Pebrero

The Embassy of Spain this month, through Instituto Cervantes and its Cultural and Education Offices, presents a vibrant lineup of cultural events where history meets contemporary creativity, inviting audiences to experience painting, performances and dialogue in fresh and engaging ways.

Spanish artist Ampparito takes over the 5th Floor of the Circuit Corporate Center One in Makati, this year’s venue of the Art Fair Philippines, where the young talent´s art intallation called Esperanza de Vida (Life Expectancy) may be viewed from until 8 February.

But prior to those days, he is seen in action creating his art from the patio of Casa Azul in Intramuros to the gardens of the Ayala Museum.

The calendar also captures the program’s dynamic opening, with Spanish artist Cristina Gamón and Filipino counterpart Brisa Amir having already set the tone this week through an engaging talk with UP students titled “Trajectories and Practices: A conversation on artistic approaches to professional practice” curated by Arianna Mercado at the UP Fine Arts Gallery in Diliman.

Their exhibit A dash, a colon, a dialogue between both artists, remains open to the public at the Casa Azul in Intramuros and will run until March 28.

Pedestrians passing through the Ayala-Greenbelt underground tunnel may still enjoy life-size reproductions of some of the impressive works of Joaquín Sorolla (1863–1923), billed as as the “Master of Light.” Viewers of the exhibit Sorolla: A Walk through the Light will surely encounter the sharp contrasts of light and shade, brilliant colors and vigorous brushstrokes that distinguish his paintings.

Meanwhile, in her lecture on The British Empire and the Philippine Revolution, 1896-1902, Spanish scholar Laura Diaz Esteve examines how various agents of the British Empire — concerned with maintaining geopolictical dominance in Asia and protecting their interests in the Philippines — reacted to the Philippine Revolution and sought to influence its course.

The talk took place on 4 February at the Intramuros branch of Instituto Cervantes Manila at 2 pm.

This month also highlights Spanish cinema par excellence with the film series Ciclo Goya de Honor: Gonzalo Suárez as we pay tribute to the filmmaker awarded with the 2026 Goya Honorary Award by the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Every Tuesday of this month at 2 p.m. a film of his will be screened at the Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros. These movies include El portero, El detective y la muerte, Remando al viento and Epílogo, all selected by Suárez himself.

The Quezon City Film Commission partners with the Embassy by hosting the Goya Awards: International Film Screening Series from 20 to 22 February, featuring the works of Pedro Almodóvar, David Baute, Paula Ortiz, Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi.

The films are La habitación de al lado, Mariposas negras, La virgen roja and Marco, all recipients of the most prestigious award in Spanish cinema. All screenings will be at Cinema 18 of Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City.

Daisy López, president of the Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española (Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language) offers a lecture on hispanism in the Tagalog language that may leave Filipino native speakers learning a feature of their vernacular that has not occurred to them.

Catch Professor López on 11 February at 5 p.m. at the Intramuros branch of the Instituto Cervantes Manila.

The Embassy of Spain’s monthly agenda will not be complete without music as Spanish organist Andrés Cea Galán performs at the Gala Night of the International Bamboo Organ Festival on 19 February.  He will also offer a master class to organ students as well as a lecture on the history of  Spanish organs on 21 February, aside from a recital on 23 February.