Written by: Ace Castell
Graphic design by: Pauline Nieverra and Alijah Hadjirul
What better way to hope for a better future in art than through uniting artists, and honing all of our creative talents and leadership skills in the digital age? Artsidize 2022 built on that hope through their cross-cultural program that highlighted the role of technology and education in the arts.
Held last February 26, Artsidize 2022 was done in celebration of the Philippines' National Arts' Month. With the theme of "Sining ng Pag-asa", or "Art of Hope", the program was open for all as it highlighted the hope of a better future in the area of arts in technology.
The event kicked off with the welcoming remarks of Anna Karina Jardin, the CEO and Founding Artist of Artdialogo Asia; and was followed by the opening remarks of Pauline Nieverra, the Organizing Chairman of Artsidize 2022 and External Affairs Manager of Artdialogo Asia, and Lynette Cipriano, the Educational Program Supervisor Schools Division of Malabon City. A respectable visual artist and the founder of the Salingoy Art Group, Pancho Piano, gave an inspirational message that further fueled the creative desires of the participants.
Artsidize 2022, however, highlighted their panel discussion and the creative workshops that followed the introduction.
The panel discussion was run by esteemed speakers, namely Poesy Liang (NFT Artist), Patrick On (Founder of Qing Gallery), Christopher Villar (CEO and Founder of Peer), Aidillyn Arifin (Operations Manager and Art Curator of Art is Fair KL), and Ally Zlatar (Visual Artist). They each shared information on the work they do, whether that be centered on the arts or on technology, and shared ways on how they fostered good practices and art spaces. Nevertheless, the bulk of the panel discussion was largely about the speakers' creative insights and refreshing ideas on how to innovate the future through the arts and arts education. They imparted their own methods of incorporating technology with their art, but also shed light on the issues that stem from utilizing technology for art (e.g., digital art theft).
After the panel discussion came an intermission number from Malabon National High School's Hiyas ng Sining Dance Troupe. They featured a Philippine folk dance called Subli, which showcased a part of Philippine culture to the audience.
The latter part of the program began with the creative workshops, which was another much awaited segment. The workshops were categorized for three types of participants: artists, students, and educators.
The first workshop was facilitated by Yuchen Liu (Co-founder and Content Developer of Context), and was catered to artists. It focused on "Discovering Possibilities in Art Education Using Digital Platforms", and aided the participants in fully utilizing technology to develop and share their art.
The second workshop was headed by Ethan Dailo (Founder of Arternatibo), and was catered to students. Ethan's workshop was actually perfect for budding artists, since he focused on "Utilizing the Arts and Technology as a Means of Finding and Amplifying Our Passion." He shared his creative process, which inspired the participants to become more attuned to their artistic talents.
The remaining workshop was catered to the educators, and was facilitated by Adrian Bicomong (COO and Director of Peer). His workshop tackled the importance of "Empowering Art Educators in Developing the Cognitive Abilities of Learners Using Digital Platforms." Self-explanatory as it may be, Adrian's workshop opened the eyes of the art educators on how they could better utilize technology in their teachings.
Once the workshops have ended, the closing ceremony began with closing remarks from Manuel Batario (Head of Tinajeros National High School’s MAPEH Department) and Micah Hilotin (COO of Artdialogo Asia).
Echoing Ms. Micah's words, Artsidize 2022 served as an avenue to inspire the participants to keep on creating, and also to recognize the greater potential of technology in their art. With over 90 participants, Artsidize 2022 went beyond the borders of the Philippines. The program's success was anchored on its reach to an even larger audience, thus connecting the youth and empowering them to use their creative talents and leadership skills in this digital age. Indeed, there will be a better future in art when artists are united to hone their creative talents and leadership skills—and Artdialogo Asia will remain committed to working with that mission.
Artsidize 2022 is organized by Artdialogo Asia in partnership with Peer and Qing Gallery. The event is also supported by the DepEd Philippines, Salingoy Art Group, Schools Division Office: Malabon City, Tinajeros National High School (Main), and Arternatibo. Artsidize 2022's official media partner is Asia TV Studios.