Ortigas Art Festival 2024 Celebrates ‘Art Without Borders’

Now in its seventh year, the Ortigas Art Festival is expanding its horizons, putting the spotlight on more artists from all corners of the Philippines. With the theme “Art for All: A Celebration of Borderless Artistic Expression,” visitors can experience a grander Ortigas Art Festival from July 18 to August 18 at the East Wing of Estancia Mall, Pasig City, featuring thousands of Filipino artists to showcase their diverse regional artistry and a wide range of workshops for various disciplines.

Ortigas Art Festival is an award-winning event, earning recognition from the prestigious Anvil Awards (Silver Award) and Stevie International Business Awards (Gold Award) where its annual month-long free art exhibit features Filipino artists of various disciplines from all parts of the Philippines.

“Every year, we want to make the Ortigas Art Festival bigger to welcome more Filipino artists and organizations from all over the country. We successfully did that this year with artists from Angono, which is the art capital of the Philippines featuring the works of Totong Francisco, the grandson of Botong Francisco, and many others to showcase the diverse talents and artistic styles of these regions," said Arch. Renee Bacani, Vice President & Head of Ortigas Malls

The 7th Ortigas Art Festival officially opens at Estancia Mall, celebrating art for all Filipinos. The opening ceremony was  lead by (from L to R: Mr. Renato Habulan, Curator of Ortigas Art Festival; Mr. Totong Francisco, Grandson of National Artist Botong Francisco; Mr. Dennis Montera, Head of NCCA on Visual Arts; Atty. Michael David Abundo III, VP, Head Corporate Resources Division of Ortigas Land; Mr. Davee Zuniga, Chief Finace Officer of Ortigas Land; Ms. Helen Mirasol, Consultant of Ortigas Art Festival; Arch. Renee Bacani, VP, Head of Ortigas Malls; Coun. Angelu De Leon of Pasig City; Mr. Jose Javier Reyes, Chairman and CEO of FDCP; Ms. Avie Felix, Curator of Phil. Pavillion to 15th Gwangju Biennale; Ms. Alex Ortigas; Mr. Dio Ortigas;  Ms. Jenna Belardo, VP, Head of Residential Business Unit of Ortigas Land; Ms. Monique Castañeda, AVP, Head Marketing of Ortigas Malls)  

The opening ceremony was attended by Ortigas Malls Vice President Arch. Renee Bacani, Angono Vice Mayor Gerardo Calderon, Pasig Councilor Angelu De Leon, and other LGU members to represent their respective cities. Also gracing the event were Ortigas Art Festival lead curators and consultants Renato Habulan and Helen Mirasol, Dr.  Dennis “Sio” Montera, the head of the National Commission for Culture and Arts’ (NCCA) National Committee on Visual Arts, and the artists representing the Philippines at the 15th Gwangju Biennale.

Ortigas Art Festival presents a diverse lineup of creative disciplines for people of all ages:

Visual Arts

Since launching in 2018, Ortigas Art Festival expanded its roster of featured visual artists. This year, Agos Studio led by Renato Habulan continues to highlight the vibrant paintings and sculptures of up-and-coming Filipino artists. It also features “Buklod”, consisting of artists from Iloilo, which further solidifies its purpose to bring people together and champion regional artistry. Plus, Habulan also launched “Lunduyan,” a two-year mentorship program for emerging artists.

Ortigas Art Festival lead curator and consultant Renato Habulan emphasizes the importance of democratizing art and making it accessible for all.

Linangan Artist Residency, known as an alternative art school headed by Emmanuel Garibay based in Alfonso, Cavite, creatively divides its Ortigas Art Festival exhibit into well-thought-out sections that encourage art education. The exhibit serves as a portal to creative discovery and learning through a series of solo exhibits, collaborative showcases, hands-on workshops, and enlightening lectures.

Several artists from Angono, the art capital of the Philippines, are showcasing their vibrant artworks at Ortigas Art Festival. This includes the versatile and dynamic works of Totong Francisco, the grandson of National Artist Botong Francisco, under Grupo Sining Angono. The Angono Artists Association helps young artists to develop their skills in art and teach the importance of preserving our culture and rich heritage. The Angono Ateliers Association, an art group established 1975 in honor of Francisco, has remained committed for 45 years to develop the town of Angono into an “Artists' Village.”

vMeme Contemporary Art Gallery features the exhibit “Locations of Freedom,” a pre-departure exhibit for the Philippine Pavilion for 15th Gwangju Biennale in South Korea. It will include various art forms, like an audio-visual production, maquette and mini versions of sculptures, photographs, and other artworks related to the exhibit in Gwangju. It will feature the works of artists like filmmaker Sari Dalena, sculptor Toym Imao, and more.

From July 18 to August 18, Ortigas Art Festival visitors can experience the diverse creativity of Filipino artists from various regions of the Philippines and free workshops in East Wing, Estancia Mall, Pasig City.

The Pasig Art Club, founded in 1957, prides itself in the diversity of its members who come from a wide array of professions and disciplines. For the Ortigas Art Festival, it will showcase the works of Lita Wells, Ace Dimanlig, and other members of the club.

Photography 

If you love looking at nostalgic photographs and shots that show a different perspective, the Ortigas Foundation Library and Redlab Gallery have displayed their prints in their respective exhibits. From alluring landscapes to the vibrant greenery of nature, viewers can see the captivating pictures eternally memorialized by talented photographer collectives.

Ortigas Foundation Library in cooperation with Nayon Photographers Club also showcases the unique art of paintography in its exhibit. This combines painting and photography to create elegantly vibrant images. 

Film

Ortigas Art Festival has long been championing new talent and collaborating with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to showcase acclaimed Filipino films. There will be late-night movie screenings of award-winning films, Jopy Arnaldo’s Gitling, winner of Cinemalaya Best Screenplay in 2023;  Raya Martin’s Independencia, which received the Critics Award and Special Jury Award at the Valdivia International Film Festival in 2009; and Zig Dulay’s Firefly, which won at the 2024 Platinum Stallion National Media Awards for Director of the Year and Child Star of the Year, and at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Child Performer; Kenneth Dagatan’s In My Mother’s Skin, premiered at Sundance Festival's "Midnight" section in 2023, it was the sole non-English-language film featured nominated as one of the Best Motion Pictures in Catalonian International Film Festival and Best Production Design Nominee in Gawad Urian Awards 2024.

Jose Maria Socorro Reyes, chairman and CEo of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, showcases the award-winning films that are showing in Ortigas Art Festival for free: "Gitling," "Independencias," "Firefly," and "In My Mother's Skin.

Attendees can also learn from FDCP experts, headed by their chairman and CEO Mr. Jose Maria Socorro J. Reyes at Ortigas Art Festival’s film talks.

Dance

One of the most amazing things about dance is that it’s a powerful way to express emotions and tell a story. The Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and Step by Step Performing Arts Studio will show Ortigas Art Festival attendees how dance has provided young girls and boys an outlet for their creative expression.

Ortigas Art Festival 2024 features many acclaimed galleries and organizations with thousands of local artists eager to showcase their works, as well as a wide range of workshops. There’s so much to offer visitors, especially young artists, who want to marvel at the beautiful works on display. Visitors can also purchase one-of-a-kind artworks for their homes.

Don’t miss these different expressions of art and storytelling at the seventh Ortigas Art Festival from July 18 to August 18 at Estancia Mall East Wing. Visitors can also express their love for art and their Ortigas Art Festival comments on the Expression Wall.

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Check out the complete list of exhibitors, films, and performers for Ortigas Art Festival 2024: “Art for All: A Celebration of Borderless Artistic Expression”. For more details, check out the Ortigas Art Festival information sheet here.