Art After War

Close to 200 people who share the love for art filled the Finale Art Gallery in Makati City for the launch of the coffee table book Art After War: 1948-1969. This is the first book in the Philippine Artscape series, through which four more volumes will be produced.

This series of books on Philippine art will attempt to sketch the contours of the history of art making in the country from the 20th century onwards. It is an encompassing view of significant artworks produced in the land, which will be made up of five volumes — the most comprehensive yet to be published about Philippine art in the contemporary era. It includes more than a hundred names of artists who defined the world of Philippine art through different periods: 1928 to 1947, 1948 to 1969, the 1970s, 1983 to 1999 and 2000 to the present.

The recently launched volume covers the period immediately after the Pacific War until the glorious era of the 1960s. It includes the works of over 50 Filipino artists who produced significant works during that span, ranging from Vicente Manansala to Lee Aguinaldo. With almost 200 images of artworks and contextual photographs, and vastly researched material culled from 30 individual collectors and 18 institutions from all over the world, this period in Philippine art has never been presented as extensively as it does in this volume. The discussion and themes range from essays about the rise of the Art Association of the Philippines, the conception of the so-called “13 Moderns,” and to the involvement and prominence of the Philippine Art Gallery in Manila.

Patrick Flores, who represented the country as curator for the Philippine Pavilion in the 56th Venice Biennale, wrote the text; At Maculangan took the photographs; and the book layout was designed by Felix Mago Miguel.

The book is published by The Modern Reader, which was founded by Olivia Yao in 2014 as a publishing imprint primarily focused on producing high-quality coffee table books about lifestyle, culture and the arts. Her deep interest in contemporary art has led her to become an advocate for high-quality print materials that best represent the beauty of the works.

The carefully designed book is a testament in itself to the harmonious interaction between image and text. The generous number of photographs is counter-balanced with the rich discussion about the works and the forces that shaped each movement. Chapters include key moments during 1948, entitled in phrases like “To catch up with the rest of the world,” or, like in 1964’s, “Attuned to the frenzied escalation of events in the world scene.”

The book launch had auction house Christie’s and Simi Winery of Sonoma as sponsors and Bizu catered the pass-around food.

Only 3,000 copies are available, so grab your copy now!

(Art After War: 1948-1969 is available at Fully Booked (Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, Bonifacio Global City and Alabang Town Center), National Book Store (Sha gri-La Mall), Finale Art Gallery, Tin-aw Art Gallery, Artbooks.ph, West Gallery and Qube Gallery (Cebu).)

Take a stroll with supreme ease

Newly opened SM Seaside City Cebu ushered the New Year with footwear brands Ipanema, Grendha, Rider, Zaxy, Anacapri and Söfft. Located inside SM Department Store, these brands offer trendy footwear perfect for Cebu’s market.

Exclusively distributed by ELRO Retail Corp., these brands feature a full range of stylish footwear products from flip-flops to sandals all the way to comfortable flats and shoes all designed using innovative materials without sacrificing the latest fashion trends.

ELRO Retail Corp. president Francisco Elizalde said, “Since our arrival in the Queen City of the South, we’ve seen the fast-growing presence of our brands to our Cebuano customers. Our strong presence in SM Department Store allows us to delight more customers with products that offer comfort and style. And to further extend our reach in the Visayan market, we’ve decided to bring in more of our house brands to Cebu.”

Cebuanos have more reasons to shop and be in fashion with Ipanema flip-flops made from soft and durable Flexpand 100-percent recyclable material. They can also enjoy Zaxy’s feminine patterns to keep young girls and teens feeling carefree, confident and stylish. Those who would like to bring out a classier look can go for Grendha’s playful yet chic sandals and wedges or Anacapri’s trendy ballerina flats or Söfft’s premium leathers. For men and women who are more adventurous, Rider footwear offers a line of trendy and durable sandals and thongs for their active lifestyles.

(For more information, visit Ipanema Philippines, Rider Philippines, Grendha Philippines, Zaxy Philippines, Söfft Philippines and Anacapri Philippines on Facebook.)

A fun burst of vibrant colors

Over 10,000 runners welcomed 2016 with Color Manila Run at the SM MOA grounds.

A colorful and energizing atmosphere filled the SM Mall of Asia grounds as over 10,000 local and foreign running enthusiasts welcomed 2016 with Color Manila Run.

Supported by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the running event kicked-off the Visit the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 campaign.

Hosted by Sam YG and DJ Chloe, the event started with a warm-up led by Philippine Volcanoes’ Chris Everingham. Also joining the race were Yael Yuzon and wife Karylle, the running family of coach Allen Ballester and fitness advocate Kim Atienza.

Participants were treated to other exciting activities such as Zorb and mechanical bull rides, culminating with a dance party.

TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III said, “We are pleased to support a creative, friendly race like the Color Manila Run as part of our VPA 2016 campaign. We hope that through this fun run, Filipinos and travelers — runners or non-runners — will see that races are more fun and enjoyable here in the Philippines.”

This year, Color Manila Run will go to 12 different cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The festive and vibrant run will also expand to Dubai and California.

VPA 2016 will also highlight other local and international sporting events happening in the Philippines this year such as Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Asia-Pacific Taekwondo Invitational Championships, Asian Rugby Championships, Le Tour de Filipinas and Asian Masters Fencing Championship.