The Authenticity Zero Collective redesigns abstraction at Conrad Manila

Art pundit Nes Jardin, the gentleman behind the Of Art and Wine series, wished to feature a painter who had a firm grasp on abstraction. However, he got more than what he had bargained for. The invitation for one stretched to an entire cluster of like-minded artists, all eager to share their visions.

Enter The Authenticity Zero Collective (TAZC). A collaborative platform for artists and designers, it serves as their avenue to explore local art, pioneering approaches to see, think, do and produce architectural designs infused with the arts.

For Conrad Manila’s inaugural Of Art and Wine exhibit for 2025, Machine of Thoughts challenges the traditional notions of historical and cultural narratives, and instead proposes new practices for humankind to connect with the material and the immaterial. The collection is composed of 53 pieces, with hopes to transport the guests to a different dimension with its abstract concepts and perspectives.

Machine of Thoughts features five artists from TAZC. Let’s meet them.

A graduate of Adamson University, the Bicol-based architect and visual artist Cocoi Base treads the fine line between material limitations and imaginative visions of architecture, as he translates his creations of machinery and structures onto canvasses. His Tiny Dwellings series revolves around the houses and other structures in our daily lives, distilling them into the bare essential elements, presented in a new light.

Designer, artist, and architect Gab Brioso has a keen interest in the intersection of digital and analog processes, often wondering and experimenting on the technical and creative aspects of any project. An alum of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) for his bachelor’s degree and Philippine Women’s University for his masters in Fine Arts, he shares his knowledge at DLS-CSB, Asia Pacific College, and the Ateneo de Manila University. His Hyper Proun collection presents architectural concepts through acrylic, 3D printed on polyactic acid polymer and plaster.

Architect and visual artist Almi Domingo delves into etchings on acrylic sheets to create bold geometric patterns. A product of the Technological Institute of the Philippines — Manila, he was a part of the MetaArch Program 2016 of the Brown Bauhau Alternative School of Architecture + Design. His People Running About highlights what seems like a bird’s-eye-view of a room, with several scattered ladders and steps. Meanwhile, RE-013A is a marriage of various shapes and lines to construct a symphony of visual delights.

Visual artist, architect, and pedagogue Walther Ocampo believes that architecture and art should work together to produce a poetic and authentic environment. The educator examines geometry, nature and the relationship between everything in the world through various tools of inquiry such as dialectics, metaphysics and more to deconstruct and wade through the information. With an Architecture degree from the Technological University of the Philippines and a graduate degree in Architecture Education from Mapua Institute of Technology, he is currently an assistant professor at DLS-CSB’s architecture program. In Mechanical Komorebi, he surveys layers of colors and how they interact with one another. This is akin to the Japanese word he adopted, which describes how sunlight seeps through leaves. Meanwhile, Eurhytmy spotlights vibrant architectural shapes rendered through watercolor on cold pressed paper.

Manila-based architect and artist Robin Ravago focuses on the formal qualities of objects and how these relate to one another, investigated through illustrations, photos, and installations. With an Architecture degree from the DLS-CSB, he has attended the Brown Bauhaus’ MetaArch Advanced Course in Modern Aesthetics and teaches Architectural Theory at the Asia Pacific College and DLS-CSB. His Constructional collection merges acrylic and wood with various hues of colors to provide a thought-provoking view on how these odd shapes interacted with one another in the three-dimensional plane.

Machine of Thoughts is curated by Nes Jardin, consultant of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation. The Of Art and Wine series is a path for newbies and seasoned masters alike to display their talents and skills.

Of Art and Wine: Machine of Thoughts is on exhibit from 7 January to 8 March. The pieces are available individually for purchase. For more information, contact Conrad Manila at +6328833-9999; Walther Ocampo at +63905-2762871, or email Ruston.Dongaol@ConradHotels.com.

¡Enhorabuena!, Conrad Manila and TAZC!