Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – When the stars align in your favor, everything seems to go well, but what happens when the stars don’t? Even when we refuse to believe that we are being superstitious, human nature compels us to believe in our own fate. Some people may find reading horoscopes ridiculous, but for some, following the stars is part of their way of life. For those who believe in horoscope, studies claim that reading your horoscope is more than just a harmless past time. According to a published article on Journal of Consumer Research, people who read their horoscope daily were found to be more likely to display impetuous or indulgent behavior when their zodiac is not on their favor. It is because believers are persuaded by what the horoscope tells, so they are more susceptible to temptations, while people who don’t believe their stars carry on as normal. On the other hand, scientists at the University of South Carolina and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland revealed that an unfavorable fateful prediction subsequently increases the likelihood of choosing indulgent over virtuous options only for consumers who believed their fate is malleable. This is after they gave each participant a negative star sign reading and then asked to decide whether they were going to clean their house or go to a party. People who had said they believed in horoscopes were more likely to choose the party, while others chose the “virtuous” option of cleaning up. There are people who believe in Read More …

MANILA, Philippines –  In the Philippines, no other abstract painter is as renowned as Alfredo Liongoren in perfecting figurative and other art forms. He also makes fearless excursions beyond art at the risk of silencing his canvases and compromising the visual genius he is known for. This way, he does not lose art and life, he says, adding he does not mind being life-sensitive and art-challenged at the same time.  In a one-month exhibit titled “Balesin in My Mind” currently on view until June 15 at the showroom of Alphaland Makati Place on Ayala Avenue Extension, Liongoren showed two different styles: figuration and semi-abstraction. His three watercolors depict children at work, in figurative forms, a part of his “Koronang Tinik” (Crown of Thorn) series done in 2010. “Batang Pacquiao” shows a young boxer’s outstretched paw and a child’s frail image on a jar. “The series is an ode to children. Their values are affected by our moral standpoint in life. They become what we are in life,” lectures Liongoren. Liongoren’s  “Koronang Tinik“ series has an old nest. After an alliance with social realist painters who emerged in the ’70s, he focused on the oppression of the poor and learned to depict class struggle in figuration. Also in the Alphaland exhibit are Liongoren’s seven semi-abstract art works in acrylic, meant to depict scratches on earth, extractions from nature, and lessons learned about defiled environment. Only two in the collection have pastel colors but they ache for summer and springtime, making them symbolic of Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Guy Custodio illustrates the 14 Stations of the Cross in  “Cenaculo,” which is on view until May 15 at Arte Luna Gallery in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. The show, organized and presented by Pinto Art Museum, is the first of three curated exhibits for the new art space located in the vicinity of the world-renowned Paoay Church. For inquiries, call 697-1015 or email pintoartmuseum@yahoo.com. * * * ‘New Olds’ at Yuchengco Museum Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IFA), together with German curator Volker Albus, presents “New Olds: Design Between Tradition and Innovation,” which opens on May 9 at the Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Ayala corner Sen. Gil Puyat Aves., Makati City. The show runs until June 6. The show features 60 objects that explore the relationship between tradition and innovation in contemporary design. For the Philippine leg of “New Olds,” curator Albus will especially feature chairs designed by Gabriel Barredo and Dem Bitantes. To complement the “New Olds” traveling exhibit, the Yuchengco Museum presents “Design Insights Philippines,” a showcase of works by local designers — Olivia d’Aboville, Anton del Castillo, Daniel Latorre Cruz and Wataru Sakuma — that experiment with material, pattern, construction and functionality. A curator’s talk with Albus is also slated on May 9 at 4 p.m. For inquiries, call 889-1234 or visit www.yuchengcomuseum.org. * * * Ben Cruz and Joselito Jadayan at Kaida Contemporary Ben Cruz and Joselito Jadayan depict the ladies across South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Read More …