ART magazine and publishing house Art+ will expand its Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF), now on its second year, with the goal of fostering an inclusive art community by showcasing both emerging artists and masters.
From July 28 to 30, MoCAF will present exhibitions, art dialogues, and special executions at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati.
The festival will mix new and established galleries, up and coming artists and revered artists — and everything in between — all on one platform, MoCAF’s organizers said at a June 21 press conference.
EVERY SATURDAYTo cater to a younger audience and to provide new artistic and cultural experiences, this year will see the launch of MoCAF XP, a series of immersive pocket events every Saturday of July before the festival.
“We’re having different events outside the festival walls to reach out to a wider range of people,” said Coleen Wong, MoCAF’s festival director, shortly after the program.
The first was the MoCAF Art Bazaar on July 1. On July 8, there will be the MoCAF Painting Workshop at Art Caravan in BGC. On July 15, the MoCAF Printmaking Workshop will be held at Commune in Poblacion.
“This is in line with our efforts to bring art closer to the audience’s lives,” Ms. Wong added.
GALLERIES AND ARTISTSMoCAF Discoveries, a special exhibition curated by Ms. Wong, will feature 24 brand-new artists and 16 who participated in the festival last year.
MoCAF showcases prominent local galleries as well as international art galleries and institutions from Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These include YOD TOKYO & Editions, Gallery Kogure, Kobayashi Gallery, Artemis Art, and Srisasanti Syndicate.
Filipino artists Katrina Cuenca, Daniel Dela Cruz, and Michael Cacnio are part of the festival’s Special Exhibitions, which highlight noteworthy figures of Philippine contemporary art.
Meanwhile, Distort Monsters, Doktor Karayom, Zuh Dai, Christian Tamondong, and Angelica So will be putting up a group show.
Completing the lineup are a printmaking exhibit and the Glass House, focused on glass sculptures.
The festival also features MoCAF Dialogues, a lecture series that includes topics such as “Art and Community,” “Forgery and Certificates of Authenticity,” “Contemporary Art Trends,” and “Economic Outlook and Art as Investment,” among others.
With this roster of activities and events, the organizers hope to expand the sphere of modern and contemporary art in the Philippines.
“There are many art fairs and festivals for established artists and galleries, but there are so many new voices, new artists, new galleries, that are putting new spins, new meanings, and new styles into art,” MoCAF’s festival chairman Ricky Francisco told BusinessWorld.
He added that though the traditional art world is “difficult for younger artists,” there are now a lot of younger people who are now into the arts.
“By giving them a chance alongside more established galleries and artists, I know they can be noticed,” he said.
MoCAF is sponsored by Aurelia Residences, the Vibal Group, Inc., and Xception.
MoCAF will run from July 28 to 30 at the Grand Ballroom of Fairmont Makati. For more information, visit www.mocaf.net — Brontë H. Lacsamana