CANVAS gets featured in Art Fair Philippines 2024
Left: Sculpture study by Daniel dela Cruz, to be made into a water fountain on the site of Tumba-Tumba; Right: Two paintings by Roel Obemio, which will be featured in “Kaibigan” an upcoming book written by Russell Molina.
Tatler
18 Feb 2024 by Franz Sorilla IV
Visitors of the Art Fair Philippines 2024 have seen some of the pieces to be featured at the first “If Trees Could Talk” International Art Biennale, happening on February 24, Saturday, in Ibaan, Batangas, which will run until June 24. This initiative uses art to spark reflection and dialogue on environmental issues, particularly climate change. This much-anticipated affair resulted from CANVAS’ past group exhibitions of the same theme in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Now, on a much bigger scale, it is the biennale will be at the site of the future Tumba-Tumba Children’s Museum of Philippine Art, featuring Geraldine Javier’s, Matthias Garff’s, Veronica Garcia’s and Laurence Vallieres’ use of found and recycled objects, multisensory spaces designed by Cian Dayrit, Pam and John Santos, Mark Salvatus, Don Bruan Bunag, and the Spore Initiative, as well as large-scale pieces by Elmer Borlongan, Lito Mondejar, and Leeroy New.
Representing at CANVAS’s Art Fair booth was Daniel dela Cruz’s prototype study for a water feature that will become a permanent fixture of Tumba-Tumba.
GMA News Online
18 Feb 2024 by Lou Albano
At Art Fair Philippines, The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (Canvas) introduces the first If Trees Could Talk international Art Biennale, something of a culmination after previously mounting three If Trees Could Talk group exhibits.
Works of participating artists like Elmer Borlongan, Geraldine Javier, Leeroy New, and Mark Salvatus to name a few, are displayed at Canvas' booth at the fair, which should tell you the aim of the If Trees Could Talk biennale: To spark reflection and dialogue on environmental issues especially climate change through art.
Also on display is a shelf of postcards that Canvas had received after issuing a global call last year to write and visualize an imagine conversation between yourself and trees. The prompt — If Trees Could Talk — should get your imaginations going.
The Biennale will open at 9:30am on Saturday, February 24 in Batangas and will run until June 24, 2024.
L-R: A kite made by Don Bunag as part of his monumental installation, “Lilim”; a clip from Matthias Garff’s short film from 2012, featuring animals made with recycled materials; a pawikan made by Laurence Vallieres out of cardboard and found objects.
BNN
18 Feb 2024 by Nimrah Khatoon
Dialogues for Change
The fair also spotlighted the Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (Canvas) and its initiative, the If Trees Could Talk international Art Biennale. This endeavor aimed to catalyze conversations on environmental issues, leveraging the universal language of art to engage diverse audiences. By presenting artworks that blend aesthetic appeal with environmental messages, the biennale and the fair at large sought to inspire reflection, dialogue, and ultimately, action towards mitigating the climate crisis. The collaborative spirit of the event underscored a collective commitment to addressing global environmental challenges, highlighting the vital role of art in mobilizing societal change.
