The need for art criticism
Art production in the country has never been more frenetic and productive, what with the slew of exhibitions, art fairs and other artrelated activities that promote and propagate the visual arts. Auction houses too are proliferating (the revered Christie’s has established a satellite office here), which means that the second market for art (usually comprised of modern and select contemporary pieces) is alive and kicking as well.
Severely lacking, however, is art criticism, that necessary ingredient in the development and maturation of the arts. While at the surface it renders critical evaluation and value judgment on artworks, it actually encompasses broader objectives: situate works in their milieu as well as to history, provide enlightened comparisÅons across media and tendencies, and elucidate possible meanings and artistic intent. Without the discourse generated by art criticism, artworks are in the danger of being reduced to commodities influenced by market forces, free-floating agents without the inflections of their historical moment — produced, displayed and transacted with nary an assessment or a second look.
This need for art criticism is being addressed by the Ateneo Art Awards which has instituted, in partnership with the KalawLedesma Foundation Inc. (KLFI) and in association with The Philippine STAR, the Purita KalawLedesma Prize for Art Criticism. No other art tilt seems to be in a better position to give art criticism the necessary shot in the arm, as it has been bestowing, for more than 10 years now, what are possibly the most prestigious and coveted art awards today: the trifecta of commendations christened last year as the Fernando Zobel Prizes for Visual Arts.
“Purita believed that art criticism was a vital force in the development of the arts and that the strongest movements or tendencies in the visual arts have almost always been accompanied by equally strong critical awareness,” said Ada Ledesma-Mabilangan, president of KLFI and daughter of the esteemed art patron, writer and founder of the Art Association of the Philippines herself.
“When the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation was looking for a project to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Purita KalawLedesma in 2014, it decided to re-launch the art criticism prize. But why a writing prize, and not an art prize when Purita’s advocacy had been discovering and nurturing young artists? Because we believe that while there are many art awards there is a dearth in those encouraging critical awareness.”
Originally set on March 31, the deadline for the submission of entries has been extended to April 30 (which coincides with the deadline for another prestigious competition for writers, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature) to accommodate more participants, especially those from the regions.
Those who wish to join may review any of the following ongoing exhibitions: “Images of Nation: Cesar Legaspi, the Brave Modern” at the Ayala Museum on view until April 26, “Vitruvian Figure: Paul Pfeiffer” at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (DLSU-College of St. Benilde) until April 16 and “Propaganda” at the Lopez Memorial Museum until July 25. The other shows, whose run had concluded, are: “Pandy Aviado: Fifty Years of Printmaking, Ground Floor Gallery” at the Ayala Museum, “Forces at Work” and “Project Bakawan: Ethos, Pathos, Bathos” at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center (UP Diliman).
The complete list of contest mechanics is available at the Ateneo Art Gallery’s official website: ateneoartgallery.org. Meanwhile, nominations for the Fernando Zobel Prizes for Visual Arts will be accepted from May 1 to 30 June, with nomination forms available for download beginning on May 1. The highly anticipated Ateneo Art Awards exhibition will be held at Shangri-La Plaza Mall from Sept. 11 to 21.
Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, who penned some of the most important books on postwar Philippine art, including the seminal
The Struggle for Philippine Art, avowed art’s importance to the well-being of self and nation, as well as the critical discourse that runs parallel to it. “Although confined to the visual arts, (art criticism) is in fact a vital force in the development of culture,” she said. “And culture is as basic a resource as our land, our rivers, and our forests.”
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