“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German author.
A report from The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stated that there are 104,000 museums in the world, while the latest data from Statista indicates that 33,082 of these museums are in the US and 6,741 in Germany. When it comes to Asian countries, Japan has the highest number with a total of 5,738 museums, followed by China with 5,535, and Thailand with 1,526 museums.
In the Philippines, with a population of 119,208,503 (based on a Worldometer report), data from OpenStreetMap shows that there are a total of 307 museums across the country, including those run by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), Local Government Units (LGUs), and private groups. This results in one museum for every 388,301 Filipinos.
With this limited access to museums and galleries, Filipinos' appreciation and love for the arts may be hindered. Some might even think that art only caters to the rich and those who can afford it. However, this shouldn't be the case, as UNESCO also stated that museums "play a leading role in bolstering the creative economy locally and regionally."
What does art democratization mean?
In an effort to expand the horizons of the art scene in the Philippines, the Ortigas Art Festival, led by its curator, visual artist, and social realist Renato Habulan, opened its seventh edition with the theme “Art for All: A Celebration of Borderless Artistic Expression.”
In a conversation with Style Weekend, Habulan said that he mounted this show with the hope of democratizing arts for the Filipinos—a show everyone, regardless of their educational and socio-economic background, could enjoy. The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Thirteen Artists Award awardee also said that his team holds art caravans in different provinces in the Philippines to discover artistic talents, and these gifted individuals showcased their works in this year’s Ortigas Art Festival.
“The democratization of arts is not only pertaining to availability to a wider audience, engagement with the popular mass, but also changing the medium like paper and crates so it will be affordable for more art enthusiasts,” Habulan explained. “Most of the participating galleries in this show are artisan-initiative groups like the Linangan, Agos, and Angono artists group. These groups work beyond the festival so we can reach a wider audience. We went to the communities and regions and we gave them mentoring sessions.”
Artists groups assembled
In this year’s show, Agos Studio continues to highlight the vibrant paintings and sculptures of up-and-coming Filipino artists. It also features “Buklod,” consisting of artists from Iloilo, which further solidifies its purpose to bring people together and champion regional artistry. Habulan also launched “Lunduyan,” a two-year mentorship program for emerging artists.
Meanwhile, Linangan Artist Residency, known as an alternative art school headed by Emmanuel Garibay and based in Alfonso, Cavite, creatively divides its Ortigas Art Festival exhibit into well-thought-out sections that encourage art education. The exhibit serves as a portal to creative discovery and learning through a series of solo exhibits, collaborative showcases, hands-on workshops, and lectures.
On top of these, several artists from Angono, Rizal, are showcasing their artworks. This includes the versatile and dynamic works of Totong Francisco, the grandson of National Artist Botong Francisco, under Grupo Sining Angono. The Angono Artists Association helps young artists develop their skills in art and teach the importance of preserving our culture and rich heritage.
“We go down to the artists in the periphery. No experience, no art degree, no exhibit, they are not yet winners because we really want to start from the bottom,” Habulan said. “Ang pipiliin namin yung mga pwede tulungan. Lift them out of poverty, it’s already a win for us. Kung naghihirap ka, paano ka magiging artist? Ang mahal mahal ng mga gamit. Some of the artists have family, how will they pursue their art? So what’s happening, even though the artists are really good, they become hobbyists because of day jobs. We help them to have financial success.”
Finding the identity of Filipino art
Apart from discovering talents and helping artists to be sustainable in their own field, Habulan openly admitted that they see a bigger problem—establishing an identity as Filipino artists.
“Art has a bigger problem which is Ano ba yung sining ng Filipino? Ano ang espiritu ng sining Filipino? Anong kwento ng sining Filipino?,” he said. “Kung nakatuon ka lang sa market, kakalimutan mo 'yun kasi hindi 'yun palatable sa market. So as an art initiative group, the challenge for us is to create an enlightened ecosystem. The real market is not just buying artworks but appreciating art, something that can be found at the popular mass which is at the bottom of the pyramid. This is the true audience, this should be our goal to reach.”
With the Ortigas Art Festival as their platform, Habulan believes that they are now in the steps of democratizing arts for everyone. “After this show, there's a continuing process,” he said. “We are proud of this because we are now generating an art ecosystem in the regions. Artists for artists' sake.”
Don’t miss the seventh Ortigas Art Festival until Aug.18, 2024, at Estancia Mall East Wing, Ortigas City. For more information, visit Estancia Mall’s official Facebook page.
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