Mark Justiniani at Pinto Art Museum

MANILA, Philippines - Mark Justiniani showcases mechanics-inspired works in “Tila,” which opens on Dec. 8 at Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo City, Rizal. The show runs until January 2014.

Justiniani plays with the double meaning of the Tagalog word “tila” as semblance and also as cessation of rain, as it occurs in its two inflections as spoken word. The inflection and its double meanings refer to his framing of semblance in visual illusion, like the movement produced by spinning mirrors, in as much as it also refers to his exposure of the mechanism and science behind such feats of magic and mimicry.

For the artist, the cessation of rain indicates an end to a period of downpour, both of prescribed aesthetics and also of the need for relevance — contending forces in contemporary art practice. Instead he invites people with his interactive works to experience the wonder and also curiosity of how art creates magical illusions and yet it also allows awareness of how it works.

At the opening, visual artist and independent curator Riel Jaramillo Hilario will present a brief talk on the development of Justiniani’s artistic career, from his early days as a young painter of the Salingpusa group to the present.

This January, Justiniani will take part in Art Singapore Platforms.

For details, call 697-1015.