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Funding the Funky

Look, let's be honest. For some folks, an art gallery is a source of awe and inspiration. For others, it's just an intimidating room full of stuff. Both descriptions are totally right. The viewer changes, not the canvas. It's a Rorschach test of culture—you can feel pure joy or just a massive yawn standing in front of the exact same piece. The main thing to keep in mind is that galleries are all over the place in terms of style and size. Some focus entirely on contemporary art, while others dig into historical pieces. You'll even find galleries that zero in on specific things like sculpture or photography. Take, for example, this small art space in Imus, which showcases the work of local artists and low-brow art from the next generation of pop surrealists. Think dream-like, bizarre images mixed right up with stuff like cartoons, comics, and movies. The results? Sometimes they're fun; sometimes they hit you with a darker or more sarcastic vibe. It may not be for me, ...
Recent posts

Your Couch is Your Campus

Guess what? The kids are back on Zoom! As of this morning, a number of private schools in Tanauan have made the switch back to online classes due to a recent flu surge, buying them some time to thoroughly disinfect their campuses. Did the grand digital return go smoothly? Of course not. The main issue is that class discussions just aren't as engaging or rich as they are in person. When you can't see the subtle language of a classroom—a slight head nod, the raise of an eyebrow, or even a tiny smirk—it's like a comedian performing to an empty theater; it absolutely kills the motivation. We've been reminded that we truly rely on those subtle body movements and facial expressions to keep us tethered to the fact that we're talking to actual, breathing humans and not just a gallery wall of glowing rectangles. Naturally, technical glitches are a given, and a huge number of students—mine included—were easily distracted and failed to pay attention. "Can you hear me now?...

This Outdoor Library is Pure Magic

The Seoul Outdoor Library is an open-air oasis of literature . It serves as a relaxed retreat for office workers during the week and transforms into a family reading haven on the weekends. Instead of walls or the hushed whispers enforced by traditional libraries, visitors find fresh air, colorful beanbags, and the rustle of leaves, creating a unique reading soundtrack. However, the space offers more than just books. Visitors can also catch movies and live performances under the open sky while children enjoy a dedicated play zone. And when the summer sun decides to be a relentless monster? The library just shrugs, says "Challenge accepted," and switches to "night-library" mode. Here, you can relax under soft, ambient lights and enjoy a perfect, cool-breeze read after the city has settled down. I really like this idea. In an open-air setting, you can sip your iced latte, shift around without worrying about squeaky chairs, and if you talk a little too loud, no one giv...

More Than a Muse

As I'm sure you know by now, Diane Keaton died a few days ago. I could go on about the usual stuff—what a fantastic actress she was, how charming she was on screen, and all those iconic movies she was in. Her work in films like Annie Hall and Something's Gotta Give cemented her place as a powerhouse in both comedy and drama, and Woody Allen has plenty to say about her. In a long, personal essay , the 89-year-old filmmaker, actor, and writer pays tribute to Keaton, describing her as "unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again," and adding that "her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered". In his piece, Allen shares some sweet, personal stories about his time with Keaton outside of movies. He talks about one Thanksgiving, for example, where he ended up playing poker with her family. When talking about their romantic relationship, he kept it pretty vague, just saying, "We had a few great personal years together an...

Dissected Realities

Ready to see what happens when street smarts hit the fine art world? Dissected Realities features ten Cebuano artists who started out doing graffiti and street art but are now into painting, collage, and sculpture. Basically, they're reality hackers. They don't just observe the world; they take it apart and put it back together. While they all have their own unique styles, their main goal is the same: to grab the messy, overlooked details of everyday life and rebuild a new reality with their art. The Metro Gallery is a cozy three-story house in Addition Hills, San Juan that's actually an art space. The first two floors are all about showcasing emerging artists. But they're more than that—the dining room is a hangout spot where collectors and artists connect. Here, you can even buy select pieces from private collections. If you're looking for art that's more exciting than typical landscapes and still-lifes, or if you want something to challenge and engage your ...

This Soy Sauce Bottle is the Epitome of Functional Art

Let's talk about Japan and… soy sauce. You can't really have one without the other, can you? It's like trying to imagine Cheech without Chong , Timon without Pumbaa, or Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson. Soy sauce is the umami-rich cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, a condiment so fundamental that it's practically written into the country's DNA. I was scrolling through my phone, when a photo stopped my thumbs dead. It wasn't a hot Asian influencer, it wasn't a glorious painting, it was a... soy sauce bottle. Designed by Jane Kudrinskaia , the tiny, glass vessel deserves an honor on everyone's dining table. Description: The shape of the bottle emphasizes the origin of the soy sauce, referring to a sacred place in Japan that is revered, honored and respected by all – the FUJI volcano. The sauce comes in two flavors – classic soy sauce (dormant volcano) and hot soy sauce (erupting volcano). The sauce has a special stand (foot of the volcano), which can func...

The Unseen Emotional Landscape

I'm currently obsessed with Pon Arsher . Her paintings are like a stylish cage fight between realism and abstraction, and every human figure seems to be nursing a perfectly haunting and beautiful existential hangover. On my computer, it's cool. But I want to see the real deal. The internet is probably the greatest gallery humanity has ever created. But sometimes, a piece of art leaps off the screen and refuses to be contained by your monitor. Anyway, when she was young, the self-taught Moldovan artist found drawing in silence more fulfilling than socializing. But she wasn't avoiding life; she was capturing it. Drawing wasn't an escape from friends, but an intense conversation with the most essential, silent part of her soul. Her art looks like an emotional x-ray, and it lulls me into a dream state. It's also a reminder, for herself and viewers, that our feelings—even the bad ones—are valid. Ms. Arsher proves that art only needs an authentic voice and the courage to ...