Mayo Uno sa Pinto

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was thinking of using "sPINTOneity" as the title but you guys might actually stop reading my blog posts altogether. Hahaha!

It was a dull, wind-deprived Labor Day morning for me this year, the heat accompanying my wait for my first night shift as a staff nurse. Then out of the blue, my good friend and (forever) apartment-mate Joey asked me if I want to go to Pinto Art Museum that morning. Just because. Of course the artsy-fancy-fart in me wanted to go but my rigid, boring self did a double-take since I would be having my first night duty later that day. Eventually, I gave in to spontaneity and off we went.

Hello, love.
(c) Cayton

Pinto Art Museum is highly accessible with public transportation and it helped that it was a holiday when we went there. Located at Antipolo, Rizal, you have to first ride the LRT Line 1 and alight at Doroteo Jose Station (15-20 pesos, depending on what station you're coming from), walk the footbridge towards LRT Line 2 - LRT 1's cleaner brother, in my opinion - and ride the train until Santolan Station (20 pesos). Then ride an Antipolo-bound jeepney on the LRT side of the road and tell the driver to drop you off at Ynares Stadium for 25 pesos. Bear with me for all these vehicle transfers but it's all worth it, I promise. Finally, ride a tricycle and tell the driver to drop you off at Grand Heights - ours even asked, "Sa Pinto?" - for 30 pesos.

Ta-da! You're finally there! For 180 pesos (150 for senior citizens and PWDs with valid IDs, 100 for students with valid IDs, and FREE for kids 3 years old below), you just availed yourself a ticket to one of the coolest art museum in the Metro, if not in the whole country. You will be given a map of the area upon registration since the whole estate is composed of various villas housing the galleries scattered across 1.3 hectares. And in that wide expanse of hilly land, there is art literally almost everywhere: from a statue in a nook of a building to an installation in the lawn. There are even occasional sofas and beds outside alongside fancy chairs and table sets!

Four-poster bed under a shade of a great tree? Because why not, right!
(c) Cayton

Pinto, as it is fondly called, houses contemporary art works of local artists within their Mediterranean-inspired villas, which is perfect because of the breezy location of the museum. The place flawlessly combines these artworks with the architecture and the environment, even leaving trees and large boulders unscathed, which made them appear like pieces of art in their own right. 

Hi, Erin! Thanks for becoming a(n) (un)willing model for the boulder!
(c) Cayton

One of the 'exhibits' you'll first come across upon entering the estate is the meditation garden built in honor of the failed love between our national hero, Jose Rizal, and (one of) his (many) lover(s), Leonor Rivera. It even has an interactive display named "Undelivered" where visitors can write anonymous letters to their own frustrated-partners-for-life and then keep these letters under lock and key in a cabinet. This was put up to relive the lovers' longing that they may had felt for one another when Leonor's mother kept Rizal's letters from her daughter. Cradled in the garden, too, is a sculpture meant to be the "tomb" of Maria Clara, Rizal's damsel-in-distress in his literary works believed to be inspired by Rivera.

Keeping them undelivered.
As how they should be.
(c) Cayton

Every square meter of the sprawling 1.3 hectare property is teeming with wonderful works of art: four-poster beds in the lawn, sculpture by the koi pond, and even an intricately-designed brass swing-chair under a tree shade! The villas inside this large art space serve as galleries of the museum and are more than packed with contemporary art works. Although I wasn't able to experience it, guided tours by Sir Andy are highly advised to make your Pinto visit worthwhile and more meaningful. 

Brain and (what seems to be) boobs. Broobs, anyone?
(c) Cayton

How about a fancy shiny cow?
(c) Cayton

One of the most notable artworks in the place is "Karnabal" by a group of artists who call themselves 'Salingpusa'. "Karnabal" is a 12' x 40' acrylic painting that dominates an entire wall in one of the galleries. Much like the monstrous 'Spoliarium', 'Karnibal' has a lot of things going on it; depicting scenes from, where else, a carnival which are mere representations of the societal ills - well, according to one of my college classmates that we bumped into when we visited Pinto (Hi, Erin, again!). 

Salingpusa's 'Karnabal' in all its (panoramic) glory
(c) x-spotsaudiarabia.blogspot.com

Passing through a simple opening in the wall, you'd be surprised that another gallery teeming with sculptures and painting awaits you. What I love about this part of the gallery is the inclusion of a wheelchair ramp to help our PWD brethren to enjoy the rest of the museum. One of my favorite pieces in this gallery is Hilario and Alonday's collab, "Sophia"because of its undertones pertaining to the religiosity of the Philippine society. 

Hilario and Alonday's "Sophia" depicts a female Jehovah as a contrast to the
more-known male god

A walkway to the left leads you to a cafe and another villa-cum-gallery while the stairs will take you to a large mansion in a sea of grass that hosts private events. Looking for more art, we opted to search through the galleries to satiate our hunger. Again, we were never disappointed. Another room full of sculptures and painting welcomed us. And another. Basically, just when you thought that the surprises are over, Pinto will keep surprising you with more hallways and rooms filled with titillating and interesting works of art that will stimulate your mind. 

Montemayor's 'Panalo!', a triptych showing the three disciplines of a triathlon.
(c) Cayton

One of the latest addition to the growing collection of Pinto is a new gallery featuring works of art by our indigenous brothers and sisters. Currently, it showcases different forms of bulul from the different regions of Northern Luzon, and wonderful textiles from the same regions. I do hope their collection will grow and will soon include art forms from our equally artistic Moro brethen down South.

Bulul are wooden sculptures that are believed to bring a good harvest season, hence they
are placed in rice granaries to guard the harvest.
(c) Cayton

Pinto has one last surprise to calm that overwhelmed mind. Hidden at the end of corridor of the last villa is a man-made forest with dimmed lights and zen-like music which awesomely caps your visit in Pinto.

"Calm yo tits!" said the bamboo forest
(c) biyaherongbarat.com

Going back to Manila is easy-peasy. The guard of the place actually asked us if we were leaving and offered to call a tricycle for us. Talk about good service! Thirty pesos seems to be the standard price for a tricycle ride since you have to enter a private subdivision. Tell the driver to drop you off at Ynares Stadium or "sa bayan na lang po" to get you back to the heart of Antipolo. From there, you can do a side-trip and visit Antipolo Cathedral known as the "National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage". The church houses the famous Birhen ng Antipolo, known to be the patroness of travelers and sailors. 

Graaaaaand, man.
(c) servantsofcharity.wordpress.com

After doing a quick trip (and a genuflect, too), you can take a jeepney bound for Cubao for 24 pesos (a peso cheaper!) and alight at the Santolan LRT Station. Then hop on the train and stop in whatever station you can easily access to go home for 15-20 pesos, depending on what station you're going down. 

So if you have extra time and cash to spare, why not escape the stress of the Metro and head up to Pinto Art Museum. Feel the breeze. Absorb the art feels. You are definitely doing your artsy-fancy-fart-self a big favor for dropping by the place. 

P.S. Most of the pictures in this post came from my good and spontaneous friend, Joey. Check out his album of our trip to see Pinto through his trusty lens, an iPad mini.

Until the next trip!

- Paulo

Yes, I am STILL a kid.
(c) Cayton