Arte Pilipinas: Open Call for Artists and Participants

The Philippine Business Council – Dubai Northern Emirates (PBC-DNE) is now open for interested participants for their community art event, Arté Pilipinas, a four-day community art festival showcasing arts and cultural production from the Philippines.

The open call was directed at UAE-based Filipino designers, architects, dancers, singers, artists, and other creatives to take part by submitting their portfolios through the event’s official website by October 15, 2019.

Dubai-based Filipino Business Group Announces Open Call for Art Event
Credits: Arte Pilipinas/Facebook

Filipino Business Group in Dubai Launches Community Art Exhibit

The main sections of the festival will focus on a contemporary art exhibition, talks program, and cultural performances, as announced through the group’s Facebook page.

The goal of the Arté Pilipinas contemporary art exhibition is to create an opportunity for UAE-based artists to showcase their artwork to a regional and international audience and to feature a range of artistic media including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, film, and installations.

During the event, an internationally renowned curator from the Philippines will select and announce the exhibiting artists on November 17, 2019.

Accordingly, participants can exhibit and sell works created within the last year or conceived specifically for the exhibition.

The actual day of the exhibit will be from February 4 to 7 at the Dubai Design District.

According to Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes, “This PBC initiative brings together previously thought unparallel lines of arts and economics. Arté Pilipinas is an endeavor that seeks to create an awareness of the nexus between creativity and business.”

He added that the Filipino heritage cannot just be a matter of the ethereal and beauty but just as how the rest of the world capitalizes on their arts, the Philippines’ is also a matter of economic pride.

Why Arté Pilipinas

The event aims to create a celebratory platform that sheds light on the many talents of the Filipino diaspora in the UAE. As a working migrant population, it can sometimes be convenient to generalize the Filipino identity as linked to career development.

Commenting on this, Bobbie Carella, Chairman of the Philippine Business Council – Dubai and Northern Emirates and Director of Arté Pilipinas explained, “Arté Pilipinas, in turn, aims to nurture a nuanced narrative by showcasing and celebrating UAE-based Filipino talent working across various mediums including art, photography, film, food, dance, and performance. The exhibition’s program acts as a point of discovery for other communities in the UAE to encourage diverse dialogue and cross-cultural exchange.”

For his part, Leo Barrameda, Arté Pilipinas project head shared, “The time has come for UAE-based Filipino artists to take center stage. We know that there are so many talented Filipinos in the UAE but are not given the right spotlight and opportunities. Arté Pilipinas will be the start of extensive Filipino art activation in the UAE and exciting collaborations among Filipino artists and other expat communities.

[VIDEO] Here’s a short teaser video about Arté Pilipinas:

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, you may check out the event’s official website or the Philippine Business Council – Dubai Northern Emirates (PBC-DNE) Facebook page.

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