THE “Genesis Table” – the
stirring heart of QuoLab Iloilo 2017, exhibited at the Festive Walk Parade of
the Megaworld Business Park Iloilo in early October – has a way of compelling a
sense of splendor on its audience.
The imposing round table’s
severe concrete is juxtaposed with the cross section of what looks like an
age-old mahogany tree, revealing its rings and its natural grain.
What “stirs” the slab into
perpetual motion is a large glass aquarium suspended overhead, filled with
water agitated by a motor, its surreal ripples forming rolling shadows on the
table below. Deliberately or by accident, the “Genesis Table” almost resembles
the face of a full moon.
Around the centerpiece are
arranged an array of chairs designed by the emerging artists and designers of
QuoLab Iloilo 2017 – among them Goldwynn Navarro’s avant-garde “Venus” with its
plastic tentacles inspired by the venus flytrap; and LaHuBre Designs’ / Joan
Reyes and Pam Laserna’s “Taas” chairs with their unorthodox twists on classic
Filipino design sensibilities.
The rest of the exhibit’s
pieces seem to branch out from the heavy central piece: This interactive
installation that marries art with furniture, a show of force from some of the
most talented young designers in the region – and a fitting image from emerging
artists seeking a seat at the proverbial table.
”While other regions in the
country now boast their ‘legends’ in the furniture design scene, we envision
that Iloilo could be the venue where startups like us could experiment and
develop,” explained architect-entrepreneur Stephen Peñaranda, one of the
conveners of QuoLab Iloilo 2017, during the exhibit’s opening night.
Coined from “status quo” and
“laboratory” – and a double entendre for collaboration, QuoLab Iloilo aims to
be a yearly affair in the hopes of inspiring an endless pursuit for design
innovation in Iloilo City.
“QuoLab is an attempt to
challenge the status quo of the design industry,” added Peñaranda, alluding to
the art and design world’s unspoken hierarchy, wherein masters and the old
guard are raised on pedestals, as new generations of artists often struggle to
get the opportunities and encouragement they deserve.
Joining Peñaranda, Navarro
and LaHuBre Designs’ Reyes and Laserna are Ilonggo installation artist Bryan
Liao with his Gestalt sculptures, fresh from his second solo show “Exploration
and Exploitation”; Bacolod-based interior designer Ron Miranda Baba;
photographer and visual artist Shiela Molato; graphic and furniture designer
Ron Matthews Espinosa; and architect Daryl Refuerzo.
Peñaranda toys with the
forms of Scandinavian furniture in his “Ramus (Latin for branch) collection” of
lounge chairs and tables – evoking the subtle curves and symmetry of trees;
while Navarro employs sculptural elements for his “Domicile” and
“Interrogation” coffee tables.
Molato shines with her
wounded canvases, as Espinosa pays tribute to his family with his standing
stools and their intricate knit details. In “Ends of Explorations,” Liao
repurposes the retaso of his works from the last few months into a whole new
masterpiece; Baba gives homage to functional and pragmatic Shakers designs but
injects a tinge of oriental inspiration; as Refuerzo’s reclining lounge chairs
exude effortless style and comfort.
“During our preparations, I
noted one common view and aspiration among our ‘quolaborators,’ we see
furniture and design not only as utilitarian objects but also as
representations of our visions,” said Peñaranda.
QuoLab Iloilo 2017 proved
successful in its goal of gathering likeminded people at the early stages of
their startup businesses and art careers, all the while showing Iloilo’s
burgeoning pool of potential and up-and-coming talent.
“Startups can challenge the
status quo,” Peñaranda succinctly summarizes QuoLab Iloilo. “And when you’re
looking for a hub for emerging designers, it has to be Iloilo.”
Photos courtesy of Eric Barbosa Jr. and ATMOS.PH.
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