(ArtDialogo Participating artists and mentors taking a photo with the event poster last 26 September 2019 )
30 September 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Singapore concluded Art Trek 13 with a back-to-back exhibition and art workshop on 26-27 September 2019 at Temenggong 18/20 in collaboration with Art Dialogo and the Global Cultural Alliance (GCA), and powered by National Youth Council Singapore (NYC).
The art exhibition which opened on 26 September 2019 featured the works of Fernando B. Sena, Jessie Marinas, Anthony Fermin, Alberto Magsumbol, Dhan Louie Bautista, Maxi V. Ramos, Micah Hilotin, Chareze Stamatelaky, and Anna Karina Jardin.
The following day, 27 September 2019, Art Dialogo facilitated an art workshop participated in by Filipino students of HFSE International School. The workshop allowed the Filipino students to do a paper-cutting activity to prepare the intricately-designed pabalat or pastillas wrapper and design their own paper jeepneys. Volunteers from the 2018 ASEAN Youth Fellowship assisted during the art workshop.
“In line with our goal of diversifying the artists and activities for Art Trek, this is the first time that a workshop will be conducted as a pro-active way of reaching out to more people through art and culture. This would not have been possible through the support of the National Youth Council Singapore and the efforts of ArtDialogo Asia, and Global Cultural Alliance,” Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Joseph Del Mar Yap said during his welcome remarks at the opening.
Curator and Founding Artist of ArtDialogo, Ms. Anna Karina Jardin, explained how her organization and program came about.
“It was in the summer of 2006 when I was first introduced to the concept of ‘intercultural dialogue’ through a school contest by UNESCO and Daimler Chrysler called ‘Mondialogo’… I was truly moved that it inspired me to develop in 2016 Art Dialogo, which is a platform for artists, youth and educators to interact with the community and define dialogue creatively and meaningfully within ASEAN,” Ms. Jardin said
HFSE International School conveyed their appreciation for the workshop, which allowed their students to further appreciate and understand their Filipino culture and heritage as most of them were raised in Singapore.
The paper-cutting activity facilitated by Master Paper Cut Artist, Alberto Magsumbol “Badz”, enjoyed by the students and youth volunteers also highlighted the art of making the pabalat or pastillas wrapper, which is a dying heritage as a result of modernization and commercialization. Hopefully, through this exercise, a new generation of Filipinos will appreciate and continue the advocacy of preserving this heritage.
Ms. Jardin of ArtDialogo facilitated the workshop and lecture for the young Filipino students of HFSE International School. (Photo: ArtDialogo)
Ambassador Yap also acknowledged the various partners of the Philippine Embassy that made it possible to stage Art Trek 13 as the Philippines and Singapore celebrate the 50th anniversary of their bilateral relations.
“See you next year for Art Trek 14!,” Ambassador Yap said. END
The young Filipino students of HFSE International School displaying their output from the workshop, together with Consul Gonaranao B. Musor (standing, 4th from right), ArtDialogo Asia artists and ASEAN Youth Fellows facilitators, youth volunteers and Rotary E-Club Singapore guests. (Photo: ArtDialogo)