Celebrate the best in Philippine contemporary art for 10 days with our partners all around the city.
Gallery Exhibitions
Viviana Riccelli
STATES OF MIND
A dialogue between the inner self and multiple realities
Viviana Riccelli explores the various states of mind where the artist and her viewers can voyage, float, dream, and eventually discover their identities. The subjects of these artworks are based on what she has seen and perceived in the mystical island of Siquijor portrayed in colors taken from flora, birds, fish, local clothing, illuminated in very bright sunlight. “I aim at creating hidden realities behind walls of colors.” She paints the geography, surrounding waters, and most importantly, tales of magic. All types of folks on the island believe in the existence of an unseen world. They wear protective amulets with spells, and are certain of malevolent and benevolent spirits, and of herbalist healers. Much of these emerge from their total dependence on the elements of nature and regular close encounters with death. The locals turn to magic as a way of trying to control the world. Riccelli suggests that art has that same purpose for humanity; thus, art and magic are the same, and Siquijor is the right place for her to be.
About Mugna Gallery + Foundation University DAFA
Mugna Art Gallery is an innovative hub that supports emerging and undiscovered artists. It provides painters, poets, filmmakers, sculptors, and other creative practitioners a space that mediates between their ideas, the community, and wider audiences. “Mugna”, the Visayan word for “create”, embodies its name by gathering intellectual resources and materials to establish sustainable, satisfying, and meaningful sensory experiences. Founded by art patrons, Vincent Lopez and George Kuhn, they developed this space as a platform to feature a broad range of inspiring art genres originating in the Philippines, with an emphasis on Negros Island and the Visayas.
The Foundation University Department of Architecture and Fine Arts disciplines the inner artist through individualized instruction. FU-DAFA understands that the arts can be a vulnerable profession, especially with the persistent stigma that ""artists starve and suffer”. Truth is that artists succeed with a support group that thrives on excellence, commitment, integrity and service. Founded by Dr. Vicente G. Sinco in 1949, the university is a non-profit, non-sectarian institution, accessible to all. The Fine Arts program was established by founding instructor Babbu Wenceslao in 2008 and is now headed by Sandra Palomar. The program supports competitive internships that nurture a student's creative potential.