Feeling groovy at the 2nd Artbike

I believe the best place to be at six a.m. on a Saturday is buried in blankets, with at least three more hours of syrupy sleep. But when there's an Artbike scheduled, I'm more than willing to rise at the crack of dawn. Artist, bike enthusiast, and Mag:net Gallery Director Rock Drilon came up with Artbike to "establish clusters so it will be convenient for people to go gallery hopping."

The first Artbike last month took bikers down the Katipunan Art Strip, from Vargas Museum to the Ishmael Bernal Gallery, Art Corredor, Mag:net Gallery, Lost Projects, and the Ateneo Art Gallery. I haven't dared to go biking beyond the neighborhood, so Artbike seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone. Unfortunately, having my wisdom tooth extracted was an exquisite pain that, although far from the legs, made me decide to wait for the next Artbike. So when the second Artbike was announced, I made sure to show up. The route went from Bonifacio Global City to Pasong Tamo, not exactly beyond my comfort zone which is Makati. Still, the idea of crossing EDSA was thrilling, and knowing my parents wouldn't approve of it only added to the fun. But Artbike is actually a very safe and well-organized event. Bikers should wear helmets and use hand signals for safety, so the drivers don't get annoyed. It begins with registration and a short briefing by Rock Drilon and Katti Sta. Ana, who founded the Firefly Brigade. "They've been around, they're experts in marshaling, may safety considerations din," says Drilon of the Firefly Brigade. He tells me that those who join Artbike aren't necessarily bikers. "Some of them just love art and they take up biking," he adds. The first stop was MO Space. We tried not to make a mess of Poklong Anading's "Miracle Healing and other Hopeful Things" and took turns peeking into the Project Room at Manny Migrino's work. The gallery served pandesal and coffee, which everyone gladly took advantage of before the fifteen minutes of allotted time was up. The next stop was Pablo gallery, which was a few blocks away. While some of us looked inside to check out the works of Lisa Andrew, Simon Barney and Maria Cruz, the others couldn't help but watch a fire drill outside. It was somewhat sadly entertaining, because the water wasn't going high enough to reach the area where the fire was supposed to be. Of course, everyone was all smiles. We're Filipino. At least, there was no actual fire. Then we left for Manila Contemporary, passing Lawton Avenue to get to Pasong Tamo Extension. It was a lovely, tree-lined route for most of the way, and I eventually fell into conversation with the biker next to me. She asked me about my bike, and shared that her siblings never joined her because after biking, she would be shades darker. I was delighted, because it was the kind of thing I don't get to talk about much. A lot of people think it's crazy to bike in the city. Not that you can blame them. Without bike lanes, bikers have to fend for themselves against road bullies and of course, pollution. But it can be done, as proven by Artbike, which Drilon says is not meant to be caged in Mag:net. "It's supposed to have a life of its own. It should be able to be continued somewhere else by other people, by souls willing to push it," he says. The gallery served bananas, which we happily ate while going around the Hate Mail group show and Wahoo Guerrero's The Man and the Sea. Then we walked over to NOW Gallery while a couple stayed behind to make sure the bikes were safe. At the gallery, new works by Carating, Drilon and Vinluan were on exhibit. Artist Jean Paul Zialcita led a water bottle music jam, saying that "the idea is to pass the idea on. "Whether it's biking or drumming, there's a groovy aspect to it. There are alternatives," he says. The gallery also served snacks, which some of us kept for the road. "This isn't just Artbike, it's ArtBike and Eat," laughed one biker. It turns out the constant eating was a good thing, because the artbikers still had several galleries to visit. The great thing about ArtBike is the clusters can be visited over and over. "The shows change, so when you finish, you can go back. you can even go out of town," says Drilon, adding that they're thinking of organizing a trip to Antipolo. - YA, GMA News The next Artbike is on September 3, and will begin at eight in the morning at Greenhills. For details, visit the 3rd Artbike event page.