29 November 2016 – Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairperson and Pavilion Commissioner Felipe de Leon, Jr. closed the Philippine Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale on November 27, simultaneously announcing that the Philippines will participate in the 57th Venice Biennale in May 2017.
“As we conclude the Philippine participation in the 15th Venice International Architecture Biennale, we are most proud to announce that the Philippines is participating in the 57th Venice Biennale next year,” said Chairperson de Leon.
The Philippine Pavilion for Biennale Arte 2017 in Arsenale will feature the “Spectre of Comparison,” to be curated by Ms. Joselina Cruz. It will open on May 11, 2017.
During the closing ceremonies, Chairperson de Leon read the message of Senator Loren Legarda, which highlighted the Philippines’ back-to-back Biennale participation as well as the Philippines’ return in 2017.
Ambassador Nolasco and Chairman de Leon thanked Senator Legarda for her intense advocacy and support for the return of the Philippines to the Venice Biennale in 2015 after a 51-year absence. The Philippine’s participation is a joint effort of the Office of Senator Legarda, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the NCCA.
In his remarks during the closing ceremonies, Ambassador Nolasco said that by participating in the Biennale, the Philippines through its art not only promotes culture, but also conveys to the world our social conditions and communicates why Filipinos are the way they are.
He noted that the Philippines is becoming a major creative hub in East Asia and by participating in the Venice Biennale, the Philippines is able to attract interest that could generate employment opportunities and investments in the Philippines’ creative industry. END