Arts & Culture (04/20/21)

Día del Libro returns

AFTER TWO years of cancellations due to the pandemic, Instituto Cervantes, the cultural arm of the Embassy of Spain, brings back the tradition of celebrating the Día del Libro (International Book Day) on April 23. The event will have a hybrid format with both onsite and online activities. There will be an online recital of Filhispanic Poetry, and the onsite handwriting of the novel Don Quijote de la Mancha at the Intramuros branch of Instituto Cervantes. It will also offer of free books and T-shirts featuring poems. At the online Poetry Recital, which is ongoing, poetry lovers are invited to recite verses written in Spanish by Filipino poets. All the recorded recitations are being compiled into a video that will be posted in Instituto Cervantes’ social media on April 23. The onsite event will see visitors at Instituto Cervantes’ Intramuros branch participating in a quixotic attempt: to handwrite a fragment of Don Quixote de La Mancha. The final hand-written book will be deposited in the Library of Instituto Cervantes. Interested parties can join on the same day with no prior registration, although they can reserve their slot by filling out the Registration Form on the following link: https://cultura.cervantes.es/manila/en/escribo-el-quijote— i-m-writing-don-quixote-/150572. Participants in the handwriting chain will receive a rose. Admission to all activities is free on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, contact 8526-1482 or visit http://manila.cervantes.es or www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila.

Photo exhibition of Protomartir’s works on view

“Proto Photo Educator: Teodulo Protomartir,”an ongoing exhibition at the UP Vargas Museum in Diliman, Quezon City, features a wide range of images by Protomartir, considered a pillar of photography education in the country. The showcase boasts of over 50 photographs taken by Protomartir. Each snapshot narrates a part of early Philippine amateur photography as well as scenes and slices of life in the early 20th century Manila through the lenses of 35mm cameras. The collection likewise consists of negatives, prints, and albums that highlight the quality and culture of Salon Photography of that era. It includes a selection from the Vargas Library and Archives that depicts the trying life in Manila during the Second World War. This is the first collaborative project between UP Vargas Museum and the New Media Cluster and Photography Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. The exhibition is on view until April 23 at the 1/F West Wing Gallery and Video Room of UP Vargas Museum.

Gateway Gallery’s KulturaSerye tackles disinformation

IN LIGHT of the deluge of disinformation plaguing the county, KulturaSerye — Araneta City’s Gateway Gallery’s online talk series — will discuss the origins, dynamics, and challenges brought by disinformation in traditional media and the digital space. Titled “The Battle for Truth,” the webinar will be live-streamed on April 23, 2 p.m., on the official Facebook page of Gateway Gallery. History and leadership advocate Mona Magno-Veluz (known on Tiktok as Mighty Magulang) will scrutinize this phenomenon. “The Battle for Truth,” the second KulturaSeryewebinar for 2022, can be viewed for free, and will provide a digital certificate for attendees who will answer the talk’s online evaluation form. UP Los Baños instructor John Carlo Santos will moderate the talk. For inquiries on KulturaSerye or other programs, e-mail at gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com, or call 8588-4000 local 8300.

Art in the Park goes online

AFTER THE hybrid edition of Art Fair Philippines 2022 earlier this year, its sister event, Art in the Park, returns online on April 24 to May 1. Known as the more affordable counterpart to the Art Fair, Art in the Park features art whose prices are capped at P50,000. This year, 63 galleries will be showcasing works online. Special exhibits will include Studio 1616 (group which includes artists Yeo Kaa and Lynyrd, among others), Rodel Tapaya, Marina Cruz, and NFT artworks by Distort Monsters. For more information, visit www.artinthepark.ph. 

Watch PETA’s Game of Trolls online

THE PHILIPPINE Educational Theater Association (PETA) will stream Liza Magtoto’s martial law musical, A Game of Trolls, on www.ktx.ph on April 22 and 23. This is a video of an original live performance from 2017. The musical was directed by Maribel Legarda, with lyrics, composition, arrangement, and musical direction by Vincent de Jesus. Tickets are priced at P150 for video-on-demand viewing. For ticket and bulk inquiries, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112.

Aunzo, Tumampos exhibit at ARTablado

RICO Aunzo and Ramil Tumampos — artists who share an affinity with the unsung heroes of labor including farmers, fisherfolk, construction workers, health workers, and small business owners — celebrate this with a two-man show called “Fruits of Labor” which opened on Easter Sunday at the Robinsons Land ARTablado in Level 3 of Robinsons Galleria. Born in Tatum City, Davao del Norte, as a teen Mr. Tumampos worked with his father making hand-painted billboards for movie houses. As the demand for cinema marquees died down, he shifted to painting on canvas and explored a style characterized as “impressionist transparency mixed with Cubism.” Today Mr. Tumampos resides in Magalang, Pampanga and actively joins art exhibits. Naptalie “Rico” Aunzo sees the country as filled with Pedro Masipags (and not Juan Tamads), which he depicts in his work as angular or slightly distorted figures that appear “idol-like, introspective, with long necks and portentous eyes that are shut.” The artist’s watercolor painting was included in then Ateneo president Fr. Jose Ramon T. Villarin’s book of reflections titled Siya Nga! in 2020, along with works by other artists.

Musical theater workshops with Rony Fortich

THE BGC ARTS Center begins its 5th run of online musical theater workshops in May. Online workshops are available for children (nine to 12 years old), teens (13 to 17), and adults (18 years old and above). The immersive four-week program includes 10 group sessions (of 1.5 hours each) and two one-on-one sessions with Rony Fortich, plus a culminating online performance for family and friends. Each student will also receive vocalization tracks, a personalized minus one, and a digital certificate of completion. The workshops begin on May 23. The online recital is scheduled for June 19. Slots are priced at P7,500. To register, visit  https://www.bgcartscenter.org/musical-theater-workshops. 

Pelikulaya 2022 calls for entries

THE FILM Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is now accepting submissions for this year’s Pelikulaya: LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. With the theme “Pantay-pantay, Iba’t Ibang Kulay!” (Equal, Different Colors!), the festival aims to spotlight stories and narratives that delve into the underrepresented members of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially the trans community, to promote better understanding of inclusivity, visibility, diversity, and equality. Entries are to be submitted through bit.ly/PelikulayaShortFilmCompetition on or before May 13. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/FDCP.ph.

Almario releases anthologyLugaw ni Leni, Pink Parol, KKK, Kakampink, Atbp.

NATIONAL Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario has come up with a 220-page anthology entitled Lugaw ni Leni, Pink Parol, KKK, Kakampink, Atbp. The book, which Almario co-edited with Aldrin Pentero, contains almost 200 pages of poems, short stories, essays, and letters, plus original prayers, musical compositions, and statements of support inspired by Vice-President Leni Robredo who is running for president in the national elections in May. All the works, except for one, are written in Filipino. The book features a 24-page colored insert of photos and images of Mrs. Robredo. Book design is by Fidel Rillo with cover illustrations by Mark Anthony Taduran and Kapitan Tambay. The anthology is available in San Anselmo Publication, Inc.’s Facebook page and Shopee, and soon in other bookstores. Over 75 Filipino artists contributed works to the volume.