MANTLE Spotlight: arts and culture events in town for April

MANTLE checks out the arts and culture scene in the city for the remaining days of April, perfect for post-holiday plans.

Above: Georgette Sanchez-Vargas as the Encantada from the 2011 staging of ENCANTADA.
Photo by Darrell Sicam

We’re back to the daily grind after a series of (hopefully) quiet, relaxing, and meditative days! Several arts and culture events are also back after a well-deserved break, and other upcoming shows deserve a spot or two on your calendar. Check out some of the events that are on our radar for the remaining weeks of April:

Salcedo Private View – Spotlighting the Sugilanon

Eight artists from Negros Occidental (Daryl Feril, Raymond Legaspi, Darel Javier, Frelan “Pakz” Gonzaga, Guenivere Decena, Michael John “Mikiboy” Puma, Katarina Estrada, and Moreen Austria) reinterpret folktales and legends—”sugilanon” in Hiligaynon—selected from a diverse collection of Negrense folk literature into contemporary works of art.

Check out “Spotlighting the Sugilanon” at the main gallery of Salcedo Auctions at the NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, until April 20, 2023 (daily except Sunday and Monday). The online catalog may be viewed via this link.

León Gallery – 27th León Exchange Online Auction

Collectors and connoisseurs can check out León Gallery’s catalog of artworks, antiques, and accessories for the 27th León Exchange Online Auction. From art that encapsulates the essence of Lenten season, as with Ang Kiukok’s Crucifixion, to contemporary pieces; and from vintage items from the 19th century to fine watches and jewelry, the online auction will excite the discerning collector.

The catalog for the 27th León Exchange Online Auction may be accessed via this link.

B&B Italia – Art and Space Serie 02: The Collector’s Edition

Coming from the success of its first run last 2022, B&B Italia Manila continues its partnership with esteemed art curator and interior stylist Glenn Cuevo, to showcase B&B Italia pieces alongside masterpieces from Fernando Amorsolo, Fernando Zobel, HR Ocampo, Arturo Luz, Jose Joya, and many more.

His overall concept showcases what he aptly calls ‘Due’ or ‘Gemello’ which means two or twin in Italian, referring to how he arranges both furniture and artwork in such a way that one side creatively mirrors the other side.

Preview Art and Space Serie 02 at the B&B Italia Manila Showroom located at Twenty-Four Seven McKinley, Bonifacio Global City, until April 30, 2023.

Artinformal Gallery – various shows

Up until April 19, 2023, these three contemporary art shows will be up at Artinformal: “Tangents & Secants,” a collaboration by Christina Dy, Marco Ortiga, and Tad Ermitaño, collectively known as SOMATOSONIC; “The Culling of the Flock” by Benguet-based artist Rocky Acofo Cajigan; and “Garden State” by Lena Cobangbang.

Artinformal Gallery is located at Karrivin Plaza, Makati.

Art Cube – “Plastics and Colors of Youth” by Fernando Seña

Heralded as the “Father of the Philippine Art Workshop,” Fernando Seña captures nostalgia, playfulness, and vibrant colors in his toy series for his solo showcase, “Plastics and Colors of Youth.” Central to these works are the notions of child’s play, parental love, and Seña’s mastery of the still-life genre.

“Plastics and Colors of Youth” will run until April 29, 2023. Check out other shows on exhibit at Art Cube, located at OPVI Centre, 2295 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati, through their website.

Cultural Center of the Philippines – “Woman: Thesis and Antithesis” at the Yuchengco Museum

Who and what defines a woman’s image?

These are the questions that are explored in the touring exhibit of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, titled Woman: Thesis and Antithesis. Curated by Yuchengco Museum director Jeannie Javelosa, the exhibit features artworks that highlight women as subject matter, and celebrated women artists amidst the evident gender divide in the field of visual arts in the Philippines. 

The exhibit is divided into two sections: the Women in Society collections displayed at the ground floor, and the Women Expressions exhibited at the third floor of Yuchengco Museum.

The exhibit runs until June 24, 2023, at the Yuchengco Museum located at the RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue in Makati City. Visiting schedule is Monday to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm. Entrance fee for adults is Php100, with discounted price of Php50 for students, seniors and PWDs.  Free admission days are April 29, May 20, and June 24 during the public programs. More information about these days may be accessed via CCP’s official website.

CCP Performatura Festival 2023 – Lualhati Bautista Retrospective

Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books Book Club honors and celebrates the life of Lualhati Bautista, 2020 Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awardee and one of the foremost Filipino writers in the history of contemporary Philippine literature. There will be a book discussion on her self-published book Sixty in the City on April 22, 1 pm, at the Holy Cross Memorial Park, Novaliches, Quezon City. The event is free and open to the public. Get in touch with the PRPB Book Club through their Facebook page.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra – Master Herminigildo Ranera at CCP Live at the Metropolitan Theater

Maestro Herminigildo Ranera takes the dais and performs with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for the finale concert of its 38th concert season on April 28, 2023, 8pm, at the CCP Live at the Metropolitan Theater.

The PPO, under his baton, will premiere his very own music “Lola Basyang Miniature Suite,” alongside with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s L’espoir renait dans mon ame from Orphee et Eurydice, and Gaetano Donizetti’s Prendi, per me sei libero from L’elisir d’amore.

For inquiries and tickets, call CCP Box Office at 8832-3704 or email customercare@culturalcenter.gov.ph. Follow the official social media accounts of CCP in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates.

CCP – Encantada: an award-winning Filipino dance masterwork

A collaboration with Joey Ayala for music, Al Santos for the libretto, and National Artist Salvador Bernal for production design, ENCANTADA features the artists of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Professional Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP).

It is a showcase of National Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin’s Neo-Ethnic Dance Style as she masterfully utilizes it to explore Filipino folklore, history, and culture, while at the same time bringing awareness to the consequences of man’s destruction of nature.

ENCANTADA goes on stage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on April 14-15 and at the Metropolitan Theater on April 21-22, with evening shows at 7:30 PM and matinees at 2:00 PM.

The season continues with Alice Reyes’ RAMAHARI (Sept. 15-16), CARMEN AND OTHER SPIRITS (Oct. 27-28, Nov. 3-4), a mixed bill featuring Alice Reyes’ CARMEN and new works by young Filipino choreographers, and the celebration of Paskong Pinoy with PUSO NG PASKO (Dec. 2-3, 8-9).

For season subscriptions and ticket reservations, contact Kurt Copon at ardancephilippinesinc@gmail.com or subscribe online through this Google Form. 

CCP – Diyosa: The Eight Gods and Goddesses of Carlo Calma

Set in the mythical world of Philippine gods and goddesses, Carlo Calma’s DIYOSA is Ballet Philippine’s  latest original production that juxtaposes elements from our rich culture with a call to action on the global environmental crisis. 

Choreographed by Ballet Philippines’ Artistic Director Mikhail Martynyuk, DIYOSA takes audiences on an unique sensorial journey where dance, design, fashion, electronic music, and art come together to inspire future generations. DIYOSA is anything but a literal interpretation of deities from ancient worlds. In the realm created by Carlo Calma, “the gods and goddess are reinterpreted as elements in architecture—creating these metaphysical worlds.”

Carlo Calma’s Diyosa by Ballet Philippines will make its debut on April 14, Friday at the Theatre at Solaire at 8:00PM with shows on April 15 and 16 at 2pm and 7pm. Purchase tickets at https://www.ballet.ph/diyosa/.