Photographic Memories

Photographic Memories
Wig Tysmans
27 April to 26 May 2013
Print Gallery, BenCab Museum
Km 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Bnguet

Veteran photographer Wig Tysmans showcases some 30 images taken more or less 30 years ago in "Photographic Memories" at the BenCab Museum. The retrospective exhibit includes black and white photos of iconic structures such as Bantay Church and Baguio Cathedral.

For more information, call (074) 4427165 or email bencabartfoundation@gmail.com.

Visit: BenCab Museum Website

The Last Pine Tree

The Last Pine Tree 
Kat Palasi April
25 – May 20, 2013 
3rd Floor Galleries 
UP Vargas Museum 
Opening Reception: 4PM, April 25

By using photography to highlight issues that are close to her heart, Kat Palasi’s The Last Pine Tree portrays the face of industry through a story of dispossession. In Palasi’s words, the people of Benguet province have become “disenfranchised by the many ‘development’ projects that have been imposed on them for many decades”.

Compared with the other provinces in the Cordilleras, Benguet has the most degraded land and the least amount of forest cover, both on account of a long history of mining. As a child in Itogon (a municipality of Benguet), Palasi recalls playing with the colored stones in a grey river, not realizing that the water had turned grey because of the mines in the mountains.

The Last Pine Tree is the result of Palasi’s many other realizations about heritage and preservation in the midst of massive development. In this series, she shows how land, language, and customs become “special pockets of resistance” through which an indigenous culture struggles to stay alive, even as it is pushed towards the margins. Through her work as a photographer and outdoor enthusiast, Palasi attempts to reinforce these narratives surrounding Benguet cultures that are slowly being eroded—as is the case with the patrimony of many indigenous peoples everywhere. This project is sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development.

Visit: Kat Palasi Website

Ulrike Ottinger - Photo Exhibition

Ulrike Ottinger - Photo Exhibition
11 April to 10 May 2013
Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza
cor. Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues, Makati City
 +632 8405723 to 24
program@manila.goethe.org

The exhibition is featuring the exemplary works of Ulrike Ottinger, one of the most self-willed German filmmakers of international stature that has transcended the edge of diverse art disciplines – from being a photographer to a film-maker. Ottinger’s photographic works vary from surreal theatrical scenes to ethnological depiction, her creative phases reflecting the clash between documentary and staged photography that best characterizes her work. The exhibition is accompanied by her latest film “Under Snow” (2011) set in Echigo, Japan, which portrays a snow-covered world in remarkable contrast to the Philippines’s lush tropical scenery

Ulrike Ottinger does not pretend to deliver a neutral image. Her subjective view and the focus of her camera are distinct in these photographs. The juxtaposition of fright and beauty, lust for life and mental abyss are present in all of the works.
While her large-format photographs often correspond to her film works, they still have their very own visual accents, focusing on China and Mongolia, places which Ottinger visited frequently. In the center of her images are the outlandish, the offbeat and the grotesque. The construction of images is often arranged very precisely yet maintaining the power to trigger fear and joy at the same time.

Organized by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with the “Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen” this exhibition has been on tour around the world since 2012 as a part of the exhibition series “film.kunst”. The exhibition has been featured in Mexico, Belgrade, Ankara, Istanbul, Helsinki, Brussels, Madrid, Tel Aviv, and Vietnam amongst others.

Her films as well as her photographic works have been shown in numerous retrospectives and exhibitions, including at the Venice Biennale (1980), the Cinémathèque française, Paris (1980, 1982), the Museum of Modern Art, New York (2000, 2004) and at the Kunst-Werke Berlin (2001).

Yuchengco Museum is located at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues in Makati. Museum hours are from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (632) 889-1234 or visit www.yuchengcomuseum.org.

Obscura Festival

OBSCURA Photo Festival 
June 21 to 30 2013.
Georgetown Penang, Malaysia

OBSCURA Festival is an international photography festival that features Asian stories through Asian photographers. It aims to showcase the best of Asian photography to the world, and also bring the finest photographic works from around the globe to the Asian audience.

OBSCURA Festival is a unique platform for exchange, education and networking. These goals are achieved through an exciting programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks, screenings and portfolio reviews.

The first of its kind in Malaysia, OBSCURA Festival will bring focus to landmark works of some of the most promising Asian photographers. At the same time,  it aspires to champion a healthy discourse, using photographs to emphasize the preservation of culture and heritage.

Our long term aim is to exist beyond the festival; to nurture and support Asian photography and the continued telling of Asian stories through them.

Follow OBSCURA Photo Festival via their website, Facebook Page & Twitter.

RJ Fernandez' Moving Mountains

The Moving Mountains project came about from personal research on the mining situation in the Philippines. I wanted to do something in the Cordilleras, specifically in and around Baguio as I've always had an affinity with the place. Most of the areas I photographed in were around 40 minutes from the city centre. Baguio to me is a bit like the wild wild west: cowboys and indians, mining, gold panning, undercurrents of American influence whilst at the same time retaining a tribal identity. It's a fascinating place.

The photos were shot both on a 5x4 and 120 format. I have always shot on film so there was no question about how I would do it- it was mainly an issue of how I was going to take the film back. I had to process in Baguio and Manila because airport x-rays. If in London, I would process myself. I shot in black and whites as well and processed myself or with the help of Tommy Hafalla in Baguio. I was assisted by my good friend Ruel Bimuyag. He helped me immensely and I was able to navigate the language barrier as he explained what I wanted to do quite well. 

In London, I work with an amazing printer called Brian Dowling. We mainly work together on other photographers images at a place called BDI- I work as a retoucher and colour grader. Moving Mountains was printed by him. He has an amazing feel for images, and he responds to them in such a way that no other person in the world does. He has years of experience printing for the best photographers in the world, a wealth of knowledge and an all around nice guy. Having an amazing printer is priceless. - RJ Fermamdez

RJ Fernandez' Moving Mountains was included in the Format 13 Exposure 2013.

Please see RJ Fernandez' Moving Mountains series via her website.

Pablo Typhoon Victims Needs Your Help!

Photo: John Javellana

Desperate survivors of a typhoon that killed more than 600 people and affected at least 5.4 million in the southern Philippines needs help! Typhoon "Pablo" (international name: Bopha) is said to be the strongest to hit the region for more than 80 years, had left its many poor residents without the means to feed their families.

According to reports, a total of 780 people are still missing, including about 150 fishermen from General Santos while 647 corpses had been recovered and more than 400 corpses have been turned over to surviving relatives.

View more Typhoon Pablo aftermath photos.

Donate to Pablo Typhoon victims Now!

The End of the Pose

The End of the Pose
Rise and Demise of Philippine Studio Photography

A Visual Lecture by John Silva
10AM, Nov. 23 2012
Filipina Heritage Library

FCCT/OnAsia Photo Contest 2012

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) and OnAsia are currently inviting entries for their 6th Annual Asian Photojournalism Contest.

This contest aims to promote excellence in photojournalism in the Asia-Pacific region. The judges will be looking for images or essays on topics that impact our lives in significant ways as well as investigative photo-reportage involving important issues, especially where such photography is part of a significant body of work.

All photos must be taken in the Asia-Pacific region (defined in list below). Judges will accept submissions in four categories:

• Spot news - for the best single image photograph taken at a news event in the Asia-Pacific region. No more than five photographs per photographer may be submitted in this category. 
• Feature photography - for the best single-image non-news “feature” photograph taken in the Asia-Pacific region. No more than five photographs per photographer may be submitted in this category.
• Photo essay - for the best collection of up to 12 photos on a single topic in the Asia-Pacific region. No more than three photo essays per photographer may be submitted in this category.
• Migration – A special category, sponsored by Delegation of the European Union to Thailand, for the best single photo or photo essay of up to 12 images focusing on issues related to migration involving Asians, human trafficking, and integration of migrants in Asia. No more than five single images and/or three photo essays per photographer may be submitted in this category. 
• In addition, the judges will select one Photographer of the Year to recognize either the best single image, photo essay or the most impressive collection of work submitted by a single photographer in 2012

Submissions can be published or unpublished work but MUST have been created between Oct 1st 2011 and the contest submission deadline, Friday Dec 14th 2012 – 12 noon Thai Time. Photos taken earlier are eligible only if they are part of a photo essay in which a significant portion of the work (more than half of the images submitted in the essay) occurred within these dates.

Submissions can be made online, there is no entry fee and there are almost US$10,000 in prizes – first prize for Photographer of the Year is $3,000 and this year’s special category is Migration with a prize of $2,000.  

For contest rules and mechanics, visit  FCCT/OnAsia Photo Contest 2012 website

Via: Peter Charlesworth / OnAsia.com

Places of Repose

 Photo: © Jomar Galvez

Photo: © Jomar Galvez

 Photo: © Jomar Galvez

Photo: © J Gerard Seguia

 Photo: © Kale Taylor

Photo: © Jes Aznar

 Photo: © Luis Liwanag

  Photo: © Luis Liwanag

© Leo Sabangan II

Note: All photos used with permission.

Conectados Manila

Conectados Manila from Emilio Vigara Leyva on Vimeo.

Conectados Manila
Photography Exhibition & Public Video Projection
8 Nov. 2012, 6:30PM
G/F Gallery, Ayala Museum
Makati Ave., cor. De la Rosa St., Makati City

On Novemeber 8, 2012, Ayala Museum, in collaboration with Camara Espanola de Comercia en Filipinas, with the support of the Embajada Espanola and Embajada de Mexico, will present Conectados, a multimedia project participated by artists-photographers from Mexico, Philippines, and Spain.

Conectados will be co-curated by Cesar Caballero, Spanish artist residing in the Philippines, and Kenneth Esguerra, Ayala Museum's Senior Curator and Head of Conservation.

The program will consist of:

1. An exhibition of photographs by select award-winning photographers from the Philippines, Spain and Mexico, at the Ground Floor Gallery of Ayala Museum from November 8-25, 2012. This will be formally opened on Thursday, November 8, 2012, at 6:30 PM;
2. A five-night, five-hour simultaneous presentations of multimedia projections focusing on select works of the participating artists in five prime locations such as the sprawling black granite façade of Ayala Museum, the Tower One arch, Makati Stock Exchange wall, The Link, and the Fashion Walk at Greenbelt 5. The multimedia projections will be conducted from November 8-12, from 6:00-11:00 PM.
3. Special live multimedia performance of the world-renowned Spanish multimedia artist Suso33 during the opening reception on Thursday, November 8. His in-situ action visual performance will highlight the formal opening of the exhibition and launch of CONECTADOS.

Projection Schedule (Nov 8-12, 6to11pm):

• Ayala Museum
• The Link
• Greenbelt Fashion Walk
• Makati Stock Exchange
• Tower One

Participating Photographers:

Raena Fe Abella | Ninfa Bito | Frankie Callahan | Rosscapili | Romina Diaz | Carlos Esguerra | Luis Liwanag | Arnel Murillo | Neal Oshima | Emmannuel Santos | Toto Tarrosa | Steve Tirona | Wig Tysmans | Veejay Villafranca | Jaime Zobel de Ayala | Cesar Caballero | Emilio Vigara Leiva | Jose Manuel Navia | Txema Salvans | Nacho Sayas | Alfredo Tobia | Suso 33 | Toto Moris | Luis Arango | Santiago Arau | Cecilia Hurtado | Pablo Lopez

For more details, click here.

RSVP: April Tamayo (02) 757-7117 to 21 local 10


via SilverLens Gallery, Luis Liwanag & Ninfa Bito