Philippine Modern and Contemporary Art Takes Centerstage Once Again

MoCAF excites with a more dynamic agenda this 2023.

Images provided by the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival
June 21, 2023

MoCAF is gearing up for an immersive second year! MoCAF or the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival continues to expand Filipino art experiences this July 28-30, 2023 at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati. With a dynamic showcase of up and coming artists to revered masters, MoCAF continues to foster an inclusive and exciting art collective. Following its successful inaugural edition in 2022, it will once more impress with its roster of curated exhibitions, art dialogues, and special executions.

Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF) Festival Director Coleen Wong.

Festival Director Coleen Wong, explains the festival’s goal of forging an inclusive art community. “We partner with both established galleries who have been running for years, as well as young galleries who are slowly making their mark in the industry. Master artists and emerging artists are given the same platform to showcase their works. Despite differences and diversities, they all have the same passion for the arts and it all leads them to raise the Philippine art scene above par.”

Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF) Festival Chairman Ricky Francisco.

This year’s festivities also center on the youth, reflecting MoCAF’s continuing commitment to transform the next generation’s appreciation of the arts. “We want to reach out to younger people because we want a future that is more into art. We’re hoping that more people will enjoy art for the variety and breadth that there is to offer”, explains Festival Chairman Ricky Francisco.

In MoCAF’s bid to cater to a younger audience and to provide new artistic and cultural experiences beyond the norm, this year will see the launch of MoCAF XP, a series of immersive pocket events every Saturday of July before the festival kicks off. The first day of July will open with the MoCAF Art Bazaar at sponsor and partner venue XCEPTION in Legazpi Village, Makati. Following this will be the MoCAF Painting Workshop at Art Caravan in BGC on July 8, 2023. Fans of printmaking should look forward to the MoCAF Printmaking Workshop at Commune in Poblacion, Makati on July 15, 2023.

Works from premier local art galleries (left to right): Hideo Tanaka, ‘Balance’ (2022), Galerie Stephanie, artwork by Reen Barrera, Vinyl on Vinyl, and artwork by Inday Cadapan, Fundacion Sansó.

Wong further adds, “This 2023, we intend to expand MoCAF by having different events outside the festival walls. We are still standing by the community but reaching out to a wider range of younger audiences. It gives an opportunity to not just empower and inspire the youth but also give a chance for the ever-growing art community to flourish.”

Francisco shares that MoCAF XP is part of an effort to bridge art closer to the audience’s lives. “​​More and more people are getting into art. And they believe that art shouldn’t be just on the walls—it should be something that’s part of life and something that everyone can enjoy. So this year, we’re starting with MoCAF XP, which is a different take,” adds Francisco.

Works from participating international art galleries (left to right): LOTTA, ‘The Moon and Socks’ (2023), Gallery Kogure, Izumi Akiyama, ‘Still Life’ (2020), Kobayashi Gallery, and Dedy Sufriadi, ‘Hope’ (2021), Artemis Art.

MoCAF will be headlined by premier local and international art galleries and institutions. Adding to the prominent local galleries, MoCAF welcomed international art galleries from Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These galleries include YOD TOKYO & Editions, Gallery Kogure, Kobayashi Gallery, Artemis Art, and Srisasanti Syndicate.

Works from MoCAF 2023’s special exhibitions (left to right): Abdulmari Imao, ‘Sarimanok Series’ (2011), Marge Organo, ‘Sto. Niño XXXII’ (n.d.), artwork by Christian Tamondong (n.d.), Distort Monster, ‘The Spaces Between Us’ (2020).

MoCAF will also present special exhibitions that will place prominent and rising figures of Philippine contemporary art in the spotlight. Artists like Katrina Cuenca, Daniel Dela Cruz, and Michael Cacnio will have exclusively made pieces for the festival. A printmaking exhibition will surely excite visitors after the well-received booth last year. Distort Monsters, Doktor Karayom, Zuh Dai, Christian Tamondong, and Angelica So will also bring punk and sweetness through a group show. Completing the lineup are shows entitled Glass House that will focus on glass sculptures and a highlight on the masters of Philippine art.

Works from MoCAF Discoveries (left to right): Carla Gamalinda, ‘Tideland’ (2023), Sam Bumanlag, ‘Tenderness in the fire tree’ (2023), Wendel Candawan, ‘Real Boy Puppe’ (2023), and Gelofiiish, and ‘Distant (for my own purpose’ (2023).

MoCAF Discoveries, a special exhibition dedicated to the country’s most promising creatives, will also return with 24 brand-new artists and 16 returning from last year’s roster.

The lecture series MoCAF Dialogues will engage speakers from different sectors of the art community, inspiring discourses about pressing issues in the art scene. This year’s talks will delve into topics of Art and Community, Forgery and Certificates of Authenticity, Contemporary Art Trends, Economic Outlook and Art as Investment among others.

This dynamic roster of activities is part of the festival’s long-standing goal of empowering the art community. “We wanted to offer something that would be appealing to most collectors here in Manila, which is both modern and contemporary art. We wanted a one-stop shop in a small venue for collectors to be able to see some of the best art there is in a very convenient location and in a short span of time,” shares Francisco.

By strengthening the identity of modern and contemporary art in the country, MoCAF remains true to its vision of positioning the Philippines as a global artistic and cultural center that will be recognized all throughout Southeast Asia.

MoCAF is sponsored by Aurelia Residences, Vibal Group, Inc., and Xception.

MoCAF will run from July 28-30, 2023 at The Grand Ballroom, Fairmont Makati. Tickets are now available for purchase at www.mocaf.net. Follow MoCAF’s Instagram @mocafmanila and Facebook www.facebook.com/mocaf.net for regular updates about the festival.