Tagaytay Art Beat (TAB) 3 was a veritable feast for the senses. A showcase of the visual and musical arts, the festival was held at Museo Orlina, fast becoming a popular destination in Tagaytay City.
“We organized Tagaytay Art Beat to draw a more youthful crowd to our newly opened museum,” said Lay Ann Orlina, spouse of sculptor Ramon Orlina.
“Since the opening, we’ve had art exhibits here, and the accompanying music was usually classical, so the crowd was older.
“So my daughter Ningning thought, ‘Why not create an art exhibit for young emerging artists?’ My daughter Anna is an artist as well, and Ningning loves music and had contacts with Docdef productions. So we created this festival, which was perfect, since we have an outdoor amphitheater.”
Orlina said the festival was an instant hit, and more young people flocked to Museo Orlina.
“We also wanted to give young artists a venue to show their works,” Orlina said. “My husband really believes in the talent of the Filipino youth, and we want to help bring their works centerstage.”
During TAB 3, the enthusiasm of guests to see and explore the museum was palpable. The music, which started as early as noon, created a chill vibe.
People took their time viewing the artworks at Museo Orlina. The TAB pieces were a mix of modern and contemporary art.
Participating artists included Gab Loste, Jess de Leon, Lee Caces, Kim Pamela Co, Anthony Molina, Dennis Jimenez, Hannah Bundalian, Gab Baez, Jenny Gernale, Razel Mari, Dennis Bato, Lhean Storm, Mykie Concepcion, Rydel Reib Arayata, Bea Policarpio.
Pop culture
Many of the works referenced pop culture, reimagining cartoon characters such as Ren and Stimpy, and Beavis and Butthead, of the two subversive cartoon shows from the early ’90s. We saw more modern character references from Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time” and “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.”
Marvel comic book characters were also seen in the art works, alongside Filipiniana-inspired images.
There was a haunting sculpture of a figure completely covered in a red cloth imprinted with the white letters “KKK.”
TAB 3 held live wall-painting sessions. “Muralists” included Jappy Agoncillo, Kris Abrigo, Aral Cru, Dee Jae Paeste and Miggy Antonio.
Using spray paint, Agoncillo created the image of an eagle on one of the walls of the Museo Orlina roofdeck. It was fascinating to see the artist at work. Guests were able to examine the thought process and technique of the artist.
Mix of music
On the second and third floors of Museo Orlina, one could look down from huge panoramic windows to the amphitheater below, where the music festival was going on. At noon, the crowds steadily came in. The slow trickle of guests walking down the long road to the museum and its amphitheater gave the festival a vibrant air. The scene was alive, not like the many sterile art galleries in the metro.
The music festival was a mix of genres. “This year’s edition was more intimate,” Docdef Productions founder JB Balaquit said. “The show focused on the diversity of musicians who are less known, scattered and hidden in the Filipino music scene.”
Musicians on the scene were electro-pop/rock band Autotelic, soul-fusion band Farewell Fair Weather, and mathrock trio Tom’s Story. Also notable were Art Beat newbies Oh, Flamingo! and UBE.
TAB also featured Ransom Collective, Munimuni and Ben&Ben. Joining the hip-hop artists were artists from Uprising records of Anygma: Apoc x DJ Nicko, Kjah x Supreme Fist and BLKD x The Tooter.
Added to the mix were singer-songwriters Clara Benin, Reese Lansangan, Julianne Tarroja and Max Javelino. Acoustic acts Leanne and Naara and I Belong to the Zoo also performed.
The festival lasted till 2 a.m. the next day.
Entertaining music, great artwork and fine company. The hours just flew by, and we didn’t realize it was well past midnight. We went home, half asleep in the van, with images of colors and sounds creating a heady mixture in our minds. We can’t wait for the next Art Beat. –CONTRIBUTED