MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Ateneo Art Gallery (AAG) presents the shortlisted artists and writers for the 2023 Ateneo Art Awards (AAA) Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art and Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism, announced last August 23, Wednesday at the Grand Atrium, Shangri-La Plaza. Guests may visit the exhibition until August 30, 2023, and see a selection of artworks from the shortlisted exhibitions and excerpts from the shortlisted essays. Visitors may also vote for their favorite exhibition through the People’s Choice poll. The exhibition will then move to the third-floor galleries at Ateneo Art Gallery, on view from September 11 to December 02.
Ateneo Art Awards 2023 – Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 2023 Purita Kalaw-Ledesma (PKL) Prizes in Art Criticism centers around the theme of “Risks.” Essays are framed as critiques about artists, artworks, exhibitions, projects, or art events that reflect on “Risks,” construed broadly. “Risks” call to mind danger or peril. On the other hand, it also alludes to possibilities.
From the submitted entries, five (5) writers were shortlisted for the English category and three (3) for the Filipino category. Two winners will be selected from the English category: one for the PKL Prize for The Philippine Star, and another for the PKL Prize for ArtAsiaPacific Magazine. One winner will also be selected from the Filipino category and will be awarded the PKL Prize for Katipunan Journal. Each of the winners will be given the opportunity by our publication partners to have their written works published.
In addition to this, one of the winners will be invited for a month-long writer’s residency by Orange Project, a creative hub in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The residency will give the winning writer an opportunity to immerse with local art communities in the region.
This year’s shortlisted writers for the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism, in alphabetical order, are:
English Category
- Allyn Canja – Green Papaya Art Projects: Growing Where They Are Planted
- Sean Carballo – Object Impermanence
- Sam Del Castillo – The Artist as Artificer: Santiago Bose’s Self-Made Worlds
- Jasmin Pandi – Mebuyan’s Colony: The Monstrous and Feminine Cycle of Hope
- Madeleine O. Teh – Yeo Kaa Gives Us Strength at Art Fair Philippines 2023 – And Online
Filipino Category
- Noji Bajet – Ang Pagong sa Kalye Pergolese
- Jonathan Vergara Geronimo – Pagtatagpo at Pakikipagtunggali sa Bingit: Samo’t Saring Engkuwentro sa “Bulto Series 2022” ng Prints Para sa Bayan
- Mark Raywin Tome – Ang Paghuhulma ng Takot
All shortlisted entries are available for browsing at the Vital Points microsite at pkl.ateneoartgallery.com.
Ateneo Art Awards 2023 – Fernando Zobel Prizes for Visual Art
To further promote contemporary art practice and enrich the Philippine cultural landscape, the Ateneo Art Gallery and its partners continue to give recognition and opportunities to Filipino visual artists below the age of 36 through the Ateneo Art Awards – Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art. This year, we commemorate 20 years of celebrating outstanding works and exhibitions by young, Filipino contemporary visual artists. Furthermore, the Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art is now a biennial program covering two exhibition cycles between May 2021-2022, and May 2022-2023.
In alphabetical order, the twelve (12) shortlisted artists for the 2023 Ateneo Art Awards – Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art are:
- Jan Balquin – the difference of what is & what is not (West Gallery)
- Mars Bugaoan – Touch, Move (Pintô Art Museum)
- Rocky Cajigan – Place of Origin (The Drawing Room)
- Cian Dayrit – The Austere Enclave (MONO8 Gallery)
- Doktor Karayom – Sariling Sulok (Art Fair Philippines 2022)
- Veronica Lazo – William F***ing Morris (MONO8 Gallery)
- Celine Lee – The Brightest Part (MO_Space)
- Veronica Peralejo – Collecting Fragments (MO_Space)
- Luis Antonio Santos – Threshold (Silverlens Gallery)
- Artistic Duo Joey Alexis Singh & Jim Jasper Lumbera – The Black Dog Which Causes Cholera and the Two Memorials of Plague (Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, Singapore)
- Tekla Tamoria – Kiliti ng Taong Nakaupo sa Tabi (Underground Gallery)
- Vien Valencia – your age, my age, & the age of the river (Sampaguita Projects)
Out of the shortlist of twelve (12) artists, three (3) will be awarded and will be eligible for local residency grants funded by the Ateneo Art Gallery, in partnership with artist communities in Baguio, Quezon, Zambales, and Negros Occidental. The selection of residency grant recipients will be made by the host institutions. One shortlisted artist will also be selected as the recipient of the Embassy of Italy Purchase Prize.
The Awarding Ceremony will take place on 24 September 2023, at the Ateneo Art Gallery, Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.
The Ateneo Art Awards 2023 is co-presented by Ateneo Art Gallery, Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation Inc., and The Philippine Star; in partnership with ArtAsiaPacific, Katipunan Journal, and the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines; venue partner Shangri-La Plaza; writer’s residency partner Orange Project, Bacolod; visual art residency partners ABungalow, CASA San Miguel, No Space, Project Space Pilipinas, La Trobe University, OCAD University, Liverpool Hope University, and Artesan Gallery + Studio.
