CEBU CITY—The Cultural Center of the Philippines is holding a touring exhibit of ethnographic objects and visual artwork. For the first time, they’ve ventured outside of Metro Manila. They partnered with Arthaland’s Cebu Exchange Tower for their first stop in the Visayas, with the exhibit running from September 15 to October 12, 2023. Entitled “Udtong Tutok: Art at High Noon,” the show is curated by Cebuano artist and University of the Philippines Cebu professor Jay Nathan Jore.
It is truly an honor to collaborate with an institution like the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Like the CCP, Arthaland aims to enrich our properties’ communities through art and sustainability. So we look forward to welcoming all the Cebuano artists and art lovers to view this wonderful collection at Cebu Exchange.
Ma. Angelica Magsanoc
Vice President for Corporate Communications, Brand and Reputation Management of Arthaland
In a preview held on September 14 at the lobby of the Cebu Exchange, tastemakers, art enthusiasts, and the press were treated by CCP and Athaland to an afternoon of culture, Cebuano folk music, and excitement of things to come from their 21st Century Art Museum (21AM) and Arthaland’s vision of community enhancement through art.
Dennis Marasigan, CCP vice president and artistic director, welcomed the guests to the afternoon’s affair, highlighting the significance of the special exhibit. “When we first launched our satellite exhibit at Arthaland BGC last year, we never dreamed how it would open doors for CCP to reach the people even further,” he said. “And now we’re staging a show outside Metro Manila for the first time. Not only that, many of the objects on display here are being shown to the public also for the first time ever. Some of them I haven’t even seen myself.”
Part of the reason for the off-site exhibits is that CCP’s Main Theater Building is currently undergoing rehabilitation. “We didn’t want to deprive the public of the chance to view CCP and 21 AM’s collection,” explained CCP independent curator Con Cabrera. “So while the museum is being repaired, we decided to bring the art to the people.” That also explains why some never-before-seen pieces from the CCP’s archives are finally being aired. While inventorying the various art pieces, historical objects, and artifacts, “we realized many of them had stayed in storage all this time,” she added.
And that’s where Arthaland came in. Last October, Arthaland Century Pacific Tower hosted the inaugural CCP’s off-site exhibit in Bonifacio Global City. And now, almost exactly a year later, they’re hosting the first exhibit outside of Metro Manila—Arthaland’s Vice President for Corporate Communications, Brand and Reputation Management, Ma. Angelica Magsanoc shares their pride in being chosen to partner with CCP for the exhibits. “It is truly an honor to collaborate with an institution like the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Like the CCP, Arthaland aims to enrich our properties’ communities through art and sustainability. So we look forward to welcoming all the Cebuano artists and art lovers to view this wonderful collection at Cebu Exchange.”
Prof. Jay Nathan Jore put together the collection in question. Digging deep into the archives of the CCP, he’s curated a unique combination of historical artifacts and historic pieces by 24 Filipino artists, 5 of whom are lauded as National Artists. So you might see an Abueva side by side with a Maranaw drum or an Ang Kiukok across a handwoven Ifugao blanket. This is all intentional, says Prof. Jore. “The thought of fine art being separate from ethnic art is a Western concept, and I wanted to do away with that. Here, you can see that our forebears created objects, everyday things imbued with such artistic imagination that you’ll be hard-pressed to say these are not fine art.” And the centerpiece of it all is an early work by Jose T. Joya. “Joya was such an important figure in the Visayas art movement. He mentored so many Visayan artists, and he also helped institute the UP Cebu College of Fine Arts.”
And so, for the next month, the lobby of Arthaland’s Cebu Exchange Tower will be home to an exciting collection of oil paintings, sketches, paper collages, woodcut prints, sculptures, clothing, handwoven fabrics, and more. There are also scheduled workshops for a more immersive experience, like the woodblock printing workshop on September 22. Guided tours are also available for groups. Admission is free of charge.
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