Arts & Culture (04/08/26)

International visual artists blend art, science

A ROSTER of international multidisciplinary artists from Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines explore the interconnections of art and science in the exhibit Poets of Physics. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, the show is named for artist David Medalla’s description of himself: that of “a poet who celebrates physics.” His body of work ranges from kinetic art to painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art. One of his famous works is the Cloud Canyons, an auto-creative instrument that continuously generates foam and bubbles to produce ever-changing sculptural forms. The exhibit features his compositions alongside those of Aki Sasamoto (Japan), Bagus Pandega (Indonesia), Fischli and Weiss (Switzerland), and Ian Carlo Jaucian (Philippines). Poets of Physics runs until April 12 at MCAD, located at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Design + Arts Campus along Dominga St., Malate, Manila.

Carlos Celdran’s drawings on exhibit

STORYTELLER, artist, and tireless interpreter of Manila’s layered histories, Carlos Celdran will be honored in an exhibition centered on his drawings. Since he died in 2019, he has been posthumously celebrated for his practice that merged performance, history, and the public space, especially his immersive walking tours of Manila complete with costume, storytelling, and satire. Mr. Celdran’s training in the visual arts will be under the spotlight this time, with Archivo 1984’s selection of Celdran’s drawings, including rarely seen and previously unexhibited works. It runs from April 11 to 22 at Archivo 1984, located on the 5^th floor of Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Ext., in Makati City. The opening reception will be on April 11, 3 to 7 p.m.

PETA Plus to stage Endo adaptation

AT THE PETA Theater Center in Quezon City, the Cinemalaya film Endo will return in a new form, nearly two decades after its debut at the local independent film festival. Originally written and directed by Jade Castro as a story about love in the face of contractual labor, this stage version of the film has been adapted by Liza Magtoto and will be directed by Melvin Lee. It takes place in the context of today’s gig economy, breathing new life into the material. The show runs from April 10 to May 10.

Encore Theater stages plays by Floy Quintos

THIS MONTH, Encore Theater will be staging Miranda & Yolanda, a twin bill of one-act plays by the late theater stalwart Floy Quintos. Running from April 11 to May 3 at the Power Mac Center’s Blackbox Theater in Ayala Malls Circuit, it is composed of two plays: Evening at the Opera and Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna, both of which focus on women in positions of power. They are directed by Dexter M. Santos. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me.

West Gallery opens new exhibitions in April

THE APRIL exhibitions of West Gallery have been unveiled to the public. They are: Raffy T. Napay’s Puno, David Ryan Viray’s To the Author of the Last Page, August Lyle Espino’s The room you can’t carry with you everywhere, Meety Mity’s Where da grass greens grow, and Oca Villamel’s A Song Without End. The five exhibitions run until May 2 at West Gallery, located along West Avenue in Quezon City.

Día del Libro to return in Makati

OVER at Makati’s Ayala Triangle Gardens, a celebration of books will again be mounted this month. The commemoration of Día del Libro will be packed with activities on April 25, from poetry reading to story-telling sessions, as well as free Spanish language classes, music performances, and gastronomic experiences. Aside from the mainstays like the crowd-pleasing Escribe el Quijote (Write Don Quijote) and book signings, the Spanish collective Atrapavientos will spice things up this year. As specialists in children’s literature, they will offer a workshop on creative writing to local students. Día del Libro takes place on April 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., at Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

Veniccio.com to present Chopin competition laureate

ON May 2 at the Ayala Museum, Veniccio.com and MA Piano Academy are set to mount Kate Liu in Recital, a concert featuring world-class pianist Kate Liu. The concert marks Ms. Liu’s Philippine debut, where she will perform the piano works of Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms. It comes after her recent victory at the 17^th International Chopin Competition, where she established herself as one of the foremost interpreters of Chopin. After winning the competition’s 3^rd prize, she was also awarded on Polish radio as the audience’s favorite, winning the Best Mazurka Prize. Tickets for her show in the Philippines range in price from P2,500 to P10,000 and are available via Veniccio.com.