To further celebrate the 155^th Birth Anniversary of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal and to welcome the month of August when National Heroes Day is celebrated, the Philippine Embassy and Transwing Art Gallery, Inc. have partnered to hold the visual arts exhibit “Rizal Through the Eyes of Artists.” Featured are the works of Arnel Garcia, Rene Robles. Ronna Manansala, and Ferdinand Ruiz. The exhibit will run from 29 July to 12 August 2016.

A formal opening was held on 28 July 2016 at the Philippine Embassy in Kurfürstendamm. Present during the vernissage was Pampanga-based artist Arnel David Garcia. He talked about his vision as an artist and explained his works on display. Garcia presented Rizal in relief scupltures (resin and mixed media). One rendition had Rizal’s face separated in various parts, implying the various facets of the hero. Another relief sculpture positioned Rizal with leaders like Jesus Christ and Mao Tse-tung, implying their impact on people. Garcia is known to work as a sculptor and painter and has participated in solo and group exhibitions in the Philippines.  The Berlin exhibition is his international debut.

Bulacan-based painter and graphic artist Ferdinand Rae Ruiz titled his work “Rizal Map” (acrylic) and presented a picture-perfect rendition of Rizal with a backdrop map of the places the hero visited in Europe.

Painter and sculptor Ronna Manansala, who is the granddaughter of the Philippines’ National Artist, Vicente Manansala, used bold brush strokes (oil) in presenting Rizal.

Artist Rene Robles showed Rizal behind several white doors in a predominantly red setting which could be interpreted as Rizal reopening doors for the nation after his imprisonment.  Works of Robles have found their way into the collections of His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, former United States President Bill Clinton, and Malcolm Forbes, among others.

“Rizal Through the Eyes of Artists” is open to the public from Monday to Friday, between 0900h to 1600h,  29 July to 12 August 2016, at the Philippine Embassy, 2^nd Floor Haus Cumberland, Kurfürstendamm 194, 10707 Berlin.

On 2 – 3 July 2016, food and souvenirs from around 50 countries were sold at the festival grounds at the Royal Porcelain Factory KPM in Tiergarten during this year’s “Deli Canto 2016: Here the World Eats,” a meeting place for nations and generations.

The Philippine booth featured Filipino caterers Pinoy Restaurant (by Rosalinda Nolasco-Jecht) and Wild Reis (by Kay Alave and Minet de Asis).  There was a wide array of Philippine food made available to an international audience from pancit guisado (fried noodles), typical rice cakes, lumpia (crispy rolls filled with minced meat, vegetables and spices) with sweet chili dip and adobo (meat braised in vinegar and soy sauce). Samalamig, a typical cold drink with tapioca pearls and gelatin was also offered.

The Filipiniana Dance Group Berlin headed by Mrs. Veronica Boensch presented four traditional dances namely, the Daling-daling from Mindanao, a dance celebrating the coming of a new princess or prince; the Cariñosa, a much-loved folk dance in the Philippines with Spanish origins; the Obando Dance which is an ancient Filipino fertility ritual; and the Tinikling, also known as the Philippine national dance.

The event was organized under the auspices of the City Foundation Berlin, in cooperation with the office of German Parliament Member Johannes Selle. END

Philippine visual artist  Ronson Culibrina debuts in Berlin with the opening of his solo exhibition at the Galerie Michael Janssen in Potsdamerstrasse 63, Berlin on 1 July 2016. His exhibit, “Resurreccion,” is curated by Ruel Caasi and is open to the public from 2 July to 5 September 2016.

The exhibition by Ronson Culibrina selects key pieces from the works of Felix Resurrección Hidalgo, a key figure in 19th century Philippine art, with interventions that bridge classical Filipino paintings with contemporary times.  Culibrina inserts a wide gamut of icons and images that open up reflections and discussions on themes like flow of goods and cultural influences, globalization, and the dynamics of the art market and economy, to name a few.

The works in the exhibition visualize social media obsession, pop and iconic objects, and details from the works of other masters, such as Fernando Amorsolo, another key figure in Philippine art who was prolific during the country’s years under American rule.

According to the exhibit’s curator, these compositions are meant to trigger the audience to question the category referred to as “master,” its implications and relevance at this point in history with so many materials being appropriated and reworked, and with the past still haunting the present.

Twenty-five year old Ronson Culibrina earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Major in Advertising at the Technological University of the Philippines.  He has participated in several group and solo exhibitions in the Philippines and in Singapore.  He was born in Morong, Rizal and works in Quezon City.  END