3rd time’s the charm: ALT show comes back strong
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The ALT show made a strong comeback after a two-year hiatus, with its third edition at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia being a compelling group show realized by nine partner galleries.
Being a group show has its perks. Operating without an overarching theme to adhere to, the nine galleries—Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, Mo_Space, Blanc Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, West Gallery, The Drawing Room, Art Informal and Underground—curated a “best of the best” from their respective artist rosters for ALT 2024.
Artists and collectors alike stand to benefit from a robust show like ALT, which showcases pieces that would be logistically challenging to present within a single gallery or a car park. The selection of works from each gallery included a mix of conceptual pieces, large-scale works and installations. A shared sentiment across the nine ALT galleries is that this edition is the strongest they have had thus far. The first ALT Show took place at the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura in 2020, followed by a salon-type show in 2021 at Finale Art File. For this edition, we saw higher ceilings, spacious aisles and visual breathing room, allowing visitors to appreciate large-scale works that over 200 artists and their respective galleries were able to maximize.
B+C Design was responsible for this year’s floor plan, which allowed the works to shine. At the center of the show is a communal space where people can gather. It’s designed strategically for visitors to have a wide view of the show in its entirety. Drawing Room gallerist Jun Villalon said that this year, each of the nine galleries had about 100 square meter of space for their respective shows. Equity in space allocations is a key feature of this show.
Special exhibitions
Among the highlights of this year’s edition were five special exhibitions, featuring critically acclaimed artists: Oca Villamiel presented a 7-meter in diameter installation made from curtain foil titled “Water is Life,” a reflection on how water mirrors life, marrying the artist’s personal insights with a universal theme.
Juan Alcazaren offered a commanding light piece crafted from found objects like melamine plates, spelling out the aptly titled “Now,” which invites guests to contemplate the essence of what is “now.”
Geraldine Javier’s “Catch of The Day” includes an interactive pool of finely cut plastics collected from water refilling stations, delving into the artist’s commitment to environmental protection.
Pete Jimenez’s “A City Set on A Hill Cannot be Hidden,” made from cement sacks and light fixtures designed to resemble mangrove trees, draws inspiration from the Gospel of Matthew, suggesting that individuals can be a light to the world.
Isabel Santos, the youngest of the five, in “Flourish,” uses layers of paint to create texture, emphasizing the process of repetition.Stephanie Frondoso, who led this year’s Conversations program, explained, “Not all these artworks are purely aesthetic. ALT aimed to feature artists with important messages, integrating them into the discourse with the broader society. This effort demonstrates that the art world is open and reaching out to everyone.”
Apart from the special exhibitions, several pieces stood out: Raena Abella created an intimate sitting room for portraits using a wet plate collodion process. Linq Quisumbing’s “Soap Series” explores the concept of impermanence through 1:1 cold cast marble recreations of soap bars. Jellyfish Kisses’ transactional “Memory Bank” encouraged guests to leave personal items and their stories with the artist, fostering a unique interactive experience.
Leonard Aguinaldo and BenCab showcased large-scale prints, with the latter’s work being a result of his collaboration with the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. Additionally, The Drawing Room displayed works from this year’s ART SG, including Gerardo Tan’s “Turntable Paintings” and Maria Cruz’s “Coin Series.”
At its core, ALT is a group show, which grants it the flexibility to explore new spaces, present in new formats or venture into entirely unseen territories. Given the strength of this group show, one might wonder about the future direction of ALT. Will we see an expansion to include more galleries, or will the event remain at the SMX Convention Center?
Frondoso sheds light on this, stating, “For the nine galleries, there’s a preference to remain a compact group. This is because they believe that a smaller size allows for greater focus on the art and the artists. They value discussing each artwork in depth and honoring the artists and their presentations. It’s akin to having a dialogue among nine people versus a hundred. With fewer participants, there’s room for more engagement and deeper conversations, given that the artworks themselves offer rich reflections on society.” —Contributed INQ
