The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) will put to a virtual exhibit the works of 44 women artists in “7.23%.” It will open on August 14, 2020 (Friday) at 7:23 in the evening through a Facebook livestream
The 7.23% is also being organized to commemorate the 11th year of the Magna Carta of Women or Republic Act 9170. As such, ILOMOCA puts in the spotlight the works of women artists to show their contribution to Philippine art and how women have enriched the art industry.
The event which is co-presented by Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle, is aimed at spur discussions on women’s representation and gender inequities that exist even in art and cultural institutions.
The concept of the exhibit is inspired by the proportion of works attributed to women artists (only 7.23%) that compose ILOMOCA’s entire collection. It is curated by Marika Constantino.
The 7.23% will feature the artworks on ILOMOCA’s Facebook page starting August 14 until October 19, 2020. The collection are part of ILOMOCA’s Edwin Valencia collection.
Beyond acknowledging an imbalance in art and cultural institutions, the figure also represents the disproportionate realities faced by women, as manifested in pay gaps and domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. 7.23% also poses a challenge for ILOMOCA to attain a higher ratio of art made by women and generates a call to action to address such inequality.
“I wholeheartedly support the need to push for and support more programs to encourage and embolden women artists and women in general. I am excited with this project because hopefully it will generate the right discussion and for my part, a call to action on how to address the inequality,” said Ilonggo art collector and ILOMOCA art patron Edwin Valencia.
The signing of the Magna Carta on Women in 2009 further empowered Filipino women by allowing them to exercise their rights without discrimination.
“We are bringing our museums closer to more people, including the international community, through this virtual art exhibit in the time of a global pandemic. The digital realm has allowed us to engage more people real-time while still promoting the safety of everyone,” said Tefel Pesigan-Valentino, vice president and head of marketing and business development, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls.
“More importantly, this also helps us promote art as an interactive platform for ideas that supports and celebrates women’s role in the art community,” Pesigan-Valentino added.
On opening day, the museum will also be holding an online conversation with Moreen Austria, Lyra Garcellano, Alee Garibay, Michelle Lua-Hollanes, selected artists featured in the collection, together with curator Marika Constantino.
ILOMOCA is the first art institution in Visayas and Mindanao exclusively dedicated to showcasing the works of mostly Filipino and Ilonggo artists within the realm of modern and contemporary art. The museum is located at Casa Emperador in Iloilo Business Park, Megaworld Iloilo.
For more information on the latest happenings in ILOMOCA, visit ilomoca.org. or iloilomuseumofcontemporaryart@gmail.com.