MoCAF festival brings art to the mall for the holidays

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BRONTË H. LACSAMANA

BRONTË H. LACSAMANA

BRONTË H. LACSAMANA

BRONTË H. LACSAMANA

THE FIRST-EVER Christmas edition of the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF) has opened, with four galleries and four special exhibitions offering holiday treats for art lovers.

Ongoing until Dec. 14, MoCAF: The Christmas Edit! presents galleries, artisans, and workshops at Opus Mall in Bridgetowne, Quezon City.

The festival is basically a “more intimate, festive celebration of contemporary art,” designed to blend with the warmth and bustle of the holiday season, MoCAF’s organizers said at the launch on Dec. 3.

Meant to be a cozy version of its annual flagship fair, The Christmas Edit! challenges visitors to explore the relatively new, premium lifestyle expanse of Opus Mall.

“The July edition remains our grand, main festival, while the Christmas Edition is more festive, relaxed, and community-centered — a smaller but longer 12-day run that’s open to the public and designed for the holiday season,” said Coleen Wong, MoCAF’s festival director, at the opening.

The mall’s main atrium houses most of the local galleries, with a few booths showing special exhibitions by RAKI and brothers Yok and Jek Joaquin. There is also a dedicated showcase for MoCAF Discoveries, the festival’s platform for emerging artists.

This year’s presentation gathers artists from the Discoveries program’s earliest batch to its most recent cohort.

“It’s a meaningful moment for us to see how they’ve grown, both in their artistic practice and the evolution of their work,” Ms. Wong added.

On the third floor, there’s a section titled Street Dreams: The Art of Pop Surrealism that highlights works in the said genre by select MoCAF artists.

The fourth floor is dedicated to the artisans, and includes workshops and creative activities. These include sessions hosted by The Matcha Tokyo and a terrarium-making workshop by Moss Escape.

MoCAF: The Christmas Edit! runs until Dec. 14 at Opus Mall, Bridgetowne Destination Estate, Bridgetowne Blvd. cor. C5 Road, Quezon City. — Brontë H. Lacsamana