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Is it cake? Artworks deceive at ALT 2024 | Philstar.com
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Arts and Culture

Is it cake? Artworks deceive at ALT 2024

Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo - Philstar.com
Is it cake? Artworks deceive at ALT 2024
From left: Cake artworks by Lindslee; Evita Sarenas and Sylvia Gascon of Finale Art File with Senator Imee Marcos at the opening of ALT 2024
Philstar.com / Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

MANILA, Philippines — In time for National Arts Month, ALT 2024, an annual art collective featuring nine of the country’s biggest art galleries, opened yesterday in Hall 4 of SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The founding art galleries found in ALT 2024 include:

  • Artinformal
  • Blanc
  • Finale Art File
  • Galleria Duemila
  • Mo_Space
  • The Drawing Room
  • Underground
  • Vinyl on Vinyl
  • West Gallery
Oca Villamel's 'Water is Life' installation welcomes guest at the ALT 2024 entrance
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Apart from large art installations and the centerpiece ALT Collaboration between Univers and Moreau Paris showcasing hand-painted bags by artists to be auctioned for a cause, ALT 2024 is a must-see for all art lovers for thousands of opuses by Filipino artists, including deceptively quirky ones.

Among those that trick the eyes are the cake series of contemporary visual artist Lindslee. The realistic-looking cakes on panels are actually installation artworks made of acrylic on canvas. 

Deceptive cake artworks (top) by Lindslee
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Installation artworks that dabble as illumination 
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
Another prank-like installation is Christina Quisumbing Ramilo’s “Soap series” that perfectly recreates the soap bars of popular brands, but using resin for the soaps and cold-cast marble on porcelain dish for the soap dishes. The artwork is so tactile and is among the few ones visitors are welcome to touch.
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
ALT Collaboration between Univers and Moreau Paris showcasing hand-painted bags by artists to be auctioned for a cause
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Stephanie Frondoso, who has been curating ALT since it began three years ago, explained in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com that the 2024 edition stands out for its much bigger venue “so it has more breathing room for art”; as well as for its larger installations and more spaces for programs like Sound Art, Performance Art and talks.

“It’s meant to be so that all the artworks are presented properly and from almost every angle, you can see the galleries,” she expounded on the exhibition space’s design.

“So the design is integrated from the furniture to the exhibition spaces,” she enthused.

Wide walls make it appear that every artist has a solo show within the exhibition
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
ALT 2024 presents more breathing room for artists to showcase their masterpieces
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

The key areas of the exhibition, she said, include a Conversation section at the back, a video room in front, and four special exhibitions distributed around the area. The special exhibitions are by Juan Alcazaren, Geraldine Javier, Pete Jimenez, Oca Villamiel and Isabel Santos.

From left: Vlogger and influencer Mimiyuuuh; Makati City Mayor Abigail "Abby" Binay at the ALT 2024 opening on February 21
Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo

Palanca-winning writer, artist and curator Carlomar Arcangel Daoana explained to Philstar.com that the organizers’ vision for ALT 2024 is to not become a traditional art fair.

“Because a fair usually has a lot of booths, and (to be included in) the exhibition, it’s by application. Here, they’re (art galleries) all friends. They like envision it (ALT 2024) as a one big group show,” he noted. 

“One thing that I like about ALT is if you’re viewing it from the center, you can see it all from here. You can flow in and out of the booths and don’t feel like you’re just stuck in one place. It’s easy to move from one booth to another. If you see something interesting, for instance, you can easily go there and still have time to move around and see the other works.”

ALT 2024 runs until February 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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