With the dawn of the next decade this 2020, there’s a great sense of anticipation for the ever-evolving Philippine art, especially when 10 galleries come together for ALT Philippines 2020.

An exciting shift is upon the local art scene as a a collective of 10 galleries have come together to experiment new ways of presenting and experiencing art through ALT Philippines 2020, one of the exciting cultural projects of SM Aura Premier.

This pioneering project that works toward meeting the developing needs of the industry will be held on 14 to 16 February 2020 at the SMX Convention Centre at SM Aura Premier.

From the most veteran and experienced to exciting new vanguards, the collective is composed of visionary and dynamic local galleries — Artinformal, Blanc, Finale Art File, Galleria Duemila, MO_Space, The Drawing Room, Underground, Vinyl on Vinyl, West Gallery, and 1335 Mabini. All consider ALT as a passion project.

With their combined expertise and experience, they offer rare opportunity for visitors to view an exceptional and thoughtfully curated selection of artworks from over 150 established, mid-career, and emerging young artists in one venue in an immersive and engaging setup.

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Above The founding collective behind the pioneering art show, ALT Philippines 2020, represents 10 visionary and dynamic local galleries, ranging from the most veteran and experienced along with exciting young vanguards. These include Soler Santos, West Gallery; Mawen Ong, MO_Space; Kathleen Villalon, The Drawing Room; Silvana Diaz, Galleria Duemila; Cesar Villalon, Jr.,The Drawing Room; Evita Sarenas, Finale Art File; Pia Reyes, Vinyl on Vinyl; Gabby Dela Merced, Vinyl on Vinyl; Sylvia Gascon, Finale Art File; Tina Fernandez, Artinformal; and Jay Amante, Blanc (not shown in photo are Rudolph Kratochwill, 1335Mabini and Manny de Castro, Underground). ALT Philippines 2020 will be held from February 14 to 16 at SMX Aura.

Exhibiting artists include some of the most influential in the industry whose works have shaped up the conversation of art in the last decade. Their works are rooted in unexplored yet exceptional directions, championed by galleries that are willing to take risks as away to broaden people’s perspectives on art.

The hive-like design of the venue, public programming, and dedicated spaces for each gallery showcase the collective’s hands-on approach to producing and designing each aspect of the art show.

The collective’s hands-on approach to producing and designing each aspect of the art show is revealed through the hive-like design of the ALT’s venue, public programming, and dedicated spaces highlighting each galleries’ distinct contemporary visions as follows:

Artinformal will present the works of their represented artists and guest artists through a newspaper-format catalogue of interviews focusing on the theme, “Materials of the Artist”. These interviews are a discussion with each artist on their creative process.

Blanc’s Gallery’s exhibition, “Fulfilled Space”, tackles how small, mindful, and deliberate movements progress towards a state of contentment. The artworks shift daily, until the shell is stripped to its blank innocence.

The Drawing Room represents artists whose respective practices represent a country in constant frantic flux and depict the realities that make up their own complex environments. Their show for ALT Philippines 2020 aims to reflect the depth of the relationship a gallery offers to the artist and the defined sensibility of each artist.

Finale Art File reviews the state of painting through the works of eleven Filipino contemporary artists in their exhibition. Crossing various styles and generations, their work represents the vitality and diversity of Philippine painting.

Galleria Duemila brings together 10 diverse artists to challenge and further their process in ways that are not considered to be predictable in their exhibition, “Carpe Diem: Beyond Seizing the Day”. Angela Velasco Shaw, the exhibit curator, interprets “carpe diem” in art terms to mean allowing creative time and thought to go beyond the expected and explore unfamiliar realms.

1335 Mabini will be exhibiting a range of artworks by established and emerging artists aligned with the gallery’s commitment to exploring mobility, history, critical engagement, collective memory, and politics. As an international gallery grounded in Metro Manila’s contemporary art ecology, it is their mission to be a platform for outstanding and innovative art.

MO_Space’s exhibit will be more artist-centred through highlighting the strengths of each artists by asking them to show “the best of the best” from their works. They will be featuring paintings, sculptures, and objects by contemporary artists, both established and upcoming.

Underground will feature a solo presentation of the artist Valerie Chua whose works explore memories: how individuals retain relevant information as they move across different landscapes. Objects of memory are exalted, preserved, or led to obsolesce based on how the present perceives its value.

Vinyl on Vinyl showcases artists whose works revolve around pop surrealism, after-modernism, post-internet, kinetic art, underground, and street art, along with other emerging and unexplored genres. The gallery’s space in the art show includes immersive installation alongside works that are conversation starters.

West Gallery features a range of veteran talent and promising young artists whose diverse perspectives reflect the pulse of local contemporary art scene. Part of their goal is encouraging visitors to continually educate themselves on the evolving Philippine art.

ALT Philippines 2020 is one of the exciting cultural projects of SM Aura Premier. To know more about this thrilling upcoming art show, visit www.altphilippines.com.

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