Last weekend was something different for me. First, I woke up very early to join a small group of bloggers who were invited for a tour to view the "After the Fact" exhibit at Lopez Museum. I am very much into anything that has to do with Arts and Culture so I was excited about all the artworks I would see. The Lopez Museum and Library is now located at the ground floor of the Benpress Building right at the heart of Ortigas in Pasig City.
After the Fact is a collection of different aspects of the Filipino culture that transpired in the past which had a significant effect in the present and ultimately has in a way also shaped the future. The Filipiniana collection is comprised of paintings and studies from famous Filipino painters like Ben Cabrera, Juan Luna and Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo. There were also sculptures from Claro Ramirez and of J Elizalde Navarro. There's also a delightful collection of rare books, manuscripts and letters housed in the library.
The tour was separated into galleries, with each artifact and artpiece telling its own piece of heritage and a significant part of our culture. Here are the ones that I particularly like:
LO2 Squares by Ann Pamintuan
This is probably the first artpiece you'll see upon entering the museum. I loved the simplicity and the artistic way that she was able to twist and weld the metal strips into these interesting patterns.
El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante y su Hijo by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo
close up detail of the governor being assassinated
This was a only a painting study done by the painter before he paints the final artwork but still its counterpart in history was gruesome as well as unforgettable.
Centennial Flag by J Elizalde Navarro
a close up of the text
Espana y Filipinas by Juan Luna
This is probably the most beautiful painting housed in the gallery, it is framed very nicely fronting a hallway. This painting was an allegory of Spain and the Philippines depicted by two women.
This is the library housing some very rare books and a cluster of paintings also done by the masters. A central case contains original letters from Rizal for his family and some very very old books.
I enjoyed looking at some old maps in the map gallery with some dating back for quite a few decades.
A Flying Machine for Icarus by J Elizalde Navarro
The After the Fact exhibit is now duly open to the public and if you want a look into our past and get a heaping serving of how rich our Filipino culture and history is, I strongly encourage you to visit this exhibit and see the pieces of history for yourself. A compilation of the backgrounds and historical entries for each artpiece is further discussed in detail in the book Unfolding: Half a Century of the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library. This can be bought inside the museum providing accurate information as well as a great companion for the exhibit.
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