What Art Means at the Community Art Grounds
Search Mindscape and founder Ayni Nuyda transformed Burgos Park into an interactive sanctuary to redefine and deepen our collective accessibility to the arts.
Words Mariel Ann Breanna Puli
Photos courtesy of Before Deadlines
May 06, 2026
In a fast-moving world, art is often reduced to fleeting moments on screens, walls, or in the corners of our everyday lives—a halved-experience, never lingered on, and increasingly performative. We have become accustomed to chasing the outcome of creativity rather than the quiet, transformative act of just being.
The first-ever Community Art Grounds sought to bridge this gap, held from March 20 to 22, 2026, at Burgos Park in Forbestown, Taguig. Curated by Search Mindscape founder and art consultant Ayni Nuyda, the event was hatched from a simple curiosity: how do we bring a truly interactive art experience to the community?
“It started out small with just one initiative,” Nuyda recalled. “As the planning progressed, we began engaging more artists and creative collectives.”
Art Starts With a Dialogue
The event was rooted in a very specific objective: “to foster dialogue between artists, viewers, and the community.” By stripping away the walls of traditional galleries, the art grounds became a living platform where everyone is equally the same—no expert, no bystander, all collaborators. Its aim is to turn the creative process as something everyone could touch, hear, and influence in real-time.
Clay Workshop by Jose Solon Perfecto
Throughout the three-day weekend, Burgos Park functioned as an evolving stage for live demonstrations and one-one-one encounters. It was an invitation to immerse oneself in a shared urban rhythm.
Nuyda describes the vision perfectly: “Community Art Grounds is process-oriented. It was intended to present unique diverse art communities and engage a broad urban audience.”
Alitaptap Artists Community in the City
The presence of the Alitaptap Artists Community brought the visceral reality of the studio into the open air. Around 25 artists showcased their works, with many creating new pieces right before the eyes of passerby. It offered a unique look at the passion to turn a blank canvas into a story, reminding us that art is work, and work can be communal.
Alitaptap Artists Community
This initiative was designed to tell different stories. “We wanted to situate the Alitaptap Artists Community within the city in a way that goes beyond exhibition or a marketplace. What’s presented here is a glimpse of a lived environment where what’s shared is not just the work, but the conditions of making and the exchanges that shape a collective artistic life.
Olivia d’Aboville’s Floating Dandelions
High above the grass, Olivia d’Aboville’s Floating Dandelions—crafted from recycled plastic bottles—turned the park’s palm trees into a luminous constellation. This installation, presented by the Malasimbo Music & Arts Festival led by Miro Grgic and d’Aboville, mirrored the spirit of the grounds. It took the mundane materials of our daily lives and lifted them up through the power of collective imagination.
Floating Dandelions by Olivia d’Aboville
The sight of these dandelions reflected how a site can change the soul of a piece. Nuyda expounds, “It reimagines Olivia’s Dandelions—typically grounded, now suspended as if caught mid-flight. It reflects how a body of work can evolve in meaning through site and collaboration.”
Simon Te and Mic Rahman’s ‘Public Record’
For those who felt they lacked the ability to be an artist, Simon Te and Mic Rahman’s Public Record invited everyone to create art with them. This participatory woodblock project encouraged visitors to learn printing and leave their own mark on a community tapestry. This simple yet very intentional art manifested the thought that everyone has a voice worth recording in the public narrative.
Public Record by Simon Te and Mic Rahman
Nuyda envisioned an experience that was easy and engaging, proving that art belongs to the person who tries, not just the person who has mastered the craft. It turned the park into a collective journal where every ink-stained hand felt a sense of belonging.
Jose Solon Perfecto’s Clay Workshop
The sensory experience deepened with clay workshops led by Jose Solon Perfecto. Based in La Union, the studio potter shared his immense love for terroir ceramics and surftown celadon. His presence brought a touch of the earth to the concrete city, inviting audiences to be creative and enjoy the moment of getting their hands dirty while exploring the nuances of Filipino table culture and functional beauty.
Clay Workshop by Jose Solon Perfecto
Perfecto’s hands-on workshops allowed the community to shape their own decorative or useful art pieces. This tactile engagement was complemented by the sounds of open jam sessions between musicians and artists. Sets by Magna Fanta Kompyuter were accompanied by live pottery demos, with special participation from Bobby Wuds Balingit, Ryan Rebote, and Fatima Starr, creating a multisensory loop of creativity.
For Our Furry Friends
Recognizing that a community is made of more than just humans, this event featured pet portraiture and Art Toys PH cat sculptures. This thoughtful inclusion acknowledged the specific heartbeat of Forbestown, a neighborhood defined by its lively pet culture. It was a reminder that art should reflect the things we love most in our everyday lives.
Cat Sculptures by Art Toys PH
“Forbestown is home to many pet owners and animal lovers,” Nuyda observes. By weaving our "furbabies" into artistic activities, the event felt more like a family gathering. It humanized the art world by making room for the playful, the wagging tails, and the soft sculptures that spark joy in our homes.
Dissolving Distance Between Artwork and Audience
The success of the weekend was made possible by a wide net of supporters, including Perfecto Deli, Vito’s BBQ, Burnt Bean, Lazy Days Coffee Co., Monkey Eagle Brewery, and Art Caravan. These partners helped turn the park into a holistic sanctuary where food, drink, and dialogue merged. It was a testament to the fact that community is built through the small, shared moments of support.
Alitaptap Artists Community
“Events like Community Art Grounds don’t just bring art closer. They dissolve the distance between artwork and audience, turning everyday spaces into sites of encounter and exchange,” Nuyda ponders. As the event concluded, the takeaway was clear: art is not something we should only seek out in museums. It is everywhere we choose to slow down and look.
This initiative proved that when we focus on being rather than doing, the mundane becomes magnificent. Whether through a clay bowl or a recycled dandelion, we find that anything made with love and feeling means art. As Nuyda emphasizes, what unfolded was “a shared moment that holds value as a memory—families, friends, and furbabies creating together.” This is just the beginning of including art in our everyday mundane.
