Supreme agenda
See religious art get a pop makeoverat ‘Pietà’
MANILA, Philippines - Right on time to cure your Papal hangover is “Pietà,” a duo exhibit by mother and son tandem Tokwa and Mayi Peñaflorida at Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery (2135 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati). The exhibit features religious iconography rendered in contemporary style, along with the bonds of motherhood, which shines in “Pietà,” a reinterpretation of Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of the same name. Curiously, the showpiece is a collaborative effort between the two, with Mayi painting the son Christ in her trademark style (reminiscent of Margaret Keane’s work in Big Eyes), and Tokwa painting the mother Mary in his dark, dreamy, and romantic style. It may not be the religious iconography we’re used to seeing, but it’s a nice update to centuries-old art. And it’s a lot of fun. “Pietà” opens on Wednesday.
Catch The 1975’s Manila concert
It’s 2015, but it’s the perfect time to catch The 1975, the British alt-rock group performing tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena. The quartet, made up of Matt Healy on vocals and guitar, Adam Hann on guitar, George Daniel on drums and backing vocals, and Ross MacDonald on bass, is known for their self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. Despite being labeled alt-rock, Healy describes the album as “pretty experimental, and goes from glitchy R&B to big ‘80s power pop to mid-‘90s soul, but it’s done in our way obviously.” This patchwork of influences is evident in the albums’ singles The City, Chocolate, Sex, and Settle Down. One music website goes as far as to call it “a great pop record with plenty of depth (a rare thing) that will prove divisive.” We’re sure all attendees of tonight’s concert will be fans, who will prove that Filipinos can rock as hard, whether it’s 1975 or 2015.
Discover new Pinoy literature at BLTX6
There’s a whole new movement of writers rising, and they’re meeting today for “BLTX6 (Better Living Through Xeroxography),” with two book launches and a roundtable discussion. Starting at 4 p.m. at Uno Morato (Garden Area GYY Building #1 Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City), a group of young writers called Charging Station is launching a zine called In Search of Desire, plus the UPLB-based writing journal Cabinet will be launching a collection of unpublished work. At 7 p.m., the organizers will hold “Readercon/Readerpro,” a discussion on the casual reader, how to create new audiences via the small independent press, and how to #saveliterature. The organizers probably bit off more than they can chew, but the first step is always good.
Watch great docus at UP Diliman
Last year’s crop of films from the Cine Totoo documentary film fest is finally getting a second run starting Tuesday at the Cine Adarna at UP Diliman. Among the nine films in this batch are Sigfried Barros-Sanchez’s Ang Gitaristang Hindi Marunong Magskala, a look into the career of guitarist Nitoy Adriano, an OPM legend who was unceremoniously kicked out of The Jerks after 40 years (with interviews with Pepe Smith, Ely Buendia, Noel Cabangon, Ira Cruz, Ebe Dancel, and more); Keith Sicat’s Komikero Chronicles, which traces the history of comics in the Philippines; and Jan Tristan Pandy’s Gusto Nang Umuwi ni Joy, which traces the journey of an undocumented Filipina in the UK as she tries to secure legal status so she can fly home to her family (it won Best Documentary at the awarding). The Philippines is truly full of colorful stories. Come tune in.
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