As the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) prepares to reopen its main building, the institution is undergoing intense “soul-searching.” A recent roundtable of industry leaders made it clear that, for the CCP to thrive, it must redefine its relationship with the visual arts. The discussion centered on a single, urgent goal: transforming the CCP from a performance-heavy venue into a global powerhouse for contemporary art.

Safeguarding a vanishing legacy

Clarissa Chikiamco, curator at the National Gallery Singapore, argued that the CCP must reclaim its history as an innovator. “CCP has, like at its beginning, has really been at the forefront of contemporary art in the Philippines,” she noted, specifically in “expanding art beyond traditional mediums of painting and sculpture.” She warned that “this legacy is in danger of being lost because this history is not really visible,” and urged the institution to actively “collect contemporary art. And by that, I don’t mean just paintings and sculptures.”

Chikiamco emphasized that the CCP must prioritize “ephemeral art” like “installations, video, [and] performances” before it is too late. “A lot of the artists who were creating these works in the 70s are quite senior now. So you just have a window in which to catch them to be able to acquire these works and make sure that they are available for audiences to experience like 100,000 years down the line,” she explained. Without this shift, she cautioned, “the Philippines is in danger of losing a crucial part of its heritage.”

Elevating the Visual Arts Department

Tina Colayco, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, addressed the institutional bias that often favors the stage over the gallery. “The institution is known first and foremost to be a performing arts center,” Colayco observed. She proposed a “rebranding it when you reopen so that it is one of the main drivers also for Philippine contemporary art.”

Colayco’s vision for the Visual Arts Department involves “casting a wider net” through massive collaborative projects. “The CCP, for example, can be in a biennale or a triennale. That can happen here, and that would bring everyone together to participate in different parts of the city or in different parts of the country,” she said. She also suggested that the CCP should lead the way in providing “conservation services” and “studios for visiting artists,” noting that “if the CCP is there to support such initiatives, that would really be great.”

Modernizing through a 'Global Gold Standard'

Isa Lorenzo, founder of Silverlens Gallery, pushed the institution to break its internal focus. “I don’t think the CCP can afford to be insular. I think the CCP should be more outward-looking,” she stated. Her ultimate wish is “that the CCP becomes the gold standard for exhibition making, not just in the Philippines, but in the region.”

To achieve this, Lorenzo insisted on a digital-first approach to visual arts. 

“Whether it’s through TikTok or Instagram or whatever social media, I think there should be a big investment in that, in broadcasting who the CCP is, what the CCP does, and what the CCP has out into the world,” she argued.

She reminded the leadership that “the only way you’re going to get audience is if they come here or you go to them.” Finally, Lorenzo called for direct financial investment in the next generation of visual artists. “Just to be straightforward, I think award money should be increased. And there should be a separate budget for production. And there should be acquisitions of the artworks of the artists,” she suggested. By “marrying or bringing together your existing assets and a media push,” the CCP can ensure that Filipino visual arts finally claim their rightful place on the world stage.