Art award winners showcase innovation in exhibit as they call out grant delays

ARTWORKS that are “awake and attentive” reflect the strengths of the 2024 batch of recipients of the 13 Artists Awards.

- BRONTE H. LACSAMANA

CATALINA AFRICA'S sculptural installation.

(BRONTÉ H. LACSAMANA)

The exhibition, emerging from the grants the winners received from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), was opened on Oct. 6 at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila where the artists also made a stand regarding the value of their labor.

Awardee Catalina Africa, in her speech on behalf of the 13 recipients, revealed that the full grant for their work on the exhibition had yet to be given to them.

“As artists, we need to be paid for our labor, and it was made clear to us that the only cost that will be reimbursed are materials, transportation and outsourced services — meaning that we, as artists, wouldn't be able to pay ourselves for our labor, implying too that our labor does not matter,” she said during the awarding ceremony.

Ms. Africa added that “only 50% of their budget was released in the last two weeks,” which made it difficult for them to create the works for the exhibit.

“Making art takes time. It takes money, blood, sweat, tears, and resources. By bringing this up here today, our hope is that the next batch does not experience this difficulty,” she concluded.

The other recipients this year are Denver Garza, Russ Ligtas, Ella Mendoza, Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Joshua Serafin, Jel Suarez, Tekla Tamoria, Derek Tumala, Vien Valencia, and Liv Vinluan.