PURITA KALAW-LEDESMA PRIZES IN ART CRITICISM 2024

The 11th year of the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism welcomes entries on the theme of ‘Fluctuation.’

In the 1974 book The Struggle for Philippine Art, Purita Kalaw-Ledesma and Amadis Ma. Guerrero described the Philippine art scene of the time as “a fluctuating, flexible and wide-open field” where diverse trends were concurrently explored by the artists. Kalaw-Ledesma emphasized that an artist should “never [be] in a fixed state of mind” and should always experiment with new ideas and approaches as life continues to shift beyond one’s control and expectations.

In this state of fluctuation, Kalaw-Ledesma affirmed the essential role of criticism, for it points out the significance of the artist’s work and efforts in experimentation to both the viewer and the artist. She stated that, without criticism, the art movement in the Philippines would not develop.

Prompted by Kalaw-Ledesma’s perception of fluctuation as a realm of possibility, we seek entries anchored as criticism about artists, art works, exhibitions, projects, practices, or events that take a cue from irregular and unexpectable changes. Fluctuation alludes to the sense of unpredictability prevalent today, as intensified by war, inflation, environmental crises, technological developments, and divisive public opinions. Concentrating on fluctuation may create opportunities to reconsider the importance of art and, therefore, the role of criticism in the face of uncertainty.

The Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism will have English and Filipino categories. A panel of jurors will shortlist a maximum of six (6) writers from each category. From these lists, winners will be selected by the editors of the partner publications. Winners will be announced during the awarding ceremony scheduled in November 2024.

Two winners will be selected from the English category. The winner of the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prize for The Philippine Star will be awarded a regular column under ‘Platforms’ in the Arts and Culture section of the paper, to be published once a month with a total of 12 articles for a year. The winner of the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prize for ArtAsiaPacific will be contributing to the bi-monthly publication, with a total of six (6) articles for a year.

One winner selected from the Filipino category will be awarded the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prize for Katipunan Journal and will be contributing to the bi-annual research publication, with a total of two (2) articles for a year.

In addition to the opportunity to have their written works published, one of the winners will be selected and offered a month-long writer’s residency with Orange Project in Bacolod City, one of our local residency partners. The residency will give the winning writer an opportunity to immerse and interact with the local art community.

The Ateneo Art Awards-Purita Kalaw-Ledesma (PKL) Prizes for Art Criticism was launched in 2014 by Ateneo Art Gallery and Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation, Inc. (KLFI). It was named in honor of Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, art patron and founder of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP). Kalaw-Ledesma believed in art criticism’s “vital role in the development of culture,” citing its capacity to “guide both artists towards new directions and public taste towards the best in past and current artistic output.”

QUALIFICATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS

  1. Employees, whether full-time or contractual, of the Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila University, or Kalaw Ledesma-Foundation, Inc., are not allowed to participate.
  2. Must be based in the Philippines.
  3. To avoid conflicts of interest, participants must not have a regular column and must not hold an editorial post in any broadsheet or local/international magazine. Regular columnists are not allowed to join but contributors, defined as any person whose written work is published with a byline but not identified as a columnist, may join.
  4. Bloggers defined as writers of online journals, websites, or whose written work is published in electronic social media may join.
  5. Past winners of the PKL Prize are not eligible to participate.
  6. Writers who have been shortlisted in the past for the PKL Prize may still submit an entry.

MECHANICS FOR ENTRIES

  1. Entries should be essays with no more than 1,000 words.
  2. Entries must reflect the theme of the Program. This year’s theme is Fluctuation, inviting entries anchored as criticism about artists, art works, exhibitions, projects, practices, or events that take a cue from irregular and unexpectable changes. Fluctuation alludes to the sense of unpredictability prevalent today, as intensified by war, inflation, environmental crises, technological developments, and divisive public opinions.
  3. The entry must be written on A4-sized paper. The font should be Arial, Times New Roman, or Book Antiqua, font size 12.
  4. Entries must be submitted digitally as both Word and PDF file attachments with no indication of the identity of the writer on the documents.
  5. Only one original entry is allowed per participant.
    1. The essay should not have been published before on any printed or online platform.
    2. Any entry that has been submitted for consideration in any other writing contest before 30 November 2024 will be disqualified.
  6. Entries must be collated in an accessible Google Drive and submitted at go.ateneo.net/PKL2024Entry with the following file formats with the writer’s last name and title of the entry (ex. Dela Cruz - Essay Title) as filename:
    1. Entry in Word document format (ex. Dela Cruz - Essay Title.docx)
    2. Entry in PDF format (ex. Dela Cruz - Essay Title.pdf)
  7. The deadline for submission of entries will be on 30 June 2024 (Sunday), 11:59 PM.
  8. Copyright of entries of the shortlisted writers (including the winners) shall be held by the writer jointly with AAG and KLFI. All shortlisted and winning essays will be published online in Vital Points after the awarding.

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Lubid ng Pasakit

Mag-aanim na buwan na mula nang huli akong nakatapak sa labas ng aming tahanan. Nagsisimula na ulit marinig ang mga kanta ni Jose Mari Chan sa radyo ng kapitbahay, ngunit hindi ko pa rin dama ang Pasko. Kahit ang tambol na lata at mga tansang pakalansing ay hindi ko na rin magagamit ngayong taon. Ano ba kasi itong lumalaganap na sakit sabi ni Nanay? COVID? Katunog ng lubid, kaya pala parang itinatali kami sa loob ng aming tahanan. Lubid, na tila nakapulupot sa sikmura naming kumakalam mula noong nasibak sa trabaho si Tatay. Lubid, na lalong pinalalaki ang agwat sa pagitan ng mga maralita’t nakaaangat sa lipunan. Tulad ng isang metaporang aking narinig sa tsismisan sa labas ng aming bintana, tayo’y pare-parehong nakalutang sa isang maalong karagatan, subalit ang iba’y nakabarko, may mga nakasakay sa bangka, o kaya’y balsa, may mga palutang-lutang gamit ang salbabida, ngunit mayroon ding tulad naming unti-unti nang nalulunod.

Hindi ko malilimutan ang hapong umuwi si Tatay nang pugto ang mga mata. Isinisigaw ng kanyang panlulumo ang tila masamang balita. Matapos yakapin ng aking ina’y nakita kong tumulo ang kanyang luha sa unang pagkakataon, kasabay ng pagtulo ng ulan sa aming butas na bubong. Isa siya sa mga nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pagkalugi ng pinapasukan niyang pabrika ng tsinelas. Mula noon, nagsimulang pumulupot ang lubid sa aming sikmura. Naging musika sa aming pandinig ang pagkatok ng kapitan ng barangay sa aming pinto upang mag-abot ng limang itlog at dalawang lata ng sardinas na pinipilit naming pagkasiyahin sa loob ng isang linggo. Mahirap, subalit mas mabuti na ang ganito kaysa mamatay sa gutom. Mapalad pa kung minsan may darating na mga grupo ng mag-aaral mula sa pribadong sektor na namimigay ng mga balot ng tinapay, bigas, at sabon. Mas nakalulungkot isiping maraming manggagawang nawalan ng trabaho at maraming negosyo, maliit man o malaki, ang nagsara dahil sa pandemyang ito. Mula sa isang pahayagang naiwan sa aming papag na kawayan, natuklasan kong pumalo sa 7.3 milyong Pilipino ang walang trabaho, sa naitalang 17.7% na unemployment rate noong Abril, at inaasahan pa itong tumaas lalo’t hindi pa rin bumababa ang nagpopositibo sa naturang sakit.

Patuloy lamang ang pagtaas ng kaso at bilang ng namamatay sa bansa, ganoon rin sa aming barangay. Noong huling linggo ng Marso, naging usap-usapan ang pagkamatay ni Aling Julita na nangungupahan sa tapat namin. Nailibing na siya bago pa lumabas ang resulta na siya’y nagpositibo. Bukod sa kakulangan sa test kits dahil sa kasagsagan ng tinatawag na VIP testing noon, nanghihinayang rin si Aling Julita sapagkat napakamahal magpagamot at baka hindi kayanin ng kanyang pamilya ang gastusin. Kamakailan lamang ay pumanaw rin ang isang nars na naninirahan sa kabilang kanto, dahil nahawa siya sa isang pasyenteng naglihim na siya’y nakararanas ng mga sintomas ng naturang sakit. Ayon sa kanyang pamilya, hindi man lamang nakatanggap ng nararapat na benepisyo ang nasabing nars sa kabila ng araw-araw na sakripisyo at serbisyo, tulad ng mga ibinabalitang nasasawing medical frontliners sa telebisyon na hindi nakakuha ng limandaang pisong hazard pay. Hindi sapat ang tawagin silang mga “bayani”. Hindi naman sila bubuhayin ng mga mabulaklak na katawagan gaano man ito kagandang pakinggan, bagkus kailangan nila ang suporta ng pamahalaan, tulad ng gamit pamproteksyon at regular na pagtiyak kung sila’y nananatiling negatibo sa sakit. Hindi natin masisisi kung bakit ninanais na lamang mangibang bansa ng ibang nagtapos ng medisina dahil sa mababang pagtrato sa kanila dito. Ako man na nangangarap maging doktor ay nagdadalawang isip kung dapat ko pa bang ituloy at panghawakan ang pangarap kong ito.

Bukod sa hindi kaaya-ayang pagtrato sa mga propesyunal sa medisina sa Pilipinas, isa pa sa mga pumipigil sa akin upang makamit ang pangarap na maging doktor ay ang panibagong paraan ng pag-aaral. Dahil hindi pa maaaring magkaroon ng klase sa mga paaralan, isinusulong ngayon ang distance learning na kadalasang gumagamit ng internet, at mga kagamitang elektroniko. Hindi lingid sa ating kaalamang isa ang Pilipinas sa mga bansang may pinakamahinang koneksyon sa internet. Marami ring mga kabataan ang walang gamit upang makasabay sa ganitong paraan ng pag-aaral. Tulad namin na wala na halos makain, saan namang kamay ng Diyos kami hihiling ng pera para magamit sa pag-aaral? Base sa huling datos ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon bumaba nang higit sa 20% ang enrollment rate ngayon kumpara sa nakaraang taon; mahigit sa anim na milyong mag-aaral sa hayskul at elementarya ang hindi makapag-aaral ngayon. Hindi rin lahat ng tahanan ay angkop para sa pag-aaral. Naalala ko pa ang kwento sa akin ng kaibigan kong si Linda kung paano siya binubugbog ng kanyang ama kapag hindi agad siya nakasusunod sa utos. Paano kaya siya mag-aaral sa ganoong kondisyon? Baka habang kumukuha ng pagsusulit ay utusan siya o kaya habang nagkaklase ay batuhin ng kawali; hindi ko alam, ngunit nakakatakot isipin. Ang tanging bagay na sigurado ko, hindi para sa lahat ang distance learning. Tulad ng katawagan dito, lalo lamang nitong pinalalaki ang distansya ng mga may prebilehiyo, sa tulad naming nasa laylayan.

Tuwing gabi, dumudungaw ako sa bintana upang panoorin ang siklo ng paglaki at pagliit ng buwan para sukatin kung gaano katagal na ba tayong nakagapos sa lubid ng pasakit. Napapaisip rin ako kung ilang siklo pa ba nito ang maaabutan ko. Noong isang linggo pa kasi ako nawawalan ng panlasa at nagpipigil ng pag-ubo. Iniisip kong baka dala lang ng gutom o hamog dulot ng gabi-gabing panonood ko sa paglalayag ng buwan. Ayaw ko na ring dumagdag pa sa problema nina Nanay. Binabalot man ako ng pangamba sa kung anong maaaring dala ng kinabukasang walang katiyakan kung akin pa bang masisilayan, nananalangin na lamang sa mga kumikindap na bituing sana isa lamang masamang bangungot ang lahat, at sakali mang totoo’y magkaroon na ng konkretong plano, at kumilos na ang gobyerno at mga tao upang lagutin na ang lubid na patuloy kumikitil at sumisira ng maraming buhay: ang COVID-19.


ABOUT THE PRIZE

In solidarity with the Filipino community affected by COVID-19, the Ateneo Art Gallery in cooperation with the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation, Inc. has organized the AAG x KLFI Essay Writing Prize to support writers affected by the crisis. With the theme “Thoughts and Actions of Our Time: Surmounting the Pandemic,” writers were encouraged to submit essays that reflect on or discuss the turmoil, struggles, initiatives, and expressions of hope during these trying times.

Through this Prize, the Ateneo Art Gallery hopes to extend assistance to artists and writers in its capacity as a university museum highlighting the Filipino creativity, strength, and resilience during this difficult period.

After receiving more than 100 submissions for the competition, six (6) winning entries were selected by a panel of jurors for each of the student and non-student categories. Writers of the winning entries received a monetary prize and their essays will be published by the Ateneo Art Gallery in an exhibition catalog accompanied by images of shortlisted works from the Marciano Galang Acquisition Prize (MGAP). Essays are also published in the Vital Points website, the online platform for art criticism developed by AAG and KLFI.

View the online exhibition for MGAP and the AAG-KLFI writing competition here.

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Fabian dela Rosa, Portrait of Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, Oil on Canvas | 1932