Other artists reimagine perception and belonging: Catalina Africa offers a “personal cosmology” through sculptural installations; Issay Rodriguez bridges science and humanism in her ecological installations; and Liv Vinluan revives fading botanical memories through lush depictions of extinct flora.
Ella Mendoza confronts the discomfort of silence surrounding violence; Luis Antonio Santos transforms galvanized iron into textured chronicles of urban life; and Vien Valencia investigates movement and spatial autonomy. Meanwhile, Denver Garza and Jel Suarez reconstitute fragments and shared gestures into participatory works that evoke care and community.
Joshua Serafin revisits precolonial mythologies and folklores to reclaim the fluidity of Filipino identity, while Derek Tumala draws parallels between endangered species and vulnerable artists — calling attention to both ecological and cultural precarity.
According to National Museum director general Jeremy Barns, the collaboration between the CCP and the National Museum reflects a shared vision for cultural advancement.
“We’re proud to do what we can for the CCP during this period of upgrading. Once the CCP’s facilities are completed, we also hope to enhance our own. We need more space and better facilities to house more works of art and heritage — and this partnership shows how we are progressing together,” he said.
More than a showcase of talent, the Thirteen Artists Awards exhibition is a statement on the state of Philippine art today — one that listens to crises, honors memory and reclaims visibility for the marginalized and unseen.
First launched in 1970 as a curatorial project by Roberto Chabet under the CCP Museum, the TAA was later transformed into a triennial recognition program by Raymundo Albano, highlighting artists who seek to “restructure, restrengthen, and renew artmaking and art thinking.”
The 2024 Thirteen Artists Awards exhibition runs from 7 October to 12 January 2026, at the Sandiganbayan Reception Hall, National Museum of Fine Arts, and is free and open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
