BPI supports artists and art lovers anew in Art Fair Philippines 2023.

BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), a staunch advocate of Philippine Arts, supports visual artists through partnerships and art lovers through the provision of greater access to artworks in art events such as Art Fair Philippines, which is coming back face-to-face from a three-year hiatus.

“As we appreciate the value of artists and their works, we also see the significance of collecting and keeping great artworks, which is why we at BPI continue to provide our support as well to art lovers who, time and time again, visit Art Fair Philippines and acquire valuable artworks,” said Jenelyn Z. Lacerna, the Group Head of BPI Unsecured Lending and Cards, Product and Sales.

Art Fair Philippines 2023, which is happening on February 17-19 at The Link in Ayala Center in Makati City, will feature over 60 exhibitors from the Philippines and overseas as the art exhibition celebrates its 10th year. It is co-presented by BPI and Ayala Land, among other corporate supporters.

To promote art appreciation and further boost the local art scene, BPI offers complimentary access to cardholders of BPI Visa Signature, Platinum Rewards Mastercard, Amore Platinum Cashback, and Gold Mastercard.

“At BPI, we consider keepers of valuable art works as art investors, as the works they acquire become part of their investment portfolio,” Lacerna said.

BPI has been the caretaker of more than 1,000 artworks by many prominent Filipino artists, such as Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, and Ben Cabrera. Most of these art pieces are the country’s finest expressions of Philippine culture and are reflective of BPI’s inherent values.

“The kind of support BPI gives to art lovers provides them greater access to exclusive events such as Art Fair Philippines, which continues to showcase the country’s vibrant local art scene and helps Filipino visual artists generate support and reach a wider audience,” Lacerna added.

BPI affirms its commitment to recognize and nurture the country’s artistry and talent through its participation in events like this.

One of the many galleries featured in the art fair is Art Cube, which provides a platform for talented young artists to showcase their works before an extensive roster of art collections. The gallery, which will be located on the 5th Level, Booth No. 5, will feature the works of father-and-son Renato and Guerrero Habulan, showing a glimpse of ordinary people: iconic images of the masses, their dignity amid hardship, and as an inspiration. Renato, a post-war and contemporary painter, is one of the most influential and award-winning watercolor artists in the country. Guererro, a recipient of the Thirteen Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, combines different figurative styles and approaches—from hyperrealism to pop surrealism to the “ready-made” images of silk screen printing.

Also featured in this year’s edition of the art fair includes Celine Lee, who has been recognized for her work, including the Juror’s Choice Award of Merit at the Philippine Art Awards in 2020. She has a diverse portfolio that includes paintings, sculptures, embroidery pieces, and multimedia works that show her innovative use of different materials and media.

Art lovers can also check out the works of Winna Go, a finalist in multiple competitions in 2018, such as the LRT Art Competition, Shell National Student Art Competition, Metrobank Art and Design Excellence Competition, and Regional Winner for Philippine Art Awards. In most of her works, she gathers inspiration from the history of the Chinese diaspora, the richness of the Chinese and Filipino culture, her identity and positionality in society, and the beauty of nature.

“We invite the art enthusiasts out there to come and join us at the Art Fair Philippines and discover the country’s artistry and talent. Check out the many participating galleries that showcase Filipino artistry at its best,” Lacerna added.

For more information, please visit the Art Fair Philippines website and follow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram (@artfairph) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/artfairph).

Van Gogh Alive - The Experience.

Back in 2016, on our second winter in Korea, Yue and I had the chance to visit the Van Gogh Cafe at Lotte World Mall in Seoul. It's the world's first official cafe affiliated with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the closest we've ever been to Van Gogh's works. The cafe showcases replica of Van Gogh's masterpieces, around 700 of them, as well as various relics such as Van Gogh's tobacco pipe and letters to his brother, Theo. Yue developed an interest for Vincent van Gogh and his artwork during our brief stay at the cafe, especially with Van Gogh's self-portraits.

Fast forward to October 2019, when news broke out that Van Gogh Alive is coming to Manila. As soon as we heard the news and saw teaser videos of Van Gogh Alive, we made plans to see the show during the semestral break. I booked tickets as soon as they were available online, and luckily, I was able to secure slots on October 29 for my mom squad and I, and our kids.

We went to see Van Gogh Alive!

Squad goals! :)

Van Gogh Alive is a one-of-a-kind exhibition. It's a multi-sensory experience which gives viewers the unique opportunity to experience Van Gogh's artistry through sight and sound.

He was literally the first in line and the first to enter the 12:30 pm exhibition that day. 

Selfie while waiting for the door to open. :)

More of Van Gogh's masterpieces after the jump!

Seoul Searching | BrickLive Centre in Starfield COEX Mall!

After our memorable star-spotting experience at the Red Carpet Ceremony of the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards, Yue and I headed to the Central Plaza of COEX Mall for a bit of window shopping. As we made our way to the adjacent Live Plaza where most of the shoe brands are located, we came across a new establishment that made Yue's heart skip a beat.

BrickLive at Starfield, COEX Mall!

It's the BrickLive Centre, an interactive experiential space for Lego fans. Not to be confused with the BTS-inspired cafe in Thailand, BrickLive was initially launched as an exhibition at the Korea International Exhibit Center (KINTEX) in Ilsan. The month-long event was well-received by the Lego-loving fans in South Korea, which led to the opening of a permanent space in Starfield COEX Mall. 

Someone can't contain his excitement!

The BrickLive Centre opened its doors to the public in early March and features five zones - the Play Zone where kids (and even kids-at-heart) can play to their hearts' content;

Ca't rub the smile off his face, haha!

Find Yue! :)

Busy day at the Play Zone!

the Education Zone, which offers art and cooking classes for a fee as part of the BrickLive Curriculum; 

Class in session.

the Gallery, where you can marvel at awesome Lego structures;

Some of the displays can be touched. :)

Photo ops are most welcome.

It's been awhile, Gandalf!

Mario and Luigi and the rest of the crew.

Totoro!

the Merchandise Zone, where you can purchase Lego sets and official BrickLive merchandise; 

Lego Minifigures on display.

One of mt favorite Korean movies of all time.

and the Cafe, which serves cute and colorful Lego-themed desserts and pastries.

Lego Minifigure cookies.

Macarons. 

Cupcakes.

Mini cakes.

Chocolates. 

And more cupcakes!

The Cafe has a nice and cozy ambiance - perfect for parents to sit back and relax while their kids are in class at the adjacent Education Zone, or have a cup of coffee as their kids play with the racetrack and brick pits at the nearby Play Zone. 

Adults chillin' at the BrickLive Cafe.

I sat on one corner with this macaron as Yue joined the other kids at the architecture building table. I let him play for an hour or so, and he had a blast building with bricks of all shapes and sizes. We could have stayed longer, if only I did not have dinner duties (ergo, shopping for ingredients + cooking dinner) that night.

Brickhead? :)

We'll definitely visit this place again on our next Seoul Searching trip. Hopefully, the Minecraft build zone will be open by then. I reckon Yue can spend an entire day at BrickLive Centre and never get tired of it! :)

BrickLive Centre

Live Plaza
Starfield COEX Mall

Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Apgujeong-ro

+82 2-551-1760

Seoul Searching | Teseum Teddy Bear Theme Park.

One of my favorite Korean dramas of all time is Princess Hours, which first aired in 2006 and starred my favorite Korean actress, Yoon Eun Hye. I loved the drama so much that I've even dreamed of flying to Jeju Island so that I can visit the teddy bear museum which was featured in the drama. However, a trip to the island is not possible at this time - budget-wise and schedule-wise.

But as luck would have it, I need not fly all the way to Jeju just to see the teddy bears. Apparently, there's a teddy bear museum here in Seoul, and it's just a few subway stations away from where we live! I was over the moon, all the more after receiving an invitation from the museum to come and visit!

Sleuth = group of bears.

And so yesterday, Yue and I went to nearby Jongno to visit the Teseum Teddy Bear Theme Park. Located near Exit 6 of Dongmyo Station, this sleuth (aka group of bears) is the first thing you'll see when you emerge from the subway station.

Off to the bear cave!

This cave-like structure is the entrance to the museum, and as you descend the stairs you'll be greeted by rows upon rows of cute and colorful bear statues.

To the bear cave, we go!

More of Teseum after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Under Stand Avenue.

With the ever-growing popularity of Korean dramas, filming locations in South Korea have become must-go destinations among tourists - whether they're hardcore Kdrama fans or not. I fall under the first category, and have been to several Kdrama filming locations during my previous trips to the Land of the Morning Calm.

Now let me tell you about this area in Seongdong-gu, our neighborhood, which is slowly becoming a Hallyu hotspot. I'm talking about Under Stand Avenue, which I have mentioned in passing in one of my previous posts.

Under Stand Avenue.

More of Under Stand Avenue after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Revisiting Hongdae: Trick Eye Museum + Cafe de One Piece.

Remember our trip to Hongdae last year and how this fun and funky neighborhood immediately and absolutely swept me off my feet? I was so enamored by this place that I made a resolve to bring my husband here the next time we visit Seoul. That plan finally pushed through last winter when we revisited Hongdae on New Year's Day. Our main agenda was to visit the Trick Eye Museum, as per Yue's request.

A 3D interactive gallery, the Trick Eye Museum first opened its doors in Hongdae in 2010. The museum features paintings that make use of the 'trompe l'oeil' (trick of the eye) technique, which gives 2-dimensional paintings the illusion of being in 3D.

Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae.

Everything in this museum is touchable, and guests can freely interact with the artworks and take photos to their hearts' content. Most of the paintings have sample pictures on how you should pose so that you can achieve the 3D illusion, and there are arrows and markers on where you should stand, sit, or lie down so that you can get the best shot.

Here are some of my favorite photos. As you can see, the boys had a blast posing with the paintings and Yue really enjoyed hamming it up for the camera. :)

Yue is trapped!

Hi ho Silver, away!

Surfing with winter coats on, haha!

More photos after the jump!

Seoul Searching | DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art.

I'm a self-confessed museum geek. I love visiting museums and going to exhibitions; most of all, I love how intellectually stimulating and emotionally enriching a trip to the museum can be. That being said, South Korea has a proliferation of museums, which is actually one of the many reasons why I love this country. In the capital alone, there are about a hundred or so museums - in compliance to the Seoul city government's policy to have museums all over the city.

I make it a point to drop by a museum or two whenever I travel abroad (not that I go abroad very often), and last spring I had the chance to visit another well-known museum in South Korea - the Seoul Museum of Art.

Seoul Museum of Art.

Situated in the heart of South Korea's capital, the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) first opened in 1988 and has since become one of Korea's leading art venues. With its classic Renaissance-style facade combined with modern architecture, SeMA is also hailed as one of the most beautiful museum architectures in the country.

Seoul Museum of Art.

A popular attraction among locals and tourists alike, the Seoul Museum of Art has ultra-modern, well-lit galleries that showcase the works of Korea's seasoned and budding artists. Aside from being an avenue for emerging local artists, SeMA also brings the global art scene within reach of the Korean audience by hosting internationally renowned exhibitions twice a year.

Promotional poster, Dreamworks Animation: The Exhibition.

Just recently, SeMA hosted DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition, the world's largest animation exhibition to date. The exhibition ran from April 30 until August 15, and Yue and I were lucky to be in Seoul during that time. It's not everyday that we get to see an exhibition as huge as this, and we definitely did not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass us by.

Scenes from Dreamworks Animation: The Exhibition after the jump!