See you at biggest art fair

MANILART 2011 does not only offer visual feast. It will also hold different activities for art enthusiasts.

Delan Robillos, ManilArt 2011 director, says that 24 galleries will participate and each will showcase a conceptual art exhibit at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Aug. 24-27.

Galleries are Art Circle, Art Informal, Art Verite, Artes Orientes, Blanc Art Space, Blue Line Gallery, Boston Gallery, Finale Art File, Galerie Francesca, Galerie Joaquin, Galerie Zimmermann Kratochwill, Galleria Duemila, Galleria Quattrocento, Gallery Big, Leon Gallery, Gallery Nine, Looking for Juan, Manila Contemporary, Pablo Gallery, Paseo Gallery, Renaissance Art Gallery, Silverlens, Village Art Gallery, West Gallery.

Aside from the art exhibits, the third installation of the country’s biggest gathering of art galleries will hold lectures, talks and storybook readings.

On its opening day, Dance Forum founder Myra Beltran will interpret “Batang Edsa” by Elmer Borlongan in a modern dance performance. “Batang Edsa” is the image of ManilArt 2011.

Banda Malaya and the award-winning Fatima University Chorale will also give a performance on the gala night.

During the four-day event, the 400-year old University of Santo Tomas (UST), through the Varsitarian, UST’s official student publication, will honor outstanding visual artists who got their art education from the Pontifical University. Thomasian stage and music performers will perform on Aug. 26.

There will be lectures by Gigo Alampay, executive director of Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (Canvas); and Oscar Campomanes, a professor at UST Graduate School and Ateneo de Manila University.

Alampay’s lecture, “How We Turn Paintings into Bicycles: Lessons in Art, Law, and the Internet,” will be on Aug. 25, at 2 p.m. Campomanes will talk about “Semiotics in Visual Art” on Aug. 26 at 2 p.m.

A commemoration of the 150th birthday of national hero Jose Rizal will also be a part of ManilArt 2011’s activities.

Vim Nadera, award-winning literary artist, will talk on the last day at 2 p.m. about the national hero, titled “Visuals on Rizal Today.”

Kids and the kids at heart will also have a chance to learn and participate in the art fair.

Carisse Escueta, executive director of RepubLikha, will read a storybook, “The Rocking Horse.” The paintings of Borlongan will appear during Escueta’s reading. This activity will be held in the lecture room on Aug. 25.

Gang Badoy of Rock Ed Philippines and Internet superstar Ramon Bautista were also invited to read the storybooks “Message in the Sand” with Roel Obemio’s works, and “Sol: A Legend about the Sun” with pieces from Farley del Rosario, respectively.

The children will have a chance to learn about basic drawing through a lecture from Artist in Residence, Inc. founders Jojo Ballo, Cathy Lasam and Jill Arwen Posadas.

Like the previous ManilArts, live sketching session by artists will be expected. This activity will be on the last day. It will serve as an interaction among artists, the subject of their sketches, and the audience.

Satellite sketching period will be held at Meralco Centrale on several weekends before the opening of ManilArt 2011.