From Carlo Aranton’s contemplations on chaos to Jopet Arias fusion of the traditional with the digital, these works puts the viewers’ minds in focus.
Continuing Altro Mondo Creative Space’s full sched to open the year are two group exhibits that deal with introspection.
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The first is an exploration on the beauty of symmetry. Called “begin with a second, a mirror of the first,” it compiles the perspectives Andre Baldovino, Christian Culangan, Floyd Absalon, Gabe Naguiat, Gelo Narag, and Jopet Arias.
“A House of Prayer,” by Jopet Arias 
“Box Out 1,” by Christian Culangan
Each artist explores the nature of these concepts through their own creative practices. Baldovino, Absalon, and Naguiat toil within the constraints of the traditional medium of painting. Culangan works with sound art and video art, while Narag manipulates found objects, paintings, and video art. Meanwhile, Arias’ NFT work fuses traditional and digital art with the metaverse. (You may view his work here.)
The second is a sharing of reflections between four friends called “On Making God Laugh.” Ioannis Sicuya, Chad Montero, Adeo Sta. Juana, and Carlo Aranton express the growth in their personal and professional lives and how their artistic development is influenced and sustained by the lifestyles they lead.
Fascinated by decay and erosion, Sicuya’s miniature derelict landscapes offer a sort of “preview of the aftermath,” and of the natural end of all living beings. Montero takes from the lore, stories, and legends he encountered in his childhood and re-contextualizes their narratives in his paintings to highlight the harsher truths about the grossly outdated “moral lessons” of his references.
Sta. Juana surrenders his precise constructional compositions to the playful scribbles of his daughter Chaouen; to serve as visual metaphors for how our best laid plans are still irrevocably subject to the inevitable uncertainties of life.
“Karera,” by Chad Montero 
“Early Stage,” by Ioannis Sicuya
Aranton contemplates order and chaos by challenging himself to recreate hyperbolic origami structures on aluminum foil—a material inherently more prone to accidental wrinkles than paper; as a way of confronting his obsessive compulsions for control.
Both exhibits run until February 12, 2022. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Viewings are strictly by appointment only. For inquiries, please contact us on Facebook (@altromondoart) or Instagram (@altromondoart).
Banner: “Trono,” by Chad Montero
