Pinoy artists to mount 'Art Trek' exhibit in Singapore

Filipino artists in Singapore, including avant-garde icon David Cortez Medalla, will hold a "Philippine Art Trek" exhibit in Singapore in November, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The Philippine Embassy in Singapore said "Art Trek V" includes a month-long series of performance art, lectures, and exhibitions of works by established and emerging Filipino artists in Singapore's top galleries. "Art Trek has showcased the works of more than 150 Filipino artists in Singapore since 2007, helping to deepen the cultural interaction and friendship between the two countries," a report on the DFA website said. "It has been able to do this through the support of the Embassy's partners, including, this year, the Lee Foundation, Credit Suisse, Keppel Corporation, Bank of Singapore, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, and Airphil Express," it said. Since it started in 2007, Art Trek V has earned a spot in Singapore's annual arts calendar as the centerpiece of the Embassy's cultural diplomacy program. This year, the Embassy partnered with the National University of Singapore (NUS) Museum for the anchor event of Art Trek V, entitled "Sites of Practice-Filipino Performance Art Abroad." On November 3, Medalla will topbill a performance entitled "Bato-bato sa Langit, ang Tamaan Huwag Magalit." On November 4, an Artists' Dialogue will bring Filipino artist and one-time Singapore resident Jose Tence Ruiz and his Singaporean counterparts and Cultural Medallion recipients Amanda Heng and Lee Wen, in a conversation about performance art. On November 5, Valentine Willie Fine Art will be the first to open of the seven Singapore galleries on this year's Art Trek map. On November 8, the Artesan Gallery + Studio's Pacific Diptych will showcase the works of Ruiz and Prudencio Miel. On November 9, TAKSU Singapore will present a sequel to "Serial Killers: From Tate Modern to TAKSU" with "Serial Killers II: Welcome to the Club" to be curated by Norberto Roldan, artistic director of Green Papaya Art Projects in Manila. The works of Argie Bandoy, Patricia Eustaquio, Jonathan Olazo, Jayson Oliveria, Maria Taniguchi, MM Yu, At Maculangan, Pardo de Leon, Jed Escueta, Al Cruz and Khavn de la Cruz will be featured in the exhibit. On November 10, GJ Asian Art's "Asian Journey"will be opened. It will feature the works Dominic Rubio and Lydia Velasco. On November 11, Momentous Arts opens Eclectic (The Uncomfortable Process of Change), which will bring together three highly individualistic artists-painter Rene Robles, and sculptors Jinggoy Buensuceso and Pete Jimenez-and showcase their concept of making "open" type sculptures as opposed to the classic "closed" type three-dimensional sculptures. First-time Art Trek exhibitor Galerie Sogan and Art will present the works of Filipino artists Frank Cana, Jaime Gubaton, Francis Nacion, Carlo Ongchauco and Gerrico Blanco, collectively known as Quinta. Entitled "Interplay," the show "attempts to give a voice to the marginalized practitioners of the denigrated 'pretty picture,' present aspects of it as it has evolved in our time, and shine a light on collaboration as a possibility for art practice-another aspect that goes against the extant bias of contemporary art for individual expression." - VVP, GMA News