Documentaries on Philippine intangible cultural heritage now on view
THE INTERNATIONAL Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region, under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP), recently launched 10 video documentaries on different Philippine intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements. The documentaries, which run for an average of 27 minutes, can be viewed in two versions, one in English (with English subtitles) and the other with Korean subtitles, on ICHCAP’s official YouTube channel. The ICH elements featured are the use of mud in traditional Ifugao textile dyeing (Using Mud as Mordant in the Traditional Dyeing Process of the Ifugao of Northern Luzon); piña weaving of Aklan (Piña: The Pineapple Textile of Aklan, Western Visayas); the traslacion procession of the Black Nazarene image of Quiapo, Manila (Poong Nazareno: The Traslacion of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila); the moryonan Lenten penitential ritual in Marinduque (Moryonan: A Lenten Tradition in Marinduque Island); the craft of making moryonan masks (Mukha ng Moryonan: Mask Making for Moryonan Lenten Tradition of Marinduque); the giant Christmas lantern tradition of San Fernando, Pampanga (Parul Sampernandu: The Giant Christmas Lantern Tradition of San Fernando City, Pampanga); the feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia of Naga City, Bicol Region (Ina: Our Lady of Peñafrancia); the buklog ritual of the Subanen of the Zamboanga Peninsula (Buklog: The Ritual System of the Subanen of Zamboanga Peninsula); the igal of the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi (Igal: Traditional Dance of the Sama of Tawi-Tawi); and the boat building practices of the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi (Lepa and Other Watercrafts: Boat Building Traditions of the Sama of Tawi-Tawi). These documentaries are part of ICHCAP’s video documentation of ICH project in the Asia-Pacific region, which has been implemented since 2015. The Philippine ICH video documentation team is led by NCCA Secretariat’s Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts Section headed by Renee Talavera; theater veteran and Mindanao culture expert Nestor T. Horfilla as consultant for Mindanao and co-director of some of the documentaries; and writer Roel Manipon.
CCP launches Kanto Canta tilt
KANTO Canta, a competition initiated by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Board of Trustees, is an online music competition for original Filipino musical works, which was officially launched on Feb. 17. It aims to create contemporary music that incorporates traditional musical instruments and local languages in order to create a “new Pinoy sound.” The deadline for submission for the first quarter is on or before Mar. 20. In line with this, CCP collaborates with OPM R&B group BRWN to produce Bangon!, a music video featuring uplifting lyrics and an orchestral arrangement with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the band’s electronic flair, Philippine ethnic instrumentation and Cordilleran chants. The music video premiered on Feb. 23 on the BRWN YouTube channel. For more details, follow the CCP Kanto Kultura Facebook page (facebook.com/kantokultura) and official social media pages (@kantokultura). For inquiries, contact the CCP Marketing Department at 8832-1125 local 1409/1800 or e-mail ccpkantokultura@gmail.com.
4 exhibits at West Gallery
THERE are four exhibits which are ongoing at West Gallery this month. First is Yasmon Sison’s “Backyard Jungle Redux” in which she journeys back into archived research work and uses these materials as the source for new work. “Backyard Jungle Redux” is a revisitation of old studies and imagery from a previous collection of paintings for Into the Woods, shown in the early aughts, featuring younger versions of her son, Haraya, and her nieces and nephews. The exhibit runs until Mar. 13 at the Malang Room. A group show, “Grayscale,” features the works of 11 artists: Andres Barrioquinto, Jigger Cruz, Mark Andy Garcia, Winner Jumalon, Raffy T. Napay, Lynyrd Paras, Neil Pasilan, Arturo Sanchez, Jr., Kaloy Sanchez, Luis Antonio Santos, and Hamilton Sulit. The exhibit, curated by Soler Santos, has the artists following a very loose brief concerning black and white. It is ongoing until Mar. 20. There are three other solo shows: Alvin Villaruel’s “Days In and Out of the Sun,” Lendl Arvin’s “At the Top of the Food Chain,” and Demosthenes Campos’ “Inclined to Observe.” The exhibitions run until Mar. 20. West Gallery is located at 48 West Ave., Quezon City. Visits are by appointment only (call 3411-0336), Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Langgam Performance Troupe premieres [KOSMOS]
AFTER six months of lockdown development, Langgam Performance Troupe (LPT) is now ready to premiere its latest virtual work entitled, [KOSMOS], this month. LTP is a contemporary performance company focusing on experimental, process-based, and practice-as-research works. [KOSMOS] is an online collaborative performance piece that explores and examines the meaning, purpose, and utilization of makeup — especially in relation to its gradual loss of use due to the global interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a series of Zoom performances, the project asks the questions: “What now becomes of cosmetics? And what now becomes of the face in this time of facelessness?” Focusing on the word “cosmetics” which derives from the Greek word, kosmos, meaning “order,” this performance piece is envisioned as an attempt in putting things in order, in harmony, in the balance, in perspective, in universe, and in beauty — especially at a time when we are grappling with the world’s existing disorder. [KOSMOS] is conceptualized and directed by Jenny Logico-Cruz. It also features a rotating ensemble of both professional and non-professional actors: Alekxandra Toyhacao, Alex Reloj, Blonski Cruz, Gaya dela Rosa, Jacq Nacu-Garcia, Joel Garcia, JA Sarmogenes, Lawyn Cruz, Nikita Sacha, and Sarina Narida. [KOSMOS] will be running its shows twice a month from Mar. to June: Mar. 13 and 27, April 10 and 24, May 8 and 15, June 5 and 19, all at 8 p.m. via Zoom. Interested parties must make a reservation to ensure a slot in LPT’s Zoom room. The fee to watch [KOSMOS] live is P100. The live show of [KOSMOS] on Zoom will be followed by an Aftershow Talk entitled, “Finding Belongingness in the Remote” at 9 p.m. For more details about the project, go to LPT’s FB Page, Instagram, and official website.
Czar Kristoff wins Portfolio Art Prize
YOUNG artist Czar Kristoff was awarded the second Portfolio Art Prize consisting of P300,000 in a ceremony at the Drawing Room Gallery. The grant, conceived by Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino and Hugo Bunzl, and supported by the Drawing Room Gallery and by curator Angel Vasco Shaw, is based on the sale of a portfolio containing 10 photographic works by as many artists entitled 2020. With the funds raised with the sale of the portfolio, prizes are awarded to young artists who have been selected by a special jury. The idea is to be able to give artists a financial basis to continue their work in this period of generalized difficulties. The first winner of the grant was Issay Rodriguez. Czar Kristoff (born in Laguna in 1989) works across photography, video, site specific installation and independent publishing. Guglielmino and Bunzl hope that new sales of the portfolio, which is a limited edition, will soon allow to hand over another prize to support young talented artists in this unprecedented time. For more information or inquiries on how to support the 2020 portfolio project, e-mail ailene@a-listconsulting.co or call 0917-536-6856 and look for Ailene Co at The Drawing Room.
Celeste Lecaroz’s art finds joy and hope
PAINTER Celeste Lecaroz — known for her Mamba Forever portrait of Kobe Bryant that went viral, among others works — is holding her fifth one-woman show entitled “Blue Skies, Crimson Wind,” at Eastwood City Mall’s The Atrium from March 1 to 11. The COVID-19 pandemic motivated Ms. Lecaroz to reflect on the impact of the health crisis and ponder on how she could translate her musings into new paintings. She felt that the mission of an artist should continue more so when the entire world is on standstill and in need of hope. “Blue Skies, Crimson Wind” features pastel paintings of playful flower girls in impressionism style. For more information about the artist, visit celestelecaroz.com and follow lecarozart on Instagram.
Bisquera explores patterns
ON MAR. 5, Virtual ArtistSpace presents “ENDPOINTS,” a solo exhibition of visual artist Leo Bisquera. Inspired by lines, movement, and impulsivity, Bisquera’s works seek to explore the vibrant, connected, and awe-inspiring patterns that exist in our world through an abstract lens. All his works are acrylic on canvas achieved without using a paintbrush, and based on movement study. The virtual exhibition will be on view starting Mar. 5, 6 p.m., until Mar. 25. The link to the exhibition will be posted on ArtistSpace Facebook and Instagram pages (@artistspacegallery). ArtistSpace Virtual showcases a new exhibition every three weeks.
Scenes Reclaimed: CCP 50 x Cinemalaya 15 Catalog launched
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines launched a publication entitled Scenes Reclaimed: CCP 50 x Cinemalaya 15. The book also serves as educational material for students and makers of film, and a compendium of keywords for a critical pedagogy of Philippine cinema. Scenes Reclaimed: CCP 50 x Cinemalaya 15 is available at the CCP Shop. To purchase, visit https://www.facebook.com/theccpshop/ or e-mail culturalcenterphshop@gmail.com.