THY WILL BE DONE
Thy Kingdom Come (diptych), pen and ink, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 40 in, by Iggy Rodriguez
In September 1521, in a fleet of five ships and 270 men called the Armada de Maluco, Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain to discover a westward route across the world in search of spices. It has been half a millennium since that voyage reshaped world trade and our idea of the size and shape of our world.
Since March 2021, 500 years later, there have been many activities constituting a global commemoration of this first circumnavigation, which opened up what Portugal considers “the Magellan Route,” a Portuguese feat, Magellan being Portuguese, and which Spain considers its own, even if it has all these years been credited mainly to a Portuguese explorer, not only because it was sponsored and financed by King Charles I, but more because, Magellan only made half the trip He was killed in the Philippines and it was Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano who made it back
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Anton Del Castillo believes that his art, although often rooted in personal events and people close to him, can be a way to express universal themes. For Anton, all art conveys a narrative. The stories shown in his works, however, are founded on visions. “The scenes that are depicted in my art often come from episodes that curiously show up in my dreams,” he says. “I am then urged to render them into permanence. Interestingly, these scenes mirror my own experiences and, as I eventually come to know, those of others as well.”
Like all of us, one of the major anxieties that plague Anton’s mind right now is COVID-19. Ironically, he says, the virus gave him more material for artistic expression. “As an artist who draws heavily from his own experiences and emotions, the global pandemic, with its maddening effect on our relationships and mental well-being, aggravated my worries and concerns, compelling me to create more,” he says. “But with heightened
ManilART 2020 Continued to Bring Us Arts & Culture This Year The national art fair pulled through this year with their onsite and online galleries!
Held earlier this month from December 9 to 13, the country’s national art fair pulled through with its
2020 Vision for a Future Reimagined. The theme alludes to the necessary adjustments to sustain arts and culture in our current context; this is in line with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)’s 2020 theme for Museums and Galleries Month, “Engaging Exhibitions for Emerging Generations.”
Patrons and art lovers were able to visit
ManilART both onsite and online. At the venue, contactless visit and social distancing protocols were strictly observed. Despite fewer casual visitors (no minors below 18 allowed), art enthusiasts, collectors and buyers came with a clear purpose.