Tina Colayco, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and Mr. Deng Jun, Country Head of Bank of China Manila.
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila (MET), the Chinese Culture and Art Association, China Daily Mail, and Bank of China have launched an international arts and cultural exchange program between China and the Philippines.
The project brings together five Filipino artists and five Chinese artists to participate in a brief residency in historically and culturally significant locations that will “juxtapose similarities and nuances of people, place, and nature.”
It will culminate in two group exhibitions in both countries with corresponding public programs.
The artists were chosen for the caliber of their work, the strength of their practice, and potential synergy with their counterparts.
“They are some of the most distinguished in their respective countries, and are able to convey complex non-art concepts through their artistic lenses,” Bank of China said in a statement.
The participating artists from the Philippines are Manuel Baldemor, Rico Lascano, Phyllis Zaballero, Norberto Carating, and Jonahmar Salvosa.
Their Chinese counterparts are Kuku Chai Bukuk, Cai Zhixin, Ding Jie, Hao Ping, and Liu She.
First, the participants will undergo a brief residency in Palawan before returning to Manila to exhibit their work at the MET. This initial leg will be punctuated with a collaborative/interactive painting activity that will be held during the exhibit’s opening day.
After the art exhibition in the Philippines, a counterpart art exhibition will be held in China. It will then be the Filipino artists’ turn to visit China for a similar residency and collaborative painting activity.
Since 2002, Bank of China Manila has been working towards boosting bilateral cooperation in the economic, financial, and trade fields between China and the Philippines. From efforts like the SME Cross-Border Trade and Investment conference, where Filipino businesses were matched with Chinese investors, to the facilitation of two panda bond issues, the bank has been steadfast in pursuing its mission of bridging the Philippine and Chinese markets.
That mission goes beyond business, as Bank of China Manila extends its efforts to bridging people, the bank said.
“Our two countries have been friends for a long time. We share many similarities, but we also share many differences. Through this exchange of cultures, we hope to enhance the understanding between the peoples of Philippines and China,” said Deng Jun, country head of Bank of China Manila. (PressONE.ph)