SEAMEO INNOTECH unveiled on Tuesday its own art space – the “White Room Gallery” – with an inaugural exhibit entitled “UGMA: Ugnayan ng Sining at Teknolohiya” featuring works of an artist collective called the INNOTECH 13 Artists.
The White Room Gallery, INNOTECH Center Director and former Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said, aims to bring to the fore the rich and productive relationship between Art and Technology.
The accord between ‘arete’ and ‘techne’ goes back a long way to Greece-Roman Classicism where the overriding concern of the relationship is to bring out the best for humankind.
“One of the very important thrusts of SEAMEO INNOTECH is that technology, science, and the humanities cannot be separated. Even as there are so many wondrous things happening and evolving in technology, we must not forget that we are Filipinos, we must not forget our culture, we must not forget that we are humans,” Briones said.
As the guest of honor, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte praised the initiative of INNOTECH to open its own art gallery.
“I was very excited to come here today because for a very long time, I have not been invited to any openings of cultural and artistic exhibitions. Pero ngayon natutuwa ako na dumarami na ang exhibitions na nagbubukas sa ating lungsod,” Belmonte said.
Among the other guests who graced the launch were Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, Department of Education Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban, former Philippine Ambassador to Germany Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek and advertising executive Vincent Pozon.
The INNOTECH 13 is composed of the following emerging artists:Ramon Arsenio Acevedo, Hoche Magtolis Briones, Ryan Alison Cua, Denes Dasco, Joy Dasco, Jes Evangelista, Karen Fabie-Concepcion, Reymar Gacutan, Carmela Geisart, Jay Lozada, Nesty Angeles Ortiz, Byron Valenzuela, and Jefferson Villacruz.
It is headed by its Artistic Curator, Professor Ruben Defeo of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.
The White Room Gallery is open to public viewing every Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is located at the International House of SEAMEO INNOTECH in Diliman, Quezon City. The current exhibit “UGMA” will be on display until September 4, 2023.