The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is getting ready for its big comeback early next year, and they've just announced a new chief curator who sounds like he barely sleeps. Carlos Quijon Jr. will be taking the reins of their contemporary art museum, fresh off a stint at MoMA and a Venice Biennale project.
Because apparently, just renovating a major cultural institution isn't enough. The CCP has been sprucing up its facilities since 2021, but now they're bringing in the big guns to ensure the art inside is just as cutting-edge as the new paint job.
Quijon, an art historian, curator, and critic, has been splitting his time between the bustling art scenes of Manila and New York. For the past two years, he was a research fellow at MoMA, diving deep into contemporary and modern art from Southeast and East Asia. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying in its academic rigor.
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Start Your News DetoxHis resume reads like a wish list for any major arts institution. He curated the Philippine Pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale – because why not tackle one of the art world's biggest stages? He also put together an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur and a show called "Echoes and Mirages" in São Paulo, which explored art connections across entire oceans. His writings have graced the pages of heavy hitters like Artforum and ArtReview. The man gets around, and he gets published.
CCP President Kaye C. Tinga is, understandably, thrilled. She noted that the center isn't just upgrading its physical space but also bringing in "visionaries" to craft the next wave of exhibitions and performances. Quijon's global experience, she believes, will not only benefit the CCP but also find deep inspiration within their existing contemporary art collection. A win-win, really.
Quijon, for his part, is ready to champion Filipino artists and push their work onto both local and international stages. His goal is to cement the CCP's status in the ongoing global conversation about contemporary art, both at home and across the region. Sounds like the kind of ambition a newly renovated building deserves.
