ALTERNATIVE ASIA

Today I will depart from Bacolod and head to an art space located by the sea.
It takes two hours to go there by car. Like yesterday, today Roderick will also be taking me to the space. Thank you, Roderick!

He drives at high speed. Suddenly the bonnet of the car bursts open and we can’t see a thing in front for a while. I feel like we are about to die but we make it through and back to safety … we are alive … .

We see endless farms of sugar cane, a famous agricultural produce of Negros.

We arrive! By the sea!

Hmm?! There is a cool gallery.

This is Kape ALBARAKO. It’s a recently established, very nice space.
On the first floor is a café, and the gallery is on the second floor.

There are many art works by Nunelucio Alvarado on display. He is a famous local artist in the Philippines. He is also the owner of the space.

This is the café on the first floor.

This is the gallery on the second floor. You can feel a nice breeze.

After the relaxing café, we head to our destination, but it’s very near here by car.
We drive along the coast. The sea is beautiful and I want to swim.

?? huh? Is there something standing there?

As I come near it seems to be a sculpture.

And in front of it…..

Boom!

We arrive at Margaha Beach Resort, it’s Nunelucio’s headquarters and dwelling.
The space is so colorful and made of bamboo. It’s amazing!

When I go inside the space Nunelucio welcomes me.
He serves local food for lunch and starts to talk about the history of the space.

The space was established in 2000, but in 2003 it was completely destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda, the biggest typhoon ever to hit the Philippines.
At the time, Nunelucio’s family had lived in the area whilst he had been living in another area, however after the disaster, he came back and started to create the space Margaha Beach Resort.
There is a gallery on the first floor, and Nunelucio’s studio is on the second floor.

This is the studio on the second floor. Sunlight shines in.

After rebuilding the space from the damage left by the typhoon, Nunelucio started to use it as a center for creating connections with the local community as well as running educational programs for children. He also organises various art projects in other locations such as by the sea shore. The sculpture we saw earlier, was created during one such project.

Just like in the photo, Nunelucio is a really cool, wild-looking guy, but he’s always telling jokes and is super interesting. He has also participated in an exhibition in Japan and shows me the catalogue. The exhibition is titled “Art in Southeast Asia 1997: Glimpses into the Future” and was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo in 1997. I was surprised to remember that I had been to that very exhibition. It was nineteen years ago, so I must have been only around twenty years old at the time. Of course, I had not met him back then, but because I had seen his works, I somehow feel like this is a happy reunion with an artist I have known since long ago.

After talking we take a picture together.
The women next to Nunelucio is his wife. The man next to me is a local artist.

After talking, Nunelucio goes outside and starts painting.

He invites me to paint too and I join in with another local artist.

It’s enjoyable.

When you come to the Negros you should visit this art space located by the sea.

After that we go to one more space.It’s on the way back to the Bacolod.
We leave the car in front of a really old building and ring the bell.

But there’s no sign board. Roderick, do you think it’s Ok???
There is no reply, but I push the door and it opens.

When I go inside the building I’m surprised to find a magnificent space like a museum.
And right on the side next to the entrance, there is a pure white gallery space.
I interview Adrian Lizares, who is the gallerist and manager of the building. She smiles holding a dog.

This historic building named “Balay ni Tana Dicang” was built in 1872. In the past, it had been the home of a distinguished family. Now all the furniture and decor from that bygone time has been left on view for the general public. At the entrance is Kapitana Gallery where they hold contemporary art exhibitions five times per year, and recently they also started an artist in residence program.
With this building from over a century ago, now being a place for displaying contemporary art, I feel like a crossing between space and time has somehow been created and hidden within the space.

Historical architecture, room and furniture.

Today a resident artist from California has a meeting about his upcoming exhibition in the gallery.
We take a picture together.

From within the past, why not meet something new?
Kapitana Gallery
https://www.facebook.com/balaynitana.dicang