The Visual and Performing Arts Division of the UPLB Department of Humanities held its GE Conversation on Philippine arts and culture on May 15, 2023 at MPH1, CAS Annex 2. Entitled Artistic Exchanges in the Digital Third Space, the event wasstructured as a “hybrid conversation” that presenters and attendees could participate in either through Zoom or in-person. Giving their talk in person were esteemed artists Manny Garibay and Gerry Leonardo, while rising artists Ayko Go and Oddin Sena presented via Zoom.

All the presenters reflected on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected artmaking in the The Philippines. While Garibay focused on the bigger theme of “theology and power in art” and made connections between the appearance of pandemics and art’s evolution, Leonardo, Go,and Sena took an intimate look at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their own art practices.

A virtual exhibition tied up with the event was launched at the end of the GE conversation. A QR code for the exhibit was flashed on-screen, so attendees could immediately visit. Aside from works by the four presenters, the show also featured works by established artists Maysa Arabit, Glenn Cagandahan, Marc Cosico, Ian “RavenFox13” de Jesus, Kulay Labitigan, and Juanito
Torres.

Through Artistic Exchanges in the Digital Third Space, the Visual and Performing Arts Division hopes to add to the conversation on the relationship between art and the digital world and how real-world events such as global pandemics can influence the dynamics of this relationship. What will this relationship look like post-COVID? Only time will tell.

The virtual exhibition runs until June 30, 2023. You can visit it by clicking the following link:
http://bitly.ws/Ey4H