Ayala Museum hosts int’l conference on PHL gold
THE AYALA Museum is hosting its first international conference dedicated to precolonial Philippine gold. Titled “Ritual, Ornament, Currency: Gold in Early Asian Cultures,” it is being held on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Ayala Museum in Makati City and at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Complex in Manila. It brings together leading Filipino and international scholars to explore the history, artistry, and cultural significance of Philippine gold, building on the ongoing exhibition Reuniting the Surigao Treasure, which has welcomed nearly 70,000 visitors since opening in May 2024 at the Ayala Museum. The conference will open on Oct. 21 at the Ayala Museum with a keynote address by Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo. Other featured speakers include Dr. Adriana Proser of The Walters Art Museum, who will examine evidence of Chinese metalworking influences in precolonial Philippine gold, and Dr. Li Xiaolu of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, who will explore the evolution of Southeast Asian aesthetics across pottery, gold, and porcelain. On Oct. 22, the conference will continue at the BSP Complex with a keynote address on Indian Ocean trade by Dr. Himanshu Prabha Ray, Tagore National Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, followed by sessions on the Surigao gold mines and the journey of gold from mine to treasury. The day will conclude with a tour of Museo BSP and the book launch of Bahandi: The Surigao Treasure and Related Finds.
CCP Opera Lab presents culminating production
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will be presenting the CCP Opera Lab’s culminating workshop production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Tagalog translation by National Artist Rolando S. Tinio. The production is directed by CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan and will run from Oct. 22 to 24, with shows at 7 p.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater), featuring different casts for each show. The production is the culmination of the intensive training program led by operatic tenor Arthur Espiritu, chorus master Eugene De Los Santos, and choreographer Paul Morales.
Exhibit on extrajudicial killings on view at Areté
THE exhibition Dekada ng Sama-Samang Pag-alala is ongoing at The Loft, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. It runs until Oct. 29 and is free and open to the public, as part of a multi-site, multi-disciplinary series of exhibitions, film screenings, discussions, and public interventions campaign. Led by a coalition of extrajudicial killings-affected (EJK-affected) families, artists, journalists, academics, lawyers, church groups, and human rights defenders, Dekada is a collective remembrance of 10 years of grief, mourning, and resistance. Featuring sculptures, installations, paintings, photographs, and words by artists across genres, the works express unsaid words and emotions long suppressed by victims of the war on drugs.
Gateway Gallery moves to new location
THE Gateway Gallery in Araneta City, Quezon City, has opened in its new location on the 4th level of Gateway Mall 2. Located right in front of World Kitchens, the gallery introduced its new space with a guided tour of its ongoing exhibit, Siningsaysay. It is set to hold more events and workshops. The relocation aims to enable the Gateway Gallery to be more easily accessed by the public, with a more spacious area that has high foot traffic in the mall.
Joseph the Dreamer returns for a limited run
THIS November, Trumpets Inc. is bringing back the hit musical Joseph the Dreamer at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave. Corner Gil Puyat Ave., in Makati City. The show tells the uplifting biblical story of Joseph, who goes from being betrayed by his own family and sold to slavery to becoming a governor of Egypt. The production stars veteran actor Nonie Buencamino as Jacob; vocal powerhouse Julia Serad as Rachel; and former Pinoy Big Brother contestant and West End actor Jordan Andrews and creative artist Neo Rivera alternating as Joseph. The director for the restaging is Bernice Aspillaga, following original direction by Paolo Valenciano, with choreography by MJ Arda, musical direction by Myke Salomon, and scenography by Mio Infante. More details about the show will be released soon.
Alan Cabalfin, group show at MO_Space
THERE ARE two exhibitions on view at MO_Space this month. First is a group show titled Terrains of Instability, at the main gallery, featuring works by Karina Broce-Gonzaga, Frelan Gonzaga, Kiri Dalena, and Ben Brix. Their works make use of raw earth, sugar, dried bagasse, and the burned wood of an ancestral home in Negros Occidental. Through molding, rubbing, melting, breaking, and reordering, heavy realities of displacement, loss, and uncertainty are turned into forms and fragments that are possible to behold and inhabit. Meanwhile, in Gallery 2, Hubog by Alan Cabalfin is rooted in the rich traditions of the artist’s native Leon, Iloilo, where clay and earth are transformed into expressive works that explore humanity’s enduring connection with nature. His sculptures blend imagination, craftsmanship, and the primal art of molding earth, often depicting human and natural forms that evoke both whimsy and introspection. Both shows run from Oct. 24 to Nov. 22 at MO_Space, Bonifacio High Street, BGC, Taguig.
Benilde mounts Filipino adaptation of Oedipus Rex
REX, a modern reimagining of the classic tragedy Oedipus Rex by the Greek dramatist Sophocles, is the next production of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The show, which reflects on the persistent problematic infrastructure and flood control failures which plague the country today, is written by Joshua Lim So and directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio. Set in the city of Tebes, it follows the Po family and their company, St. Paul the Apostle Constructions, as torrential rains leave over a hundred citizens dead. The cast is headlined by veteran actors Eula Valdes and Martin Del Rosario, who mark their onstage reunion 12 years after they both earned Gawad Urian awards for their performances in the critically acclaimed independent film Dagitab (2014). REX premieres on Nov. 12, 7 p.m., at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit, Makati City. It will have performances on Nov. 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Show details and tickets are available at ticket2me.net/event/23151, with prices ranging from P2,000 to P2,700.
Metropolitan Museum of Manila closes temporarily
THE Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, will be closed from Oct. 20 to Nov. 7. The short pause will be an opportunity for the museum to prepare for two major exhibitions in celebration of its upcoming 50th anniversary. The two shows are Alfonso Ossorio: In My End Is My Beginning and Miniaturismo to Modernism: A Survey of Philippine Art from the 19th Century to 1970. More details will be announced soon.
Reflection, continuity in Estuario exhibit at UE CFAD
In line with the celebration of the 80th founding anniversary of the University of the East (UE), the UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (CFAD) recently launched a unique journey into history, art, and memory through their annual art exhibition entitled Estuario: Sining na dumadaloy, Diwang nagtatagpo, Kuwentong Nagpapatuloy (Estuary: Flowing Art, Converging Minds, Continuing Stories). The word “estuario,” derived from the Latin word “aestuarium,” refers to a place where freshwater from rivers and saltwater from the sea meet and mix. In the context of the exhibition at the Chua King Ha Galleries on the 5th floor of the Tan Yan Kee Academic Building at UE Caloocan, this metaphor symbolizes the convergence of generations, traditions, and creative visions. Among the participating alumni are Fernando Antimano, Sayid Cedicol, Horhe “Enteng” Corong, Arturo Dondoyano, Jim Carl C. Echas, Honesto “Estong” Guiruela III, Edralin Manila, Leonardo Manto III, Villa Rica Manuel, Joey Mariano, RV Cyrille Mero, Ely Mesa, Jr., Jayson Pettz Muring, Jefrey B. Sambahon, Kristoffer Tolentino, and Bryan Yabut. The exhibition is open to the public until Oct. 25. To visit, contact cfad.cal@ue.edu.ph.