Curated by Ricky Francisco of Fundacíon Sansó, the latest exhibit from the Art in Resonance program features three never-before-seen abstract Art Protis tapestries by the renowned late National Artist.
Since its launch in 2019, The Peninsula Hotels’ global Art in Resonance program has been fostering meaningful connections through immersive art experiences across all Peninsula properties. For its latest iteration, The Peninsula Manila is holding a landmark exhibition featuring three never-before-seen Art Protis tapestries by the late National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, curated by Ricky Francisco of Fundacíon Sansó.
On view at the hotel’s lobby until September 30, 2025, the exhibition continues The Peninsula Manila’s long-standing tradition of celebrating the arts and engaging the community through exceptional cultural partnerships.
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Art Protis By Federico Aguilar Alcuaz
The large-scale tapestries—”Spring VIII (Abstract #84),” “Spring XII (Abstract #123),” and “Filipiny (Abstract #124)”—measure between 116 x 84 inches and 142 x 88 inches, making them among the artist’s most ambitious works in the medium.
“Art Protis,” refers to a distinctive technique developed in the 1960s at the Wool Research Institute in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic. Originally used for apparel fabric production, it involves layering raw, pre-dyed wool sheets like a collage, then pressing and stitching them onto canvas to create the desired effect. Alcuaz first encountered the process during a 1968 visit to Prague and went on to master the technique, creating works with a sense of uncluttered playfulness.
What makes the tapestries groundbreaking is what they represent: Alcuaz’s bold experimentation. He redefined the traditional notion of tapestries, moving away from their historical role as narrative works and instead transforming them into pure abstractions, marked by the same dynamism and fluidity he explored in his paintings.
Afternoons Of Color
The hotel also recently hosted its second Art in Resonance TALKS program, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: Artist at Large. The event featured a 15-minute film on the artist’s works, followed by a conversation with his son, Christian Aguilar, who shared his insights into his father’s artistic legacy. This was followed by the opening of Homage to Alcuaz at the hotel’s Upper Lobby, a special exhibition of over 40 paintings by young and mid-career artists honoring the National Artist, including works by scholars of Fundacíon Sansó.
Alongside the exhibition, The Peninsula Manila introduces a special Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Art in Resonance Afternoon Tea set inspired by the artist’s works at The Lobby, available until September 30.
For reservations to the Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Art in Resonance Afternoon Tea, call +63 (2) 8887 2888, extension 6694 for restaurant reservations, email [email protected] or visit peninsula.com.
Photos courtesy of The Peninsula Manila.
