January 13, 2012

Desire, Ennui, Anxiety: Marcel Antonio at Yuchengco Museum, Feb 6 to 25,2012



In July of 2010, the poet V.I.S. de Veyra posted a blog essay on the art of Marcel Antonio titled “Blue Funk’d Stories: The Expanding Art of Marcel Antonio” (read at http://partycrashingangle.blogspot.com/2010/07/blue-funked-silent-stories-expanding_26.html) and coined the phrase-tag Blue Funk Erotica for Antonio’s art. 

De Veyra described Blue Funk Erotica as 
1) unsmiling faces-derived figurative drama (primarily portraiture, then), 
2) replete of appropriations or art-historical quotes, 
3) suggestive (but only suggestive) of a narrative, 
4) quasi-rebellious towards rigid allusions and painting titles’ guidance, 
5) unpainterly expressionist, 6) of an in-a-trance mood as against a happy one, and 
7) conscriptive of the painting viewer as peeper. 

“This erotica should stay around and keep us entranced,” the poet-critic wrote, “being not so much one that tickles the groin as a kind that promotes the understanding that every face, gesture, object, color, and shape is a secret sex object and clandestine true story waiting to be told.” But also debunking a previous simplistic tag on Antonio’s art as “narrative expressionist,” de Veyra wrote: “In Antonio’s case, his blue funkism's ‘de-expression’, or ‘dis-expression’ and narrative confusion through the mannerisms of narrative imagery and titling, seems to be a produce of a Russian Formalist narrative bent to ‘defamiliarize’ images and shapes towards a higher enigma. Thus his refusal to ‘express’.”



The above mentioned blog started a dialogue between Antonio’s art as well as intent (of unintent) and de Veyra’s reading, culminating in a late-2011 collection titled “Desire, Ennui, Anxiety” which shall be shown this coming Feb 6 to 25 at the Yuchengco Museum.

This title for Antonio’s new series does not so much signal a change in his art’s direction as clarify where de Veyra’s reading is right and where it needs to be tweaked. For instance, while de Veyra opts for a Barthesian “variety of narrative possibilities,” Antonio’s pragmatic knowledge of his audience allows/welcomes two basic approaches to his art.

The one approach favours rigid symbolist readings, especially as Antonio is himself attracted to the “monumental” (Antonio’s term) figure common among utopian-art compositions (of Wagnerian glorifications, classical idealism, Nazi art, Stalinist totalitarian art, socialist realism, etc.) as well as in advertising art or the idealizations of soft porn.

But, for the other approach, Antonio acknowledges that de Veyra is right about his—Antonio’s—own efforts to frustrate, so to speak, all symbolist and narrative approaches, via experimentations with juxtapositions/relations and eclectic allusions. These experimentations, appropriations, and art-history quotes result in a dehumanized atmosphere, involving such stuff as machine esthetics and the usual facial expressions of ennui and boredom, all moving towards Antonio’s intended postmodernist multiplicity of meanings. But the final result on each single canvas is an invite to a pseudo-narrative half-aware of this pseudo-ness, welcoming while parodying the various cultural and moral significations possible to professional and popular semiotics.



In this sense, Antonio’s art would be self-described as anxious about the unknown, desirous of knowledge as a matter of course but likewise celebrating the ennui of knowledge’s elusivity, even the charm of that ennui itself alone. Ennui as both springboard and object of desire, then, visually fulfilled or illustrated on an Antonio-esque drama field.

A final stamp to this anti-narrative effort to “recover the sensation of life” (Victor Shklovsky) is the artist’s devotion to the coloration of Diego Velázquez or Chagall as well as the latent abstract geometrics beneath all his pseudo-narrative stagings.

We would like to invite people or media to witnesses the Marcel Antonio art work this coming Feb 6 2012 6pm for the opening for lunching on cocktail.V.I.S. de Veyra joins Antonio in this exhibit with fourteen new poems printed in the exhibition catalogue.

For more information about the show, contact the 
Yuchengco Museum, 
2/F RCBC Plaza, cor. Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Aves.
Makati City, Philippines 1200

or 

Galleria Quattrocento
3rd Floor Glorietta 4 Art Space
Glorietta 4, Ayala Center
Barangay San Lorenzo
Makati City 
Telephone: [632] 818-5939 // [632] 519-7221;
Mobile #: 0917-8911322;


January 12, 2012

Filipino-American Robin Lim named CNN Hero of the Year 2011


Mother Robin, or "Ibu Robin" as she fondly called, received the CNN Hero of the Year 2011 award  in a ceremony at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles from Anderson Cooper.

Robin, a Filipino-American midwife in Indonesia, has been named as the second “CNN Hero of the Year” with Filipino roots. The first Filipino CNN Hero of the Year, Efren G. Peñaflorida Jr., won in 2009 for his Kariton Eskwela (pushcart classes) project that educates poor schoolchildren in his home province of Cavite. Now in its fifth year, CNN Heroes is a multi-platform campaign that spotlights on individuals who go to extraordinary lengths to serve others.

Lim  has been running her free clinics Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth) in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia with other Indonesian midwives since 2003 providing free prenatal and birthing services for poor Indonesian women. They also provide training for young midwives.






"Every baby's first breath on Earth could be one of peace and love. Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be safe and loving. But our world is not there yet," Lim said during "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and recognized Lim and the other top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011.

After being announced as the CNN Hero of the Year, a tearful Lim accepted the award from host Anderson Cooper and made an impassioned plea for help.

"Today on our Earth, 981 mothers in the prime of their life will die -- and tomorrow again and yesterday," she said. "And I'm asking you to help change that. We don't even know how many babies are lost, but all of us can help change that."


American Idol David Archuleta to Star in TV5 Kapatid Network Series

International pop star and American Idol finalist David James Archuleta will be doing a primetime soap with the TV5 Kapatid Network.

In an  official announcement posted on its website, the Kapatid Network reported that David Archuleta will “do a primetime series with homegrown Kapatid stars Jasmin Curtis Smith and Eula Caballero.”

The Kapatid Network has aggressively been signing Philippine superstars over the past two years. Last year, they signed up the legendary “Superstar”Nora Aunor  and “Megastar” Sharon Cuneta. TV5 also earlier signed deals with, among others, actresses Ruffa Gutierrez, Maricel Soriano, Lorna Tolentino, and Alice Dixon, and actors Aga Mulach , Edu Manzano, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and King of Comedy Dolphy for a variety of entertainment programs.

TV5 is doing its best to further boost its ranking in Philippine broadcasting network with the latest addition of American Idol star David Archuleta in the Kapatid Network. The TV5 ranks is currently the third biggest broadcasting network in the Philippines, next to ABS-CBN and GMA 7.

“The signing of an international star of Archuleta’s youth and talent, arguably in his prime, is bound to shake up the Philippine entertainment industry.”

Here's the video showing the happiness of David.



"Headed to the Philippines later today! I'll be arriving this week to start a new adventure in acting haha. I'm nervous, but also really excited to try this new experience. I'll be doing a mini-series for TV5 and will be filming in the Philippines for the next few weeks. Hope everyone has had a good start to their year and I'll talk to you guys when I arrive in Manila!" 


Get Your Heart On Tour: Simple Plan Live in Manila January 12, 2012


One of the best Canadian punk rock band is coming back to Manila for a one night only concert January 12, 2012. Get your heart on Manila! Dayly Entertainment presents Simple Plan Live in Manila.

Ticket Prices:
Patron VIP - P4500
Patron - P3500
Lower Box - P3000
Upper Box A - P2000
Upper Box B - P1000
General Admission - P500
(+ 6% TicketNet Charge)


Simple Plan LIVE in Manila will be on January 12, 2012 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Let there be Love - Simple Minds

The 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival February 9 to 12, 2012



The 17th Philippines Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is scheduled for 9th to 12th February, 2012. The annual Hot Air Balloon Festival is one of the most popular events in Clark Philippines.

At least 22 hot air balloons, including some specially-shaped balloons from nine countries, will be the main attractions in this year festivities during the weekend of everything that flies.

Organizers of the Philippine Hot Air Balloon said the balloonists will come from United States, Finland, Sweden, Amsterdam, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

The hot air balloon fest is one of the main sports-tourism attractions in Clark which is under the auspices of the Department of Tourism (DoT).

The event is expected to attract more foreign and local tourists this year as more than 100,000 tourists are expected to flock during the hot air balloon festival.

17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Schedule of Activities.

THURSDAY -  February 9 - FIRST FIESTA DAY

5:30-7:00AM           Opening Ceremony Hot Air Balloon Flight

7:00-7:30AM           Paragliding Exhibition

7:40-8:30AM           Ultra-Light Aircraft Formation Flying

8:30-9:30PM            Ultra-Light Bomb Dropping Audience
                                  Participation

9:30-10:00AM          Skydiving Exhibition

10:00-11:00AM       Kite Flying Exhibition

11:00AM-1:30PM   AOPA Light Airplane Balloon Bursting
                                 Competition

1:30-2:00PM            Sky Diving Exhibition

2:00-2:45PM            Aviation Flying School Fly By

3:45-4:30PM            RC Demonstration Flying

4:30-5:00PM             Paragliding Accuracy Flying

5:00-5:20PM             Ultralight Formation Flying

5:20-6:00PM             Hot Air Balloon Fly-In

FRIDAY - February 10  - SECOND FIESTA DAY

5:30-7:00AM            Hot Air Balloon Flight

7:00-7:30AM            Paragliding Exhibition

7:40-8:30AM            Ultralight Aircraft Flyby

8:30-9:30AM            Aerobatic Flight Display

9:30-9:50AM            RC Helicopter Show

9:50-10:20AM          Fire Fighting Exhibition

10:20-11:00AM        Radio Control Aircraft Flying

11:00-11:30AM        Skydiving Exhibition

11:30AM-12:30PM Ultralight Airplane Bomb Dropping

12:30-1:30PM          Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition

1:30-2:30PM            AOPA-P Aircraft Flyby

2:15-3:15PM            AOPA Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition

3:15-4:00PM            Aerobatic Show

4:00-4:30PM            Airplane Banner Towing Demonstration

4:30-5:15PM            Paragliding Accuracy Flying

5:30-6:00PM            Hot Air Balloon Flights

7:00 PM                   Aviators Ball

SATURDAY - February 11 - THIRD FIESTA DAY

5:30-7:00AM            Hot Air Balloon Flight

7:00-7:30AM            Paragliding Flag Flying

7:40-8:30AM            Ultralight Aircraft Flyby

8:30-9:30AM            Aerobatic Flight Display

9:30-10:00AM          Search And Rescue Flying Exhibition

10:00-10:30AM        Helicopter Maneuverability Flight Display

10:30-11:00AM        Sky Diving Exhibition

11:00AM-12:30PM Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition

12:30-1:30PM         Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition

1:30-2:30PM           Ultralight Flying Display

2:30-3:15PM            Flying School’s Fly By

3:15-3:45PM            Skydiving Exhibition

3:45-4:30PM            Aerobatic display

4:30-5:00PM            Paragliding exhibition

5:00-5:30PM            Ultralight Fly By

5:30-5:45PM            RC Airplane Flying Demonstration

5:45-6:15PM            Hot Air Balloon Flight

6:45-7:30PM            Hot Air Balloon Night Glow


SUNDAY - February 12  - LAST FIESTA DAY

5:30-7:00AM           Hot Air Balloon Flight

7:00-7:30AM            Paragliding Flag Flying

7:30-8:30AM            Ultralight Aircraft Flyby

8:30-9:30AM            Flying school fly by

9:30-10:00AM          RC Helicopter Show

10:00-10:30AM        Helicopter Flying Exhibition

10:30-11:00AM        Sky Diving Exhibition

11:00AM-12:30PM   AOPA Light Airplane Balloon Bursting
                                  Competition

12:30-1:30PM           Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition

1:30-2:30PM             Ultralight Flying Display

2:30-3:00PM             RC Airplane Flying Demonstration

3:00-4:00PM             Aerobatic Exhibition

4:00-4:45PM             Paragliding Accuracy Flying

4:45-5:30PM             Search and Rescue Exhibition

5:30-6:45PM             Hot Air Balloon night glow

7:30PM                     Crew and Awards Night Party

 A weekend of everything that flies! (Hot Air Balloons 2010)
How to get there: NLEX  / SCTEX

Take the North Luzon Expressway from Manila and continue past Dau toll plaza -- but do not take the Dau exit. Pull to the right and take the SCTEX on-ramp. From the SCTEX toll booth, take the southbound lane to Clark South exit. You will be entering Clark through the Yokohama complex. At the stop light, turn right into Roxas highway. The Balloon Fiesta will be to your right.

Look for the reference for a map: 

Getting to the Clark Special Economic Zone by car, take the North Luzon Expressway from Manila and exit at Dau, Mabalacat. Take a left turn towards Angeles City and right turn into Clark. On entering the main gate, proceed along Roxas highway and the Balloon Fiesta will be to your right. Car trips take about an hour and a half from Manila.

Enjoy everyone and have a wonderful balloon festival! 


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