Half a century forward: Galleria Duemila’s enduring legacy

Galleria Duemila marks the 50th anniversary of its founding, affirming its place as the longest-running art gallery in the Philippines today. 

Galleria Duemila is located at 210 Loring Street, Pasay City.

To commemorate its anniversary, the gallery is mounting a major two-month celebration from 13 January to 14 March, presenting an exhibition of paintings, mixed media, works on paper and sculptures that have never — or only rarely — been seen by recent generations of artists, collectors, art students, educators and the wider public.

Titled Avanti, Sempre Avanti / Forward, Always Forward: 50 Years of Philippine Modern Art (1975–2025), the exhibition brings together works created between 1957 and 2018, drawn from Galleria Duemila’s vast collection and archival trove. The selection, for the most part, was guided by intuition — reflecting the gallery’s long-standing faith in artistic instinct rather than trends.

The 37 artists featured represent, in many cases, deep and symbiotic relationships that grew into lifelong friendships with the gallery’s founder, Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz. Along with several hundred others over five decades, they worked side by side with her in shaping and influencing what is now recognized as the Philippine contemporary art scene. The works on view are a small yet resonant sampling of the art that compelled this trailblazing figure to champion Philippine modern art with unwavering conviction.

Avanti, Sempre Avanti invites viewers into an art world grounded not in fame or market value, but in Galleria Duemila’s enduring love for works that surprise, unsettle and awaken curiosity — art that creates a sense of wonder and discovery.

Featured artists include Pacita Abad, Leopoldo Aguinaldo II, Ray Albano, Augusto Albor, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Nunelucio Alvarado, Agnes Arellano, May Baddour, Santiago Bose, Benedicto Cabrera, Eduardo Castrillo, Roberto Chabet, Charlie Co, Ramon Manuel De Leon, Duddley Diaz, Isabel Diaz, Lamberto Hechanova, Jose Joya, Lao Lianben, Raul Lebajo, Cesar Legaspi, Julie Lluch, Arturo Luz, Jerry Elizalde Navarro, Justin Nuyda, Hernando R. Ocampo, Manuel Ocampo, Romulo Olazo, Onib Olmedo, Imelda Pilapil, Juvenal Sanso, Mauro Malang Santos, Solomon Saprid, Nestor Vinluan, Betsy Westendorp, Luis Junyee Yee Jr. and Phyllis Zaballero.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of walk-throughs and panel discussions featuring writers and artists will be held from January to March 2026. These programs will be open to the public.

Since 1975, Galleria Duemila has been steadfast in its dedication to promote Philippine modern and contemporary art. Its extensive holdings include paintings, prints and sculptures, and its services range from conservation and restoration — spanning works from the 16th century to the present — to consultation, commissions and installations. Founded by Ancellotti-Diaz, Italian by heart and Filipino by art, the gallery was envisioned as a platform to introduce Filipino artists locally and within the Asean region. Over the decades, it has handled rare works by early 20th-century modern masters while continuing to showcase both local and international artists of the present generation.