Podcasts are all the rage, and the insane city traffic is helping its popularity, the public commuter, and our new baby right here. Sandra Dans and I started a podcast called The Artista Review. It’s about Philippine contemporary art and all its peripheral issues—like how to get clients, how the nation’s socio-economic inequalities affect the industry, and what “selling out” means, among a host of other topics.
So why did we bother to talk about all these? We simply need to. And if iTunes thought our hour-long babble is more than just internet fodder—we’re “New and Notable!”—we might just be doing something right.
Local art gets its own podcast
The idea is this: to talk about Philippine contemporary art with the people who create it. It’s our way of letting the world know that 1) Filipinos do talk about these things, and 2) Filipino art can be awesome.
In short, we interview artists. We pick their brains about things we don’t hear often. A couple questions that come up frequently are: what the importance of being Filipino is to each artist, and what motivation they have to pursue art in a nation that doesn’t hold it in high regard.
The Artista Review was born when my friend and frequent collaborator Sandra moved to Hong Kong for grad school. The only way we could keep in touch (since I’m a luddite who doesn’t participate in social media) was by leaving each other voicemails. Eventually, we decided to open the conversation to others through a podcast.
The pay-off from asking these reflective questions is incredibly rewarding. We get a wide variety of responses, including practical tips on how to earn a living as an artist, as well as more philosophical concepts such as its importance to humanity despite its unpopularity.
It can get emotional, too. Once, we had a guest start crying while explaining a series of paintings she was working on. Other times, we argue or go into fits of laughter. But every time the mics shut off, we’re left with a renewed respect for this country’s variegated pool of talent. It’s almost overwhelming how thoughtful, skilled, and hardworking Filipino artists are—something I didn’t realize until we started working on the podcast.
Gaining traction
We’ve interviewed designer Marla Darwin, photographer Joseph Pascual, writer-slash-artist Claire Miranda, and actor Gabe Mercado. As disparate as their experiences are, their discussions resonate with our audience. “I’ve had people tell me that the podcast is really helping them get through a rut, or process their personal practices,” Sandra says. We’re both energized by the encouragement. Our friends and family were our earliest listeners, of course.
I think what propels us toward success is our guests’ intelligent insights coupled with the fact that, for now, no one else is discussing Filipino art in this way.
But this podcast isn’t just for artists and academics, or even exclusively for Filipinos. While Sandra’s ideal listener is a local art student, my ideal listener is non-Filipino layman. Together, we cover a lot of ground—careful to translate Filipino ideas (like delicadeza and hiya) for non-Filipino listeners, and to explain esoteric topics (intellectual property, portfolios, etc.) to those who may not have been previously exposed to them. We don’t want to leave anyone out.
Getting people to talk
Sandra is a photographer and I’m a writer—but above all, we’re curious human beings, and we know we’re not unique in that. So the key is accessibility. Sandra says, “Talking about art intimidates a lot of people, so it’s important to swing those doors open and be able to say, ‘No, this is a conversation we can all have with each other.’”
The beauty of contemporary art is that “nobody has more or less of a right to talk about [it], and nobody is more or less correct.”In fact, this conversation is so important to us that we’re already considering the ways we can expand it. We have started a blog, which will further discuss topics tangential to the interviews, and we’re also tinkering with a yet-to-be-launched video channel and networking module. The main point is to contribute to the existing Philippine art community, and hopefully to grow, nurture, and equip it in the process.
You can listen to The Artista Review with any podcatcher including iTunes, or by streaming it on the web.