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8/15/2019 Curators of Love
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/curators-of-love 1/226 Mabuhay Magazine / February 2016
Curators of Love
CULTURE
The reopened San Agustin Museum retraces a centuries-old story of
passion for knowledge and service. By JOANNE VILLANUEVA
Photos by RYAN KABIGTING
The exhibition grew even more through collections from art-loving sponsors and donations from
other churches and historic sites.
Cinnamon from Mindanao was
Philippines’ exotic product at the
onset of the galleon. Trade also
brought Mexican chili to Southeast
Asia. Filipinos were accustomed to
black pepper and ginger, thus not
adapting a chili-rich cuisine.
DURING THE APEC SUMMIT 2015, it was
the first in Chile President Michelle
Bachelet’s itinerary, and the last in Russian
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s. In
1993, UNESCO recognized it as a World
Heritage Site. In 1953, it played host to
the first Philippine Plenary Council. Since
its completion in 1607, countless couples
exchange vows inside its walls. Situated at the
historic district of Intramuros, it is a pricedpossession for the Filipinos—the San Agustin
Church, Convent, and Museum.
Te church is a museum on its own. In case you
were wondering, the seemingly sculpted patterns
in the ceiling are not embossed, but rather parts
of a huge painting following rompe l’oeil , a
technique requiring meticulous brushwork to
give the illusion of 3-dimentionality. Architecture
is styled in dramatic Baroque. Te entrance is
guarded by two Fu Dragon sculptures, recalling
the large number of Chinese artisans employed
during the Spanish Period.
But at the right side of the church facade is
the entrance to the museum proper, where
you can get your Religion and History 101
while pacing through a diverse selection
of Art. When it started in 1964, San
Agustin Museum only showcased photos
of buildings built by the religious order of
Augustinians. It later became a first-class
bodega or storage to preserve artworks. It
was open for everyone to see, but unlike theexhibitions we know of today, the space did
not follow any direction, and pieces were just
categorized by their form or material. After
a semi-hiatus reserved for renovations, the
San Agustin Museum is back with a new
face.
RETRACING A 450-YEAR-OLD LEGACY
Te new museum gets its direction from the
start of their journey. In 1565, members of
the Legazpi Expedition found themselves
on the shores of Cebu. Brought in were five
Augustinians, who would spread Christ’s
Museum Di r ect or
F r. Ri cky Vill ar w ill
gl adly tour you
around the hal ls.
26 Mabuhay Magazine / February 2016
8/15/2019 Curators of Love
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/curators-of-love 2/227 www.philippineairlines.com
Lines of encased ivory statues resemble a historian’s dream toy store. Porcelain wasthe most lucrative cargo of the Manila Galleon.
Temporary exhibitions
are in tune with the
liturgical calendar.
January’s was for the
Immaculate Conception.
27 www.philippineairlines.com
love through schools, bridges, and churches,
including San Agustin. Te Augustinians
were lovers of a lot of things, not just
Philanthrophy. Tis now serves as the
theme that partitions and gives direction
to the rebranded museum. For example,
by the entrance you’ll find a hall themed
“Messengers of Love”, showing artifacts
and artworks on the Manila Galleon, thetrading ships that sailed from Manila to
Acapulco and back. On the second floor
is a room titled “Flora de Filipinas: Love
for Science”, dedicated to the first Filipino
botanist, Fr. Ignacio de Mercado, who
documented his botanical findings with
sketches and paintings. If you’re fond of
vintage watercolor art, then this collection
is for you. Te foxing of the framed papers
will bring back memories of old books,
aged-wood-scented with sweet hints of
vanilla or grass. A recreation of the friars’
room is also located on the second floor,
themed “Governing with Love”. Noticeable
are two large tables, one where they decide
on important matters of the church, and
another, where they perform activities of
the mundane, like reading the newspaper.
Te museum is a huge safe containing
Philippines’ most priced artworks. Tere is
“Te Seven Archangels”, the oldest recordedpainting in the country. Santos (sculptures
of saints) are adorned with Lagang , now
a lost art form. “Chambered nautilus” in
Cebuano, this motif arranges mollusk shells
into flowers. Also displayed are numerous
status symbols such as the Manton de
Manila, a silk shawl embroidered in China
and crocheted in the Philippines.
Post-WWII, it was the only building left
intact in Intramuros. It was restructured
after two instances of fire prior to the war.
San Agustin has preserved 450 years of
marriage between art and science, as well as
culture and religion. Given a new direction,
the institution reassures an absolute gem forthe Filipinos, for more years to come.
Te San Agustin Church, Convent, and
Museum is located at Intramuros, General
Luna Street, Manila. Open daily from 8AM-
12NN and 1PM-6PM. Admission rates are
Php200 for adult and Php160 for students
and seniors. For group tours with the
museum director and seminarians, contact
(+632) 7146889 or 7147470.
Qualit y is
pr e ser v ed thr ou gh
the mu seum’ s
con ser v ation lab.