ILOMOCA’s Year-end Exhibit spotlights Women Printmakers

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Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) has officially unveiled its final exhibit for this year titled “Proven and Printed: ILOMOCA Print Festival 2023” on October 7, in conjunction with the celebration of the National Museums and Galleries Month.

The exhibit showcases the intricate art of printmaking and highlights the invaluable contribution of women to this artistic field.

During a press conference on Friday, October 6, ILOMOCA museum director Maricel Montero emphasized the vital role that women play in cultivating the art of printmaking. “Through Proven and Printed, we want to educate the public about this special art form (printmaking) while highlighting and magnifying the role of women in printmaking,” she stated.

“Print has always been around. It’s everywhere, but we seldom give them importance; the same thing with women. For so many centuries, women have proven themselves in so many endeavors, and sometimes we don’t give that a focus. But this time around, for National Museums and Galleries month, ILOMOCA would like to put printmaking and women in the center. This is the time to celebrate women and printmaking.” Montero further added.

Marika Constantino, one of the exhibit curators, explained, “Proven and Printed serves as the overarching theme for all the three exhibitions. ‘Proven’ takes into account how women printmakers prove themselves not just in printmaking but in life, in general, while ‘Printed’ is given.”

Meanwhile, Angela Silva, curator of “Print and Exchange,” articulated the beauty and intricacies of different printmaking techniques. She described the process, beginning with a matrix to render an image, which is then transferred onto various surfaces. Printmaking encompasses a wide array of techniques, each with unique characteristics and challenges.

All three exhibitions, with the first two having all-female artists, have a distinct focus and are curated and organized by women, underlining women’s role in the world of printmaking.

The first exhibition, “CCP@ILOMOCA: Potential, Potency, and Women Printmakers,” will run until March 2024 at the second-floor galleries. Curated and organized by Con Cabrera from the Cultural Center for the Philipilippine (CCP) Visual Arts and Museum Division, it features a selection of prints from the CCP’s 21st Century Art Museum (21AM) collection by female artists, whose main highlight will be the works of Visayan artist Ileana Lee, who hails from Sarabia, Negros Occidental.

The second exhibition, “Bakas/Filipina Imprints,” at the Hulot Gallery, curated by Constantino and Georgina Luisa Jocson will be on display until January 2024. It features intergenerational works by 12 Filipina printmakers.

The third, “Print Exchange+@ILOMOCA,” organized by Silva, will run until December this year at the Ground Floor Lobby.

The festival is a significant step towards making printmaking more accessible to the public also marks the first time that CCP is collaborating with ILOMOCA, offering the people of Iloilo a unique opportunity to engage with the art and culture showcased by both institutions.

In his message, CCP artistic director Dennis Marasigan said that he is particularly proud of the exhibits’ focus on women printmakers as he also chairs the CCP Gender and Development Committee. He also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to collaborate with ILOMOCA.

“I hope this exhibit marks just the first of many collaborations between ILOMOCA and CCP,” he said.

ILOMOCA, the first museum in Visayas and Mindanao dedicated to modern and contemporary art, invites art enthusiasts and curious minds to partake in this unique cultural experience. The museum, located within Casa de Emperador at Festive Walk Parade in Iloilo Business Park, is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with regular and discounted tickets available.

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