Anna Bautista, a rising star in the Philippine art scene, exhibits her work that embodies the modern Filipina at this special exhibition in Venice, Italy
In about a week, the work of Filipina artist Anna Bautista will hang at the Palazzo Mora in Venice, alongside fellow artists under DF Art Agency.
Beneath the elegant arches, elaborate frescoes, and ornate stucco work at the palazzo, pieces by Filipino artists will add a contemporary flair that contrasts the grand Venetian elements.
In collaboration with the European Cultural Centre (ECC), DF Art Agency is set to bring the dynamic and varied skills of Filipino contemporary artists to a European audience. The works will be part of the seventh edition of “Personal Structures,” the biennial art exhibition organized by ECC, after a personal invitation to Derek Flores, managing director of DF Art Agency.
“Textures and Interstices”
Under the grander “Personal Structures” project will emerge the exhibit entitled “Textures and Interstices,” which reflects the multi-faceted nature that has emerged out of the history of Philippine art, noting the complexity of social conditions and new experimentations with medium.
The curatorial direction of the exhibit examines the place of Filipino artists today in a local yet globalized context. The conclusion? That there is no singular aesthetic vein in the Philippines but a diversity marked by the differences of lived experience and personal change.
The featured artists include a multi-generational and diverse roster, including Alfredo Esquillo, Anna Bautista, Cedrick Dela Paz, Demi Padua, Dino Gabito, Isko Andrade, Manny Garibay, Mark Andy Garcia, Marrie Saplad, Max Balatbat, Raffy Napay, and Pongbayog.
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Being the sole representative of the Philippines at the ECC’s event, Flores initially hesitated due to the logistical and financial challenges involved. However, he ultimately decided to pursue the dream project, recognizing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a seven-month-long exhibition that would elevate Filipino artists globally.
Anna Bautista as an artist
Using traditional painting techniques with a contemporary vision, Bautista (b. 1997) is a well-loved artist in the Philippines. Popular not just for her personal charm but also for her ability to create work that relates to the Filipino experience, she describes her style as revolving around, “time, culture, and philosophy, and how these elements often interlink with each other.”
“On a technical aspect, my style would be the application of splashes of color that make up a bigger photo. It’s a lot similar to how I view life, which is an amalgamation of small, incremental moments that make up time.”
A rising star in the local art scene, she creates substantial commentary without having to paint gloomy or dark images that represent the Philippines. More often than not, the visual elements in her work revolve around the local, the Filipino, and the feminine. A glimpse at her body of work features foliage incorporated with luxury brand logos that comment on late capitalism.
Her latest work for the exhibition comments on the “modern Filipina,” chronicling how it is to be a Filipina today. “It’s what came most naturally,” she says.
She creates a continuation of the Filipino language of the fan when in Spanish colonial times, women weren’t allowed to convey what they felt explicitly, suggesting a historical reference to how culturally, the abanico fan was an old-fashioned manner of flirtation and courtship.
“Now Filipinas are more outspoken… My work for the Biennial is entitled ‘From Here to There.’ I wanted to portray where global industrialization has taken us so far by juxtaposing old and new ways of transport and technology. But also with the lingering question—what or where next?”
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Grounding in the present, Bautista recognizes that our world engrossed in the digital makes it a modern and unique time. She says, “Lately, I’m very inspired by the fact that when you upload an artwork on the internet it’s so easily scrolled past. I think that inspires me to create more meaningful work for myself, even if it’s meanings I only know. It’s like an inside joke I have with the painting, so it makes it more personal.”
The vernissage will take place on Apr. 18 and 19, 2024 at Salon 219 in the Palazzo Mora in Venice, Italy. Public opening will start on Apr. 20, 2024 and will run until Nov. 24, 2024.
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Special thanks to Derek Flores and Portia Placino.
Photography by JT Fernandez
Video by Mikey Yabut and Claire Salonga
Production assistance by Martin Agustin
Produced by Ria Prieto