For its opening salvo, Agos Studio presents the works of the first batch of its e-mentoring program in the exhibition, Theory & Practice, on view at the Ortigas Art Festival until March 31, 2021. The participating artists are Ben Albino, Denmark Dela Cruz, Cedrick Dela Paz, Jun Orland Espinosa, Macouy Gonzales, Tamer Karam, Anne Lacaba, Mark Laza, and Marvin Quizon.

Under the guidance of Renato Habulan, who is the guiding light of Agos Studio and serves as the exhibit head of the festival, the artists underwent a series of rigorous online classes and workshops where they discussed global and Philippine art history, explored a variety of art theories, and offered creative and critical evaluation of each other’s works. Through the e-mentoring program, they also delved into the issues besetting the contemporary artist as they attempt to exhibit their works, reach out to audiences, and establish a career in the arts.

As the name of the exhibit suggests, the participating artists did not only look into the theories that have defined the contemporary art landscape but also into the practicalities involved in balancing a distinctly personal vision with the social responsibilities connected with being a creative professional.
Through this approach, the artists have achieved a more holistic philosophy as they attempt to merge the personal with the social, the biographical with the historical.

Possibly unique in this exhibition is how the artists regularly gathered together in a spirit of creative exchange, offering their viewpoints as they created their individual works, guided by the critique of their mentor and informed of each other’s view of the form and function of art. It is, in the truest sense of the term, a “group show” in which the artists are bound together not merely by a theme or curatorial direction but an authentic fellowship and familiarity with each other’s subject matter, technique, and visual thinking.

Another defining characteristic of the show is its emphasis on representing visions lying on the peripheries of Manila. Hence, many of the participating artists come from diverse places: from
Pangasinan to Bulacan to Iloilo. Their art education also runs the gamut—from being self-taught to learning from a formal art school. While all of the artists believe in the importance of art to tell the stories of its milieu, their thematic preoccupation ranges from the deeply personal and spiritual to the consciously social and national.

Agos Studio, of which the e-mentoring program is one of its many initiatives, was born out of the
need to connect during the pandemic when most of the galleries were shuttered, the exhibitions postponed and cancelled, and artists left to their own devices on how to continue their work despite current challenges. While Habulan has been offering informal and informal classes and mentorship in the arts, this was the first time in which digital platforms were utilized in order to continue building a community. Theory & Practice, the exhibition of Class 2021, is the result of that productive
interface, as Agos Studio makes the art world more inclusive and responsive to the times.

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Theory & Practice is on view at the Ortigas Art Festival from February 24 to March 31, 2021 at the G/F
East Wing, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Pasig City.