CCP Board initiates dialogue on strengthening the future of Philippine contemporary art

What is the most essential building block for the future of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the visual arts?

This question set the tone for the recent Philippine Arts Roundtable organized by the country’s premier cultural institution, bringing together a diverse group of experts to examine the current landscape and explore the future directions of Philippine contemporary art.

The recent roundtable discussion brought together Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, contemporary visual artists and cultural practitioners; Isa Lorenzo, founder and co-director of Silverlens Galleries; Carlos Quijon Jr., art historian, critic, and curator currently serving as the C-MAP Fellow for Southeast and East Asia at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Clarissa Chikiamco, curator at National Gallery Singapore and a PhD candidate at King’s College London; Dindin Araneta, co-founder of Art Fair Philippines and Director of the Benilde Center for Campus Exhibitions (CCE) at De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde; Tina Colayco, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila; Sheila Ramos, business executive and art collector; and Ana Maria Ortega, business executive and arts management educator.

Together, they unpacked pressing questions and concerns on institutional support, artistic practice, and cultural direction, offering critical insights that point to emerging possibilities for the CCP’s role in shaping the visual arts ecosystem in the years ahead. 


Arts education as a foundation for the future

For the Aquilizans, education is an essential foundation for the future of Philippine visual arts. They emphasized the need for government institutions to maximize their capacity to develop and expand arts curricula, particularly at the high school level.

“We have the Philippine High School for the Arts as the educational arm of the CCP, and I believe this model should be replicated across the country, perhaps through the development of accessible educational modules and similar programs,” said Alfredo Aquilizan.

They also highlighted their experience in Australia, where they conduct art workshops in remote communities, an approach they believe could be effectively adapted in the Philippines to expand access to arts education.

“We conduct workshops in remote communities, which play an important role in expanding access to knowledge, and it raises the question of how the CCP can further extend its reach and share its resources more effectively with underserved communities,” noted Alfredo.

The Aquilizans also pointed out the importance of sustainable support systems for artists, including government-funded travel grants and mentorship programs.


Preservation and accessibility as pillars of the future

Chikiamco emphasized that CCP initiatives play a vital role in supporting the visual arts ecosystem in the Philippines. Programs such as the Thirteen Artists Award recognize and nurture emerging artistic practices, while the 21AM serves as an important venue for exhibiting and preserving the CCP’s visual arts collection.

At the same time, she underscored the importance of accessibility and conservation in the arts. She cited the works of Roberto Chabet as an example, that these should be made more accessible through institutions, like the CCP, for the public to engage with.

“I think sometimes that this legacy is in danger of being lost because this history is not really visible. I’m aware of it, and many curators who have conducted research have seen the archives of those early exhibitions at the CCP. But it can be difficult to access,” said Chikiamco, who also suggested the need for CCP to actively acquire and safeguard significant art collections.

“It is very important for CCP, and I guess Philippine institutions in general, to collect contemporary arts. A lot of this is in danger of disappearing if it’s not collected, because you need to work with the artist in developing guidelines, like what is essential to the work, for its display,” enthused Chikiamco.


Strategic promotion elevates Philippine visual arts 

For Lorenzo, CCP, being a national institution with many existing assets, must position itself as the gold standard for exhibition-making, not only in the Philippines, but across the region.

“Your collection is amazing. But how do you get people to see it? And how do you broadcast this information to the world? The CCP cannot afford to remain insular. It needs to be more outward-looking,” emphasized Lorenzo.

This outward approach should include a stronger presence on social media and the cultivation of diverse voices that can engage multiple generations. “Whether it’s through TikTok, Instagram, or other platforms, there should be a significant investment in communicating who the CCP is, what it does, and what it holds. The only way to build an audience is to bring people in,” added Lorenzo.

They also highlighted the importance of expanding the reach of CCP’s collections through nationwide exhibitions, increased publications, and visibility in international events as key strategies for advancing Philippine visual arts.

“Another priority is the CCP collection itself. Lean into your existing assets. Consider touring exhibitions across the Philippines. Another is publications. There are already publications, but perhaps there could be more. Set a goal, maybe three to five publications a year, or at least one annually, and be present in international art events. Support regional artists in global exhibitions, and build on efforts that already exist.”


Institutional support for curators advances Philippine visual arts

As a Filipino curator working with international artists and large-scale exhibitions, Quijon Jr. noted that while many curators already operate on a global level, most begin their careers in the Philippines but eventually move abroad due to limited local opportunities. For him, this underscores a key concern: the need to strengthen institutional support not only for artists, but also for curators within the Philippine visual arts sector.

“That is what is at stake for me in this conversation. We have the talent, but how do we support that talent so they can stay here? So that we are the ones who "makikinabang" from the efforts of these curators, myself included. One of the first things I thought of is ensuring that the local ecology is in place, that it works. It means local institutions function well and support one another. If that happens, we can begin to address these anxieties about participating in international and global conversations," said Quijon Jr. 

He also clarified the roles of the curator. “I’m not an artist, and I’m not a gallerist. But we, as curators, position artists for galleries. I position artists for art historians, so that we can be part of regional and international conversations around art."

Furthering the discussion

In the latter part of the discussion, discussants Dindin Araneta, Tina Colayco, Sheila Ramos, and Ana Maria Ortega provided further insights, responding to and building upon the perspectives shared by the first set of speakers.

Present during the roundtable discussion were the CCP Board of Trustees, led by Chairman Jaime C. Laya, co-chairs Ma. Carissa O. Coscolluela and Maria Margarita Moran-Floirendo, with Trustees Junie S. Del Mundo, Felix Monino S. Duque, Atty. Gizela Gonzalez, and Jonathan M. Velasco. CCP President Kaye C. Tinga; Vice President for Administration and Finance Jose Victor M. Gaite and Vice President and Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan, who served as moderator, also attended the event. 

For details on CCP programs and events, follow the CCP on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. To learn more about the Cultural Center of the Philippines and its programs, visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph