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ManilART 2024 Celebrates the Collective Imagination of Filipino Artistry
ManilART 2024, dubbed as “the national art fair,” announced the dates for its event this year. The art fair will be open to the public from October 9 to 13 at the SMX Aura Convention Center.
This year’s fair circles around the theme of “Prisms and Mosaics” for the works showcased. This event wants to display the different ideas and movements going on in today’s art scene. More than that, it wants to show how they come together as a multifaceted portrait of contemporary Filipino art as a whole. It emphasizes a sort of bayanihan spirit that exists at the core of Filipino society.
“Artists draw from a wellspring of inspiration: from history and traditional folklore to global trends and emerging schools of thought. While each facet retains its unique qualities, collaboration is crucial, connecting and enhancing each artist’s contribution and enriching the overall picture,” the fair said in a press release.
It links with the theme for the Museums and Galleries Month of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Centered around “Ani ng Sining, Bayang Malikhain” (Art’s Harvest, A Creative Nation), it links together traditional farmland imagery to “the nation’s collective imagination.”
Visions in Glass
One of the event’s main highlights is the highly-anticipated showcase for celebrated glass sculptor Ramon Orlina. This exhibit comes alongside the launch of a book about Orlina, Visions in Glass, written by notable art critic Cid Reyes and laid out by Dopy Doplon.
Visions in Glass is a monumental celebration of his 50-year career as a pioneer in glass sculpture. More than just a coffee table book, Orlina describes it as a “dining table book” due to its substantial size (weighing six kilos) and significance. The book compiles decades of his artistic journey, featuring writings from numerous articles that have covered his work throughout the years.
“It’s something that I’m so happy, and so proud of… all those 50 years of my work is there,” Orlina said. He expressed his gratitude to the team behind the book, including Reyes, Doplon, his wife Lay Ann, and their children. The book also showcases the curated works of Orlina, thanks to curator Glenn Cuevo, offering a comprehensive reflection on his contributions to the world of glass art.
Glenn Cuevo shared his admiration for Ramon Orlina, recalling the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing him work in his studio. “He would respect and follow the shape of the raw glass material, and the end result is a sculpture like no other,” Cuevo shared.
Cuevo highlighted how Orlina often named his special works after his daughters, reflecting themes of family and love. Over his career, Orlina developed a unique color palette and demonstrated an exceptional understanding of how light reflects, refracts, and bends within his glass sculptures.
In addition, Cuevo invited everyone to experience the Orlina Glass Lounge, an installation that captures the essence of the artist’s creations. He encouraged visitors to discover “the beauty, the meaning, and soul of each work of [Ramon Orlina].”
Exploring Generative AI in the Local Art Scene
The most interesting exhibit for ManilART 2024 is a whole exhibit focused on AI art. “Plugged Into Fernalia—Art in the Age of AI” seeks to “explore the complex interplay of technology and human creativity.”
It does this by contrasting AI-generated works and human artworks side by side. Both of them were given the same prompts to work with. This new exhibition comes as AI art continues to receive criticism in the art community for a variety of reasons, including copyright infringement and lack of originality. BluPrint even recently covered an exhibit criticizing the advent of this technology in the world.
A multinational collection of artists participated in this project. Those involved include Pen Medina, Cheryl Hironaka, Maria Magdamit, Christian Townsend, AJ Pascua, and more. Fellow artist Gromyko Semper assembled and curated the list of artists participating in the exhibit.
Other Exhibits to Anticipate
ManilART 2024 itself will feature a mix of two- and three-dimensional works from different artists across the world. Among the three-dimensional art featured are glass and crystal works by Margo Organo, “translucent ostrich egg carvings” by Danny Rayos del Sol, “iridescent wall-bound metalworks” by Ombok Villanueva, and functional woven wood art by Agi Pagkatipunan.
Other works to be featured in the exhibit include collaborative glassworks from Anna Orlina, Bea Policarpio, and Abby Añover. Paintings by Romulo Galicano, Darby Alcoseba, Adeste Deguilmo, and Joe Marie Sanclaria will be exhibited in the fair.
Exploring Uniqueness in Filipino Art
In the end, ManilART 2024 seeks to create a united front to the differing branches of art within the country. Beyond being a reflection of our own identities, it becomes a representation of the uniqueness that exists within the art scene as a whole.
“Much like a mosaic, where distinct pieces form a cohesive image, art fairs and the Philippine arts and cultural scene unite individual talents into a collective celebration of artistic expression—in this unity, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. This emphasis on collaboration reflects the Filipino spirit, known for its bayanihan, where collectivism is deeply rooted in our cultural heritage,” the press release said.
ManilART 2024 will be open from October 9 to 13 at the SMX Aura Convention Center. Tickets are available at Ticketbooth.ph, and group and school tours can be arranged by emailing [email protected].
Related reading: Manila Illustration Fair Partners With UP Fine Arts for Annual Event
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Frequently Asked Questions
ManilART 2024, dubbed “the national art fair,” ran from October 9 to 13 at the SMX Aura Convention Center. Its theme, “Prisms and Mosaics,” presented contemporary Filipino art as a multifaceted portrait and emphasized the bayanihan spirit at the core of Filipino society.
Visions in Glass is a book by art critic Cid Reyes on Ramon Orlina’s 50-year career in glass sculpture, laid out by Dopy Doplon and launched alongside Orlina’s showcase at the fair. Weighing six kilos, it was described by Orlina as a “dining table book.”
It was an exhibit exploring the interplay of technology and human creativity by placing AI-generated works beside human artworks made from the same prompts. Participants included Pen Medina, Cheryl Hironaka, Maria Magdamit, Christian Townsend, and AJ Pascua, with the list curated by Gromyko Semper.
Glenn Cuevo curated the Orlina showcase, which included the Orlina Glass Lounge, an installation described as capturing the essence of the artist’s creations. Cuevo noted that Orlina followed the shape of the raw glass and often named special works after his daughters.
The fair’s theme linked with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Museums and Galleries Month theme, “Ani ng Sining, Bayang Malikhain” (Art’s Harvest, A Creative Nation). The NCCA theme ties traditional farmland imagery to the nation’s collective imagination.
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