Nova Gallery is in the same compound as Finale Art File. You could hit two birds with one stone…read morewith a visit at La Fuerza Compound in Chino Roces. Unlike Finale Art File, Nova Gallery is smaller than its neighbour. It's very minimalist with its white walls and wood work at the upstairs gallery. It also houses art work of international and local artists. I absolutely love how this gallery was assembled. Its art is very contemporary. When I dropped by today, it was their 7th Gallery Collection Show: Do You See What I See?. They featured the works from Takashi Murakami (Japan), Naoko Tosa (Japan), Anne Morgan Spalter (USA), Youki Hirakawa (Japan), Patrick Wilson (USA), Miya Ando (USA) and Willy Rojas (Colombia). Each of the art works shown there varied in medium and form. There were aluminum canvases, LED and film, photography and paintings. There's something to showcase for your visual stimulation. Actually, the show wasn't just visuals! Audio played a part in some of the work shown there. Another quirk that I like about Nova is that they have the 60-in-1 Classic Arcade Games on the upper gallery. Games are art, too! And the addition of it there may be temporary. I didn't get to ask but I enjoyed playing Pac-Man! It brought a lot of nostalgic feels. I think I stayed quite a time there and realised that I was almost late for my yoga class. I look forward to seeing more art work from Nova Gallery. I was really impressed with how this seventh show was curated.

Why, Vinyl on Vinyl?!? Why did you have to move from The Collective to some warehouse in Pasong…read moreTamo? WHY? Okay, don't answer that. I know exactly why you guys bailed out of there. Am just miffed that my most favorite gallery/vinyl toys/vinyl place got a bit harder to go to, that's all. Anyway, VOV was always a favorite of mine, stemming back to their Collective days as they simply had the best exhibits and shows. They're like Silverlens, if Silverlens was smaller and grungier. I credit VOV for introducing me to the works of artists such as Tokwa Peñaflorida, Isobel Francisco, and JP Cuison. Just one of the best galleries in the city.

Vinyl on Vinyl found a new home in 2135 Chino Roces Avenue. It's on the second floor of Warehouse…read more2. Now, if that leaves you confused as to where to find it, just look above and if you see the water tower of American Wire, then you're in the right place. I've been to Vinyl on Vinyl in its old location at The Collective. They're a very eclectic gallery where toys, art and music merge into one space. It appeals to a younger crowd. Last Sunday, they held an event for Jeremyville in Manila along with artists Rai Cruz and Dennis Bato. The selections were very interesting and the gallery was crowded! There was still enough space to move around but the turn out was really great for a Sunday. Artist Jeremyville was there and a looooooong line of followers (both old and new) queued for a chance to get a sketch made by him on the freaking spot. I asked him to draw me a bat. For the very reason that I'm a Zabat. Ha! I can be so punny at times. He finished my sketch in under five minutes and he got me right in the feels. Rai Cruz' work wasn't one to miss as well! His collection was called Urban Modifications and it was an explosion of colour, figures and interesting take on every day objects and animals. I was close to getting the cat artwork at the upper gallery!

If it wasn't for the guard at Warehouse 2, I wouldn't even know about Archivo 1984. It's like the…read moreshy sister or brother of Vinyl on Vinyl. They share the same warehouse space along Chino Roces Avenue but it's at the end of the warehouse. It has a white sliding door as your entrance which I don't think you'd take as a sliding door at first. I thought it was a door that would slide up! Going up to Archivo 1984 is one of a protagonist's stop to unveil a mystery in a movie (or a book). It's very steep and you'd be excited and curious to know what's upstairs as your second impression of the gallery. Once I saw what the first level gallery looked like, I was wowed! Elodie Brunet's textile pieces were showcased at the gallery until 6th of June. They were perched up the ceiling and when the wind blows, it looked so pretty. They circled the first level of the gallery and it felt like being in a movie! There are three rooms at Archivo 1984, the main gallery, the upstairs gallery and an anteroom. Mylene, the curator, told me that they house mostly Filipino artists. The owner loves to showcase Filipino artwork and join art fairs as well. They even have a Manansala art work on hand! The feel of the place is very homely. It's very relaxing and the lighting was perfect. I stayed for a while and talked to Mylene about the gallery. The upper gallery also has the younger artists creations on display. They cater to a mix of art made by Filipinos for Filipinos (and international community).

When you are an artist looking for some inspiration, better head to the National Art Gallery and be…read moreinspired by works of the great masters! Art Gallery is one of the buildings that make up the National Museum. The other one being the Museum of the Filipino People (which I highly suggest you visit as well). The Art Gallery houses the very popular Spoliarium by Juan Luna (yes, years of hearing this in the classroom over and over again finally paid off) and also The Assassination of Governor Bustamante (El Asesinato del Gobernador Bustamante by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. I would like to thank my teacher in my Jose Rizal course in college for teaching me everything I needed to know about these paintings. After you have been mesmerized by those two paintings, which by the way, is located in the old House of Representatives Session Hall, you will encounter the 1st Gallery that houses religious artifacts dating back from the 17th-19th centuries. Then more paintings await you upstairs. Two of my favorite galleries are the Gallery IV: Academic and Neoclassical Sculpture and Gallery V: Homage to Dr. José Rizal.

The National Art Gallery, the art arm of the National Museum, is a rather impressive collection of…read morenotable and historically significant local artworks. The building that houses this gallery used to be the Legislature building, and served double-duty as the home of the Senate of the Philippines until 1996. Talk about relics. Just to clear up some confusion, when locals point to this building as the National Museum, they're technically half-right. Up until a decade ago, this building WAS the whole National Museum. Now, the artifacts of the National Museum have been divided between two buildings, with all the anthropological stuff moved to The Museum of the Filipino People at the former Finance Building. This building, however, still houses the Natural Sciences exhibits until the National Museum of Natural History building has been completed. Now with that out of the way... Admission to both museums is at P150 from Monday to Saturdays. On Sundays, you can come in for free. The P150 is a steal from the first hall alone when you scope out the first painting you will see: The Spoliarium. The Spoliarium, a huge mural depicting fallen gladiators, is arguably the most important artwork done by a Filipino (Juan Luna). The artworks featured in the building are divided by time periods, and I won't go discussing them in detail because hey, my idea of a masterpiece would probably differ from yours. But you know what? Do yourself a favor and go through the entire museum. It's a fascinating peek on how we as a people, historically speaking, took so-called "elitist" art forms and made it our own. The building itself is an attraction; do check out the former Senate Plenary Hall and take it all in.

For artsy people who like to make things with their hands and like to support artsy people who make…read morethings with their hands, The Common Room is a very welcome addition to Katipunan. On the heels of the growing craft scene in the Philippines, The Common Room describes itself as "a place where makers gather." I love it because it's true! You'll find everything here from wallets made from old comic books, hand-sewn patches, pins, perfume, plushies and succulents! When you step inside, you'll wish you had money to buy everything in the store (or maybe I'm speaking only for myself). My favorite brand they carry is called Tweed and Twine, which makes pouches out of really beautiful fabric. It's also located right next to Go! Salads, so when I'm there for my daily green smoothie, I can't resist the call of all things handmade, pretty and shiny, and have to exercise great restraint not to come out with pretty new stationery, magnetic pins, and other lovingly handmade things I didn't think I needed. I love it!

This is probably one of the biggest events for all the art lovers in the Philippines. Art in the…read morePark happens only once a year for only one weekend which is why once it opens or even before it does, people are already in the area scouting for possible paintings and artwork that they can get their hands on. I'll tell you honestly, it can get crazy! What I love most about this event is that it allows people like me (who don't have much money, who don't know much about the art world) to be more exposed to all the young and old artists, the famous ones or the rising stars and have a greater appreciation of art. It also gives artists who are not always featured in the big and fancy museums to showcase their work in the public. You never know, you might find the next Manansala or Luna amidst it all.

Deep sigh. This is just going to be a rant on Philippine Art, move on while you still can!…read more Art in the Park is another exercise in showing who-you-know and is more of a"seen and be seen" kind of thing, more than anything else. Sure, there are cool artworks displayed that's under 20,000 pesos, and that brings down art to a level where the "Average" Filipino can afford it (Cause seriously, some paintings? scary. That's my annual income already.) And some works are really simple, letting people understand and experience art in an open, and less stuffy setting than, say, in a museum or one of those international galleries that are intimidating to set foot in. Apart from that? It's a lot of hipster kids dressing up in their weekend best, go around the park with a bottle of beer and a cigarette in the other hand. It's kind of... well. I don't think it brings the community together at all. Oh, well. Maybe next time would be better? (I am one of those kids trying to fit in with the "cool crowd". Haha, please notice me so I can sell artworks too.)

When I was still in New York, once a week, we get to do gallery walks in one of our classes in all…read morepossible places in Manhattan. It was something that I missed and wished that I could do in Manila every week as well. It's truly nice to see and discover art both from local and international artists. So while doing research for a possible gallery itinerary, all signs pointed to Silverlens. I did my own version of a gallery lakwatsa here today and Silverlens was my first stop and the nearest one from my house. It's very modern and I wanted a mold of that as my house! That's my house peg. Big windows, white with hints of black and grey, minimal decorations and a spacious area for just about any activity. Imagine the parties I get to host. Playing Just Dance on XBox is easier with more space! Day dreaming aside, I like how structured it is: modern with a strong hint of industrial. The art curated there that day were from four artists with three varying themes. The first one I went to on the west wing was Martha Atienza's Study in Reality No. 3. On the east wing were creations by Allan Balisi & Victor Balanon's There's A Story Here Somewhere, It Got Lost Along The Way and Catalina Africa's Reverse Boomerangs and Other Exercises For Pleasure (Warm Up/ Cool Down). It's easy to identify, too, what kind of art they curate. There are contemporary pieces and traditional ones. So, if you're a fan of either (or both), stopping by for some art-charged day or just to get a new perspective will be a good experience here.

I've always been enamored by Silverlens. Their space is halved into two with their outdoor…read morestaircase taking you to their space and an outdoor elevated bridgeway taking you to the other half of Silverlens. Even their main show area stretches and curves out, rather than most other gallery's square spaces. Given their unusual dimensions, the art that they present are hardly conventional. I've been to Silverlens often before, with the last show of theirs I've seen being Gabriel Barredo's "Opera," full of gut-churning curiosities and macabre installations that I enjoyed. You could tell it was a great collaboration between artist and gallery space, as the exhibit stretched along with the gallery's expanse, akin to the muscle, flesh, and bone which were the subjects of the show. Following the length of the gallery, or the pocket spaces in the extension space, you would be taken to an uncomfortable nearness to the subjects, confronting you with death itself. Wind chimes (or maybe more like wind gongs?) were even installed outside to complete the experience. Not all the shows would be like this of course, but there is never a doubt that Silverlens can transport you to worlds that thrive only in artists' imaginations.

Silahis is the best store I've found to buy souvenirs and handicrafts from all regions of the…read morePhilippines. It's set in a spacious old-Spanish-style house with 4 floors, so you can stay there during a whole day and you won't be able to see everything! Just amazing! There you can find solid wood furniture, colorful textiles, typical baskets, ceramics, collections of antiques...and of course the beautiful jewelry! Prepare yourself to get crazy with the mother of pearl items. They are my favourite ones and really represent the Philippines! In my opinion, a mother of pearl necklace or earring is a very nice gift :) Actually, all the items there at Silahis are great gift options. It's just hard to choose! What I like about this place is that it's organized in a way that customers can know exactly the origin of the products. There's always a tag explaining, for example, that the traditional textile you loved is from Zamboanga. I like this kind of information. It's nice to see how diverse the country is! if you need an interesting souvenir that really represents the Philippines, I wouldn't think twice. Silahis is THE place. Just make yourself sure you have plenty of time to spend there. You won't regret it.

This store is a jewel to me not because of the antiques, Philippine souvenirs, and the likes. To be…read morehonest, the prices of these are kinda steep knowing that you could get them at a cheaper cost at some nearby stores. What makes me go back here every time I get the chance to pass by Intramuros is their collection of vintage, and old books at the 2nd floor. Being a book lover and a researcher of anything that speaks of the glory past of the Philippines, the book collection in Silahis is a haven for me. Some books can go as low as P100 for three different titles. Some are rare-to-find books and though the price is rather steep, you would actually spend for it knowing the rarity of the book. When I Go here, I usually spend an hour or two here in this book store. You can actually open books, browse through it, decide if you're gonna buy or not. One thing you should have is PATIENCE. The books are rather stacked differently. The store usually arranges the books according to the author and/or by topic of interest. But don't fret, this hidden gem is really hidden. There's not much people that spend time here. So, I have unraveled one of my Manila's top secrets here. For book lovers, go here na.

One of the many galleries in Serendra that show cases modern and contemporary paintings by Filipino…read moreartists. The gallery houses mid-career artists and masters showing their distinct style and vision. It's the biggest gallery in the area among the cluster of small-spaced ones. The paintings on display that day were big, too. I like how all galleries in Serendra support and showcase Filipino talent. These galleries have provided me some inspiration with my work when I feel so blocked. I was also told that their gallery show art that they have collected for decades! They also do shows here and join art fairs. They did shows in Art Expo Malaysia, too.

Ysobel Art Gallery is among the cluster of art galleries found on the second floor of Serendra…read more They're home to contemporary art from masters and emerging artists from the local art scene. It is a very small gallery and you can view all the pieces in one go. You could just stay in the middle of the gallery and you'll see everything. Currently on exhibit is Ronante Maratas' first solo show entitled Fragile Bones. The show had its run until today, June 1st. Depending on where you go up the escalator at Serendra, don't miss out this gallery. It may be small but it packs a lot of content. They really love colorful contemporary art! And they do shows, too, and join art fairs.