CCP Main Building lights up for Independence Day
TO HERALD the upcoming Philippine Independence Day celebrations, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has lit up its Main Building with the colors of the national flag. Using conventional ellipsoidal lighting fixtures with gobos patterned after islands and geographical features of the Philippines, it marks the 126th anniversary of the nation’s independence. The façade lighting runs every night, from 6 to 9 p.m., until June 16.
Aliwan Fiesta returns
ALIWAN FIESTA, the celebration of Filipino festivals and heritage, returns to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex in Pasay City from June 27 to 29. Aliwan Fiesta 2024 kicks off on June 27 with the Tugtog ng Aliwan Competition at 5 p.m., followed by the Pasakalye Concert at 7 pm. The concert will feature a star-studded line-up of Filipino artists, setting the tone for the festival experience. On June 28, the Reyna ng Aliwan pageant will see beauty queens from across the Philippines vie to showcase the unique charm of their respective regions. Aliwan Fiesta 2024 culminates on June 29, 5 p.m., with the Grand Parade, featuring the Streetdance and Float Competitions. The parade will start at the intersection of Jalandoni St. and V. Sotto St., proceed along P. Bukaneg St. in front of the CCP, turn onto Roxas Blvd., and culminate in front of the Aliw Theater, where contingents will perform six-minute routines. The best of the best will be selected in an award ceremony at 9 p.m.
Karla Sajona holds 3rd solo exhibit
IN her third solo exhibit, “Flights of Fancy,” Karla Sajona transitions from her usual realistic works to rather abstract and ethereal renditions of birds. Inspired by her fascination for Asian kite toys and celestial themes, the exhibit includes prismatic colored patterns in works like Iridescence and Plumage, which depict sunbirds, hornbills, kingfishers, and roosters. “Flights of Fancy” runs until May 31 at the Gateway Gallery Small Room in Gateway Mall, Araneta City, Quezon City.
CCP Met: Live in HD brings Malcolm X biopic opera
HAILED as groundbreaking for its all-Black production team, Anthony Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X depicts the controversial figure in the civil rights movement and the fight for Black empowerment in the 1960s. This opera shows Malcolm’s transformation from a victim of poverty to leader to martyr. Now part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ The Met: LIVE in HD series, the biopic of the civil rights icon was put together by jazz composer Anthony Davis. With a runtime of three hours and 42 minutes, it presents vignettes from the life of Malcolm X, played by Will Liverman. It will be shown on June 4, 5:30 p.m., at the cinema in Greenbelt 3, Makati City.
Uy, Madlangsakay Jr. show at MO_Space
THIS June, two artists will be showcased at MO_Space. One is Miguel Lorenzo Uy, whose exhibition “TBD” presents a new iteration of his ongoing project photo-documenting and manipulating the architecture of different commercial and high-rise buildings. For this body of work, the images are from the surrounding area where the exhibition takes place, manipulated to look like parts of a massive spaceship. Meanwhile, Efren Madlangsakay, Jr.’s “Printed in Water | Drawn in Trees”centers on flattened and abstracted landscapes that portray bodies of water, dense foliage, scattered liquid and vegetation, and negative space. Both shows are open for public viewing from June 1 to 30 at the third floor of MOs Design, Bonifacio High Street cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Two Olazos exhibit at BenCab Museum
FOR June, two artists will be displaying their works at the BenCab Museum in Baguio. Jonathan Olazo’s “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars” shall take up the space of Gallery Indigo. Meanwhile, Romulo Olazo’s “Nudes: The Secret Body of Abstraction”is set to occupy the Sepia Gallery. The exhibit centers on his depictions of the female figure, shown in different angles, with different mediums, and different qualities of rendering. The two exhibits run from June 8 to July 7 at the BenCab Museum, Km 6 Asin Road, Tuba, Baguio City.
La Union produces inventory of cultural elements
THE PROVINCIAL government of La Union recently produced its own inventory of cultural elements that are found in the province, as part of its objectives to promote heritage preservation. This was the result of the province’s Cultural Mapping Program in April, done with the technical assistance of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. La Union is the first province in Region 1 to complete the program, resulting in a total of 359 cultural elements that are now part of the inventory. Of these, 111 are in the natural heritage domain, 104 are intangible cultural heritage, 71 are tangible movable objects, 46 are immovable heritage, 17 are cultural institutions, and 10 are significant personalities. The program culminates with the printing and reproduction of the inventory, which is set for June to July this year.
Pacquing, Gadia shows at Silverlens Manila
IN MID-JUNE, two artists’ works will take the spotlight at Silverlens Manila. For Bernardo Pacquing, it will be his 5th solo exhibition at the gallery since Silverlens started representing him in 2014. “Causal Loops”is an experiment with abstraction as a building activity where materials are rid of their original meaning and transformed, resulting in a total of 25 works. Meanwhile, Dina Gadia paints from her own photographs in “Land Poetics,” offering an intimate perspective that diverges from her typical sources of books and magazines. The exhibition features seven new paintings on canvas, all rendered in acrylic. Both exhibits will be on view from June 11 to July 13 at Silverlens Manila, 2263 Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City, with an opening reception on June 11 at 4 p.m.
Animated short film Sulayman garners acclaim
FILIPINO animated short film Sulayman, based on a Maguindanao folktale, has bagged awards at two international short film festivals. Created by Tuldok Animation Studios, the eight-minute film won Best Animated Film at the PENSACON Short Film Festival 2024 and Best Animation: Traditional award at the FantaSci Short Film Festival, both held in Florida in the United States. Written and directed by Nelson “Blog” Caliguia, Jr., Sulayman revolves around the sacrifices the heroes make to save the lives of others and is based on the folktale “Indarapatra and Sulayman.”
Magdalena Gamayo birth centennial launch
THE NATIONAL Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) unveiled the Birth Centennial Logo of Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo, marking the beginning of a 100-day countdown to her birth cetennial. The logo was revealed in her hometown of Pinili, Ilocos Norte, at the GAMABA Cultural Center. The celebration will begin with an online campaign by weavers of the GAMABA Cultural Center and students from the Inabel Weaving Training Program in May. Ms. Gamayo’s inabel works will be turned over to the National Museum of the Philippines – Ilocos on June 24 and there will be an online lecture, “The Inabel Textile Tradition of the Ilocos Region and the Legacy of MB Magdalena Gamayo,” on July 19. The birth centennial celebration will be on Aug. 13, followed by a traveling exhibition of her works across the Philippines next year.
