launches the In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write In The Time of COVID e-book on Jan. 23, 2 p.m, via the official Facebook pages of the CCP, the CCP Intertextual Division FB page, and the Philippine PEN. Edited by Che Sarigumba and Jenny Ortuoste, the e-book features 41 literary pieces, focusing on their experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis, quarantine, isolation and healing. The project highlights the work of Kora Dandan Albano, Nikki Alfar, Merlie Alunan, Alma Anonas-Carpio, Lualhati Bautista, Adelle Chua, Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, J. G. Dimaranan, May Dolis, Heidi Emily Eusebio-Abad, Babeth Lolarga, Liwliwa Malabed, Banaue Miclat-Janssen, Lee Sepe, and Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz, among many others. The e-book also contains artworks by Imelda Morales, Jenny Ortuoste, Kora Dandan Albano and Chua Keng Keng–Lua. Together with the Philippine PEN, the book project aims to understand the importance and the role of women, specifically mothers, and their literature during the global crisis, and promote the narratives of women who are mothers, highlighting that women can be both child-raisers and artists amid the struggles of being a parent. The e-book will be accessible to the public and will be available for free download. For a free copy of the e-book, visit the CCP Intertextual Division FB page or send an e-mail to ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com or text 0919-3175708.