MoCAF ups the energy level
Ricky Francisco, festival chairman of the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival, is proud that MoCAF was the first local art fest to completely reopen to public staging last year after our epic pandemic “blip.”
“Yes, we were first to completely come back,” the Fundacion Sansó director says of last year’s festival held at the Fairmont Makati, where it will return this year from July 28-30. “This year promises to be more immersive and exciting than ever,” he says. “We want to reach out to younger people because we want a future that is more into art.”
Toward that end, MoCAF will launch MoCAF XP, a series of immersive pocket events every Saturday of July (starting July 1) before the festival kicks off. The first Saturday opens with the MoCAF Art Bazaar at sponsor and partner venue Xception in Legazpi Village, Makati. Following this is the MoCAF Painting Workshop at Art Caravan in BGC on July 8. Fans of printmaking will look forward to the MoCAF Printmaking Workshop at Commune in Poblacion, Makati on July 15.
Right off the bat, MoCAF has a different vibe from other art festivals. Presented along with Art+, a publishing house and multimedia platform, it curates a diverse selection of established masters and national artists as well as up-and-coming creators who might otherwise slip below the radar.
Festival director Coleen Wong says the festival’s goal is forging a more inclusive art community. “Master artists and emerging artists are given the same platform to showcase their works—despite differences and diversities, they all have the same passion for the arts and it all leads them to raise the Philippine art scene above par.”
We wanted to offer something that would be appealing to most collectors here in Manila. We wanted a one-stop shop in a small venue for collectors to be able to see some of the best art there is in a very convenient location and in a short span of time.
MoCAF adds more premier local and international art galleries and institutions this year. Expect to explore art galleries from Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia—including YOD TOKYO & Editions, Gallery Kogure, Kobayashi Gallery, Artemis Art and Srisasanti Syndicate. Locally, we heard from Francisco Lim of Art Caravan, and coffeemaker-turned-gallerist Ray Castillo of Rojo Gallery. Both have initiatives to support local artists through gallery shows in their space.
The main events this year include:
• Special exhibitions highlighting National Artist Larry Alcala, along with rising figures like artists Katrina Cuenca, Daniel Dela Cruz and Michael Cacnio who will exhibit exclusively made pieces for the festival. A printmaking exhibition follows on the popular and well-received booth last year. Distort Monsters, Doktor Karayom, Zuh Dai, Christian Tamondong and Angelica So will also bring a punk edge/sly sweetness to their group show. Artist De La Cruz explained that his exhibit “Masquerade Garden” will be “set in a garden where the women wear dresses made of flowers, leaves—a symbol of rebirth.” Another highlight is the Ramon Orlina glass sculpture exhibit, “Glass House.”
• MoCAF Discoveries, a special exhibition dedicated to the country’s most promising creatives, returns with 24 brand-new artists and 16 returning from last year’s roster. “We invited back artists from our first edition of Discoveries who were able to make a breakthrough in the art scene,” says Wong. “Many of them have had solo shows since last year, and are exclusive with other galleries now.”
• The lecture series MoCAF Dialogues will engage speakers from different sectors of the art community on pressing issues in the art scene, such as “Art and Community,” “Forgery and Certificates of Authenticity,” “Contemporary Art Trends” and “Economic Outlook and Art as Investment,” among others.
What differentiates MoCAF, says Wong, is that “We don’t just focus on younger audiences or older audiences; it’s really the best artists. We have a more inclusive community, wherein the different communities and different backgrounds really open doors for everyone else.”
In the thickening art scene of the Metro, it’s often hard to pinpoint what makes an art festival stand out. Francisco hopes that, after our lengthy “indoors” life, people can refocus on experiencing art in a physical environment. And he’s actively courting a younger audience for that experience: “We want to reach out to younger people because we want a future that is more into art. We’re hoping that more people will enjoy art for the variety and breadth that there is to offer.”
Balanced against this are the needs of the art market: “We wanted to offer something that would be appealing to most collectors here in Manila,” says Francisco. “We wanted a one-stop shop in a small venue for collectors to be able to see some of the best art there is in a very convenient location and in a short span of time.”
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MoCAF is sponsored by Aurelia Residences, Vibal Group, Inc. and Xception and runs from July 28-30 at The Grand Ballroom, Fairmont Makati. Tickets are now available for purchase at www.mocaf.net.
