ART APPRECIATION NEVER STOPS
Virtual museum experiences are just a click away
ART lovers who miss visiting galleries to marvel at exhibits need not put their love for visual creativity aside as the Luzon-wide quarantine continues to loom heavy on Week 3. Unknown to most, there are a number of virtual art tours available on the internet, from the Philippines’ best known museums to date.
First off, the National Museum of the Philippines features a 360-degree tour of their famous art gallery on their official website with works by Juan Luna, Guillermo Tolentino, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo up close. More than just housing art, the big complex in Rizal Park, Manila is the go- to place for learning about the rich Filipino history and culture because of its wide collection, which
can also be seen online. Visit https:// www. nationalmuseum. gov.ph/Firefly/Go_Museum.html
One of the rarely visited museums is the two- storey Presidential Museum and Library at the Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang, which also has its own virtual tour. The government even partnered with Google Arts and Culture to make the tour a more immersive experience on computers and smartphones. Viewers can check out curated exhibits consisting of newspaper clippings, furniture, artwork, campaign posters and clothing, activist signboards and more memorabilia from past administrations. Visit https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/presidential
As one of the top universities in the country, the Ateneo Art Gallery has constantly grown in prominence through the years. Recognized as the first museum of Philippine modern art, the three floors located at the school’s Art Wing of Arete houses different exhibits. Some of the iconic Filipino artists whose works are featured at the museum and its website include BenCab, Fernando Zobel, David Medalla and more. Visit https://kuula.co/share/collection/
Meanwhile, the Ayala Museum
which has been temporary closed since 2019 for a year-long renovation, continues its online presence and advocacy of bringing Philippine Art closer to the Filipino masses and all the more so through the quarantine period.
Shortly after the community quarantine began, Ayala Museum launched “Art From Home,” which consists of 15 challenges prompted online for 30 days. The first prompt made coloring versions of the museum’s famed dioramas available for download to keep art lovers as well as their children busy while on lockdown. Visit https://www.ayalamuseum. org/artfromhome/
Finally, it may also be worthwhile to keep checking website of smaller galleries through this downtime since most of them continue to post art works of upcoming exhibits.