PARTICIPANTS of the 2025 Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference with local officials in Kalibo, Aklan. (Facebook of Gov. Joen Miraflores)
ILOILO CITY – Artists from all over Visayas are in Aklan province for the 2025 Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (Viva Excon), the country’s longest-running art biennale.
Artists from Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Negros Island Region are in Kalibo for a series of events that opened on Friday, Nov. 21, and will culminate on Sunday, Nov. 23.
The theme “Sádsad Panáad” is drawn from the Ati-Atihan Festival of Kalibo town and “reflects the vibrant spirit of devotion, movement, and collective creativity that defines both Aklan’s rich cultural heritage and the dynamic Visayan art scene.”
Festival Director Aileen Hernandez said this is the first time Aklan hosted the Viva ExCon, which was also previously hosted by neighboring provinces Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo.
The event is supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Aklan Provincial government under Gov. Jose Enrique “Joen” Miraflores, the municipal government of Kalibo under Mayor Juris Sucro, the Aklan Provincial Tourism Office, the Aklan Provincial Youth Development Office, the Aklan Historical and Cultural Society, and the Kalibo Council for Culture and the Arts.
The three-day gathering has discussions at the Marzon Convention Center and exhibits at the Aklan Tourism and Trade Investment Promotions Center.