MULTI-AWARDED FILIPINO ARTIST SAM PENASO’S SOLO EXHIBIT OPENS IN BERLIN
Amb. Dizon-de Vega welcomes guests to the exhibit. Photo by Mr. Renante Estrella.
Multi-awarded artist Mr. Sam Penaso’s first solo exhibit in Berlin was formally opened on October 28, at the Philippine Embassy’s Sentro Rizal.
The exhibit features more than 20 of Penaso’s collection of paintings with intricate geometric patterns and nature scenes, fictional characters, and human figures vividly depicted on canvas.
Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega led the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to mark the opening. She was joined by Penaso and the exhibit’s curator, art impresario and Kunst Gallery Managing Director Virgilio Cuizon.
The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps and Filipino community members, as well as other Berlin-based expatriates.
Amb. Dizon-de Vega (left) and Nicaraguan Ambassador Tatiana Daniela Garcia Silva view one of Penaso’s paintings on display. Photo by Mr. Renante Estrella.
In her remarks during the event, Amb. Dizon-de Vega extolled Penaso’s immense talent and that of his fellow Filipino artists. She also expressed the Embassy’s readiness to help Filipino art in securing the recognition that it deserves in this part of the world.
The opening was capped with a reception with Filipino food and cocktails made of popular Filipino alcoholic drink Don Papa Rum.
Sam Penaso is a multi-disciplinary artist whose works include paintings, sculptures, performance art, and hybrid works which straddle these disciplines.
His works have been previously featured in 27 solo exhibitions in Austria, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi), and the United States (New York).
Penaso (left) goes into performance artist mode with his signature “Striped Walker” attire.
He won first place in the 2012 Art Association of the Philippines Annual Art Competitions, followed by a string of wins in the 2014 and 2016 GSIS Art Competition and the grand prize for the 4th Don Papa Rum National Art Competition. He also earned a spot in the finals of the 2013 Winter Grand Salon Show in New York and was a grantee of the Asian Arts Council.
The exhibit runs until October 31, at the Sentro Rizal Berlin, U/G Embassy of the Philippines, Luisenstraβe 16, 10117 Berlin. END
Dr Renzo Guinto highlights nexus between human health and climate in Berlin talk
The Philippine Embassy in Berlin hosted a lecture-discussion entitled “The Philippines at the Heart of Planetary Health” by Dr Ramon Lorenzo Luis ‘Renzo’ Rosa Guinto, Chief Planetary Doctor at ‘think-and-do tank’ PH Lab and a Harvard doctoral graduate, for the fourth session of its AklaTamBayan living library series, held on 25 October 2019.
Dr Guinto opened his talk by citing the public health legacies of Dr Rudolf Virchow and Dr Jose Rizal.
Dr Guinto, who is a visiting fellow at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium until December 2019, is in Berlin to attend the World Health Summit taking place from 27 to 29 October 2019.
In his talk at the Embassy, he noted the importance of a planetary health framework to serve as a fresh ethical paradigm and renewed basis for collective action that integrates the health of people and the health of the planet. He mentioned the unique challenges faced by the Philippines in the area of Climate Change, as shown by the devastation wreaked by super typhoons like Haiyan.
To show what is being done to address the challenge, he screened two short films he produced as part of his doctoral dissertation, documenting the experiences of communities in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte and Ajuy, Iloilo.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega and Dr Guinto with some of the attendees of the talk.
The talk drew an audience of around 25 people, including Embassy personnel as well as public health practitioners from the German Health Alliance and Médecins sans frontieres, and members of the Filipino community.
Alongside the talk, wherein Dr Renzo identified current food production systems as a major contributor to Climate Change and health issues such as obesity and antibiotic resistance, the Embassy provided a vegetarian grazing table with plant-based interpretations of Filipino favorites like adobo.
The Filipino vegan grazing tables prepared by the Embassy for the guests.
“Along with Migration and Food Security, Climate Change is one of the great defining issues today,” Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said in her remarks before the talk, “and it is a privilege for us to host events like this to contribute to the conversation about it in our own small way.” (END)
Ambeth Ocampo Speaks on Mapping the Philippines and National Identity in Germany
L-R Prof. Elsa Clavé, Prof. Jan van der Putten, Prof. Ambeth Ocampo, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega
Filipino historian and best-selling author Prof. Ambeth Ocampo, engaged an international audience at the Asian-Afrikan Institute of the University of Hamburg, Germany at a special lecture on 21 October 2010.
Prof. Ocampo’s talk entitled “Mapping the Philippines: Before Waze and Google Earth” is an examination of how the Philippines’ historical narrative and identity can be read partly through maps and other cartographic depictions across the centuries.
Drawing from his many years of research on maps done in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, Prof. Ocampo shared some lesser known insights into Philippine history both past and contemporary.
The talk of Prof. Ocampo was organized by the Philippine Embassy in Berlin in cooperation with the Asian Afrikan Institute of the University of Hamburg. Prof. Dr. Jan van der Putten and Prof. Elsa Clavé of the Institute were on hand to welcome Prof. Ocampo.
Prof. van der Putten in his welcome remarks stated that it is a great privilege for the University of Hamburg to have Prof. Ocampo as a guest speaker and to hear his insights on Philippine history and identity, as well as the state of Philippine Studies in Europe.
Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega shared that the Philippine Government is stepping up its efforts to promote Philippine Studies programs in German educational institutions such as the ongoing Advancing Philippine Studies Program at Humboldt University and the just concluded agreement for a Philippine Studies Program at RuHR University. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega likewise announced the Embassy would collaborate more closely with the University of Hamburg in screening Philippine films and organizing Philippines-related discussions and activities at the Asian African Institute.
After the lecture, Prof. Ocampo responded to questions from the audience during the open forum and at the Post-talk reception catered by Filipino-German Chef Larry Galicia of Lubeck.
Filipino-German Divina Gracia-Martens, who taught Filipino Culture and Language at the University of Hamburg, shared that the talk presented fresh insights into approaching Philippine history and that Prof. Ocampo makes history come alive. END
Dr. Ocampo engages the audience with his take on Philippine historical narrative.
L-R Fr. Simon Boiser, Chaplain of the Filipino Ministry in Hamburg has his books signed by Prof. Ocampo; Prof. Ocampo talks about history being current and connected (all photos by Berlin PE)