Metropolitan Museum of Manila marks 50th anniversary with 2 major art exhibitions
MANILA — The Metropolitan Museum of Manila will open two exhibitions on November 8 as part of its year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary, offering audiences a look at the evolution of Philippine art and the work of Philippine-born American artist Alfonso Ossorio.
Titled “Miniaturismo to Modernism: Philippine Art from the 19th Century to the Sixties” and “Alfonso Ossorio: In My End Is My Beginning,” the exhibitions will run through May 30, 2027, as part of the museum’s M 50 Now anniversary program.
Curated by art historian and academic Dr. Patrick Flores, “Miniaturismo to Modernism” surveys Philippine art from the 19th century through the 1960s, examining the artists, ideas and developments that shaped the country’s artistic history.
The exhibition traces three major periods: the final century of Spanish colonial rule, when Filipino artists trained in local art schools and European academies; the emergence of modernism, as artists began questioning established traditions; and the period when Philippine art increasingly engaged with international movements and ideas while developing its own visual language.
Drawn primarily from private collections, with additional works from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the exhibition also examines the role of patronage and the preservation of Philippine art.
It brings together works by artists from different generations, from pioneering figures Damian Domingo and Juan Luna to National Artists for Visual Arts recognized since 1972. It also includes works by Juan Senson, who mentored generations of artists in Angono, and internationally acclaimed artist David Medalla.
The second exhibition focuses on Ossorio, tracing his artistic practice from the 1930s to the 1990s.
A distinctive figure in modernism, Ossorio explored the relationship between abstraction and expression, combining dreamlike imagery with the textures and materials of found objects.
“Alfonso Ossorio: In My End Is My Beginning” features works ranging from early drawings to pieces from his celebrated “Congregations” series. It also examines his connections to key figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York, including Jackson Pollock, and his contribution to the broader history of modern art.
The exhibition draws from the Lito and Kim Camacho Collection, which brings together an extensive selection of Ossorio’s works.
Its title comes from one of the artist’s works and reflects his belief in the continuing transformation of life and form.
“Either the bone disintegrates, or it’s fused into the picture. It’s a step in the continuity. It’s not dead, it’s continuing,” Ossorio once said.
Both exhibitions will be on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila from November 8 to May 30, 2027. Tickets are available through the museum’s website, metmuseum.ph, and at the venue.