A supreme Met-amorphosis

MANILA, Philippines - Supreme announces a proud partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, as it embarks on a new direction, shifting its focus to modern and contemporary art by Philippine and foreign artists.

Read more about the new Met on our pages in the coming weeks, as young artists invade the museum with works of all forms, from paintings, to installations, to visual culture and popular media such as comics, photography, film, and video.

At the center of the museum’s metamorphosis is a landmark permanent exhibition entitled “The Philippine Contemporary: Scaling the Past and the Possible.” The exhibition is curated by well-known art critic and scholar, Dr. Patrick Flores, and it opens to the public on Feb. 8.

“The Philippine Contemporary” has three sections — Horizon, Trajectory, and Latitude, which frame the contexts of modern and contemporary art from the early twentieth century up to the present. It indexes a variety of styles, movements, institutions, and collectives that have shaped the course of Philippine art. Fusing the robust tradition of modern art and the potential of contemporary art to reflect on the future, this exhibition invites viewers to recognize the vital role of art in offering the opportunity to rethink the present retroactively and progressively.

And as contemporary art continues to evolve, an exhibition section entitled Sphere convenes a program of shows that focuses on a particular artist, a community, a theme, or a style. Another section, called Direction, speculates on new artistic tendencies and gives young artists the chance to present their works. 

A special presentation of contemporary art from the collection of Paulino Que will be on view at the Tall Galleries to complement the permanent exhibition. “Revealing Signs of the Present” offers a glimpse of a range of artistic tendencies in the last decade, drawn from the one of the country’s most comprehensive art collections.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Museum hours are from 10am to 5:30 p. m., Monday to Saturday.  For details on the exhibit, call 708-7829. Visit  www.metmuseum.ph.

(See John A. Magsaysay’s related story in the Modern Living section, on pages D1 to D3.)