PERMANENT COLLECTION
The MET Collection and New Acquisitions, which is on view at the museum’s Tall Galleries and Open Gallery, reveals a core of works by National Artists, a strong representation of Filipina artists, and a growing group of expatriate artists whose nationalities have transcended geographical boundaries. The museum’s permanent collection is constantly enhanced and updated, and is a visual legacy of Philippine modern and contemporary art that is accessible to everyone.
“This main exhibit in this gallery, meanwhile, celebrates the modest in number [ but] growing MET collection. This exhibition displays our private artworks, but this is also a toast to the artists and private individuals who generously donated them,” Mr. Campos said. “The MET has no art acquisition fund and so it depends in the generosity of donors to grow its collection.”
Mr. Campos said the museum is inviting people to further enhance it’s modern and contemporary art collection by considering donating significant and important art works.
“The MET will ensure that it will be preserved and remain in the public domain for generations to come,” he said.
PRINTMAKING
The MET and BSP Print Collections, meanwhile, consists of complementary collections of the two organizations, focusing on works by Filipino and foreign artists that explore the form and content of modern printmaking. It also values the steadfast relationship between the MET and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The exhibit is on view at the BSP Gallery.
“The exhibit presents a mix of prints from the collections of the MET and the BSP. The show deliberately mixes the two,” Mr. Campos said. The MET’s collection of Western prints include works by Rembrandt Van Rijn, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Georges Braque, Josef Albers, and Jasper Johns. It also has a growing collection of prints by Filipino artists, which complement the BSP’s collection of expansive prints including works by Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., Rod Paras-Perez, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, and Brenda Fajardo, among others.
BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., who was also present at the event, pointed out that the MET is home to the BSP’s exquisite pre-Hispanic gold ornaments and priceless pottery collections, some pieces of which date back 2,000 years. The BSP also shares its artworks by Filipinos — a collection that spans 300-year-old religious images to masterpieces by National Artists, and contemporary artists with a growing followers here and overseas — with the MET.
“Indeed, the BSP values its decades- long relationship with the MET. For our perspective, it continues to be a fruitful partnership. This has covered research, art education, and exhibitions that represent a conversation with selections from other local and international collections,” he said.
POSTERS, FLYERS
Finally there is the exhibit that tackles the MET’s history, The MET Archives. Mr. Campos said the museum’s staff dug through and came up with simple display of exhibition posters, museum publications and flyers, and old photos that show how much the MET has changed through the years.
“At the same time, it shows how much it stays constant. In four decades, we see a move towards opening up the museum to a broader audience. Art for all — as we like to chant here in the museum,” he said.
The MET Archives at the White Cube Gallery emphasizes the museum’s slogan, “Art for All.”
“[ The] MET continues to pursue ground- breaking initiatives and outreach programs in its guiding principle of ‘ art for all,’” Mr. Tetangco said. “Among others, MET was one of the first museums here to provide bilingual captions — in Filipino and English — to ensure wide appreciation of its exhibits.”
He said The MET was the first local museum to launch a program that enables the visually impaired to experience and appreciate art through a combination of braille captions, audio guides, and tactile diagrams. Parallel to this, the MET also developed a workshop for cultural workers to provide accessibility programs for the visually impaired, It also introduced the “free admission Tuesdays” for budget-challenged art enthusiasts.
The MET Collection and New Acquisitions and The MET Archives are on view until Jan. 8, while The MET and the BSP Print Collections runs until Jan. 13.
Along with the three exhibits, The MET is displaying Ronald Ventura’s iconic two- piece carousel at the museum lobby in conjunction with its strategic direction of being a home for contemporary art. —