From Andy Warhol’s pop art to Sheung Wan’s street corners

Whenever my husband and I travel, while I make sense of train or bus routes from the airport to where we’re staying, I can always count on him to appear beside me with a handful of useful maps and brochures gathered from the information counters. Outside the Hong Kong International Airport, while we waited for the bus (see other ways to get to and from HKIA below)  he began showing me his latest stash–one of which was a brochure to an Andy Warhol exhibit at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Time for some Warhol. Outside the Hong Kong Museum of Art

We were traveling with another couple and made the mental note to find the time to see it. And on our third day in Hong Kong, before we met up with friends, we spent our Friday morning ooh-ing, ahh-ing, and gazing at Warhol’s works. Later on, I was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the street corners of Sheung Wan.

Art in a parking lot

Last week, the sixth floor parking lot of The Link, the building between Shangri-La Hotel Makati and Landmark Department Store, was transformed into this impressive space where 24 participating galleries showcased what Art Fair Philippines dubbed, “the best of Philippine contemporary art.”

Thank goodness, I got to schlepp to Makati last Sunday, on the last day of the fair, and got to see some jaw-dropping artwork from many Filipino artists. I don’t religiously follow the art scene and when somebody asks me what makes a good artwork, my default (and probably naive) answer is that I think it’s very subjective. What you find beautiful, others may find offensive. What I may dream of putting in my apartment, others may think to be kitschy. And if you’re only starting to collect art, a gallery owner once told me, primarily buy the ones you love and not simply because you think they’ll appreciate in value. The ones below, I love, but being able to afford them is another matter. So allow me to simply ‘hang’ their pictures in this blog.

Asphalt. This Gabriel Barredo installation in the Silverlens Gallery was a bit freaky and dark and layers upon layers of heaving nuts and bolts and discarded toys (I spied a Ben 10 action figure)

Scenes in a museum

The husband went to New York City last month for work and I promised myself that I’m not even going to gripe here about not being able to join him. Damn that–okay, no griping.

I’ve always wanted to see New York. Blame it on all the movies and TV series that had it as a scene-stealing backdrop. So when P got home, it wasn’t the bag of DVDs or bags he got for me that I immediately went for, it was the memory sticks in the camera that I wanted to see.  While he unpacked, I think I spent hours looking at every single photo he took around the city.

I particularly liked the photos of the Museum of Modern Art and not just for the amazing or intriguing artwork, but how people were drawn to them (or in some cases, ignored by them).

Who can blame him for taking a break by the bed

Wonder what she was looking at

Starting them young

Hanging around

Getting sucked in

Man and woman

Pollock and women

Pinto Art Gallery

Ever since it opened more than a decade ago, I’ve always wanted to see Pinto Art Gallery up in the hilltop town of Antipolo. It’s only 25 kilometers away from Manila, but I never got around to it–not until a few months ago. Procrastination, memory lapse, and the constant distraction of doing something else may have all played a role–as with many things on my shame-inducing to-do list.

But moving on…finally, I got to see it courtesy of the husband’s magazine assignment to take a recently-hatched day tour around the city by two of its residents. The tour features stops at the Antipolo Cathedral, an eco park, a mountain resort, Crescent Moon Cafe, and the highlight of the trip (at least for me) Pinto Art Gallery.

A museum up in the mountain

Since Baguio is a popular destination for Manila folks , sometimes you end up going to the same places every time you make your way up the mountain city–Cafe By The Ruins, Camp John Hay, the public market, Session Road, Tam-awan Village, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Good Shepherd Convent.

They’re all worth a stop, but when a new place opens, and one that showcases contemporary art from the country’s masters as well as the indigenous Cordillera art and crafts, one has to set aside a morning (or afternoon) devoted to just exploring and appreciating local artwork