BEFORE the start of the country’s biggest gathering of art galleries, MANILART 2011 Director Delan Robillos promised “A more diverse and vibrant art exposition and viewers shall witness a groundbreaking event—the simultaneous opening of various art exhibitions during gala night. Exhibitors will not simply be showcasing the works of artists they represent but each gallery shall be presenting a conceptualized art exhibit.”And he sure delivered on his promise.
Twenty-four galleries were arranged in such manner as to single out the specific style and period of visual art categorization. To name a few were Manila Contemporary, Silverlens Gallery, Blanc Art Space and West Gallery, which displayed over 300 art pieces from abstract, realism, impressionism, expressionism and even surrealism with their corresponding modern variations and versions. I was amazed by the cornucopia of motley-colored paintings set in acrylic and oil on canvas. The opening of MANILART 2011 at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, was attended by numerous artists, art enthusiasts and art collectors alike.
Something that made the exhibit different this year was that the featured artworks did not undergo the usual auction process, something the organizers and proponents agreed upon. “Art in its purest form and theoretical sense should be appreciated. Let us focus on the artworks per se instead of their exchange of values this time,” was Director Robillos’s explanation on why the business side, i.e., the public auction of the pieces, had to be foregone. A very inspiring move I would say!
The Filipiniana-inspired gala night featured a fusion of indigenous and modern music by Banda Malaya, award-winning performances by the Fatima University Chorale and a performance by premier contemporary dance maven and Dance Forum founder Myra Beltran, who translated into modern dance the painting Batang Edsa by Manila-based, CCP 13 Artists Awardee Elmer Borlongan.
The gala night was highlighted by welcome remarks by Sen. Koko Pimentel, who led a celebratory toast where he was joined by Congresswoman Abby Binay, Councilor Aurelio Paolo Bartolome, NCCA Chairman Felipe de Leon, National Artist Virgilio Almario, and Allied Bank SVP Fol Rana that officially opened MANILART 2011.
Aside from the various lectures and performances, award-winning poet, fictionist, playwright and essayist Vim Nadera gave a talk, entitled “Visuals on Rizal Today,” in commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of the national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
Prior to MANILART 2011, a live sketching session was undertaken at Mercato Centrale @ Bonifacio Global City.
My eyebrow-raising moment: The lights inside the NBC Tent were intentionally dimmed during the earlier part of the evening in preparation for a dramatic reveal of the galleries after the celebratory toast by Senator Pimentel and other dignitaries. But while the host was introducing the senator, one of the very passionate art gallery owners made his way to the front of the stage, screaming at the top of his lungs for the host, RJ Ledesma, to “turn on the [expletive deleted] lights!!” (We later found out that he wanted the venue to be fully lit because he couldn’t properly entertain clients who were viewing his gallery’s artworks.) Needless to say, this behavior shocked not only the good senator but the other genteel members of the audience who were attending the gala night. It was a good thing the host had the presence of mind to quickly defuse the situation while he was onstage by referring this irate gentleman’s concerns to the organizers. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and the senator’s speech and toast went on without further outbursts. That just goes to show you that when you attend MANILART, everyone is passionate about art.
