TAGAYTAY ART BEAT 2: BLOSSOMING ART in the Ridge
ART AND MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS HEADED TO THE WINDY ridge of Tagaytay last Feb. 4 for a one-day arts and music festival called Tagaytay Art Beat 2, held at Museo Orlina. The festival was part of the celebration of National Arts Month, featuring 18 visual artists and 22 bands and musicians.
The band line-up included crowd favorites such as Autotelic, Bullet Dumas, SUD, Banna Harbera, The Ransom Collective, Farewell Fair Weather, Jensen and the Flips, Tom’s Story and Reese Lansangan, who also played at the first Tagaytay Art Beat in September 2015. There were bands such as Conscious and the Goodness, Dante and Amigo, Moonwalk, Rob and the Hitmen, She’s Only Sixteen, Tandems ‘91 and The Sun Manager, who covered a wide range of musical styles such as jazz, electronica, and soul. Trip-hop/ hip-hop acts such as Ninno, CRWN, and Motherbass got the crowd jumping. Meanwhile, Apartel, a surprise ad- dition to the line-up, got everyone dancing to their soulful Motown-influenced sound.
New activities were also introduced in this year’s festival such as street magic, photo booths, freedom wall and henna tattooing. Artists’ merchandise and local food concessions were also featured.
“Of course, a festival experience at Museo Orlina would not be complete without an art exhibit. That is what makes Tagaytay Art Beat different from other festivals in Manila,” says Ningning Orlina, the brains behind the event.
The museum, in its advocacy to promote young and talented artists, was delighted with the wellreceived art exhibition of young aspiring artists that is running until April 24. Anna Orlina, one of Ramon Orlina’s children, curated the exhibit and invited Airell Segovia, Allison Tan, Dans Bermejo, Erica Ng, Jess de Leon, John Paul Duray, Julia Tabor, Kara Pangilinan, Karen de la Fuente, Ku Romillo, Lee Caces, Miggy Antonio, Tof Rellera, Valerie Harley, and Vincent Quilop. Dee Jae Paeste and Tyang Karyel, on the other hand, did a live art mural while the sculpture garden was filled with attendees of the concert. The concept was very eclectic, as the collection comprised both traditional and non-traditional media. Pop art, street art, surrealism and erotica were the styles highlighted in the collection. Anna displayed glass sculptures of her own that were also crowd-charmers as she learns her father’s craft.
Aside from Anna’s first sculptures aptly titled “Initiation I” and “Initiation II,” interesting pieces in the exhibit include the works of John Paul Duray, Kara Pangilinan, and Tof Rellera.
Ever since dreaming of a guy with a banana head, John Paul Duray found inspiration to make sculptures such as “Rudy D’ Bad Boy,” “Saging Lang Ang May Puso” and “The Rush,” made from resin. He describes himself as funny and mysterious, as he calls himself the “Banana Man.”
It is also quite a rarity nowadays to find an artwork using ink on canvas, like the works of Kara Pangilinan. She is a pen and ink artist with a detailed manner of executing her designs on canvas. “Obstruction” and “Fear” are two of her exhibit pieces.
3D prints are also a unique and quirky find, as Tof Rellera exhib-
ited this medium with pop culture references. “Baby Boba Rex,” in collaboration with Anna Orlina, and “Arashi Trooper” are some of the crowd favorites.
Tagaytay Art Beat 2 aims to encourage and inspire the Filipino youth to explore their own creativity and artistic passions, and to raise awareness and recognition for our local and independent music scenes.
Tagaytay Art Beat 2 is a project of Museo Orlina and DocDef Productions. It is held in the museum of internationally-renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, in its galleries and sculpture garden with a panoramic view of Taal Lake.
Like Tagaytay Art Beat and Museo Orlina on Facebook or email info@museo-orlina.org for updates on their upcoming exhibits and events.