Dubbed by some as the “art gallery Sanso built,” Galerie Joaquin celebrated its 20th anniversary in a glittering emerald-themed party at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Peninsula Manila.
Led by no other than Galerie Joaquin founder, managing director and PeopleAsia‘s “Men Who Matter” 2022 awardee Jack Teotico himself, the 20th Anniversary Dinner doubled as a thanksgiving affair that honored the many people who have paved the way for the success of the group.
Since its opening in 2002, the gallery has taken pride in bringing its clientele the best of Filipino modern and contemporary art — from the works of established and top-notch masters to some of today’s most exciting contemporary visual artists. It has hosted some of the most significant one-man exhibitions of modernist masters, such as National Artists Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Abdul Mari Imao, and Arturo Luz, as well as Presidential Medal of Merit Awardees Juvenal Sanso and Ramon Orlina.
Major artists Mario Parial, Lydia Velasco, and Carlo Magno, along with vanguards Ed Castrillo, Marcel Antonio, and Hermes Alegre were some of the broad arrays of creatives initially represented by Galerie Joaquin. In keeping with its natural momentum, the gallery’s strategic evolution continued its focus on promoting diverse works by talented individuals including Gig de Pio and son Vincent de Pio, influential sculptors Michael Cacnio and Daniel Dela Cruz; standout talents Ram Mallari and Marge Organo; and the prodigious Dominic Rubio.
The Galerie Joaquin Group also forged a determined path to share art and introduce artists to the public from its modest branch at Podium mall in 2005, to new locations in various parts of the Metropolis. In September 2021 — despite unfavorable circumstances brought about by the pandemic — the group opened a sister gallery in Davao City’s upmarket location at the Azuela Cove. Most recently, Galerie Joaquin celebrated its successful expansion of branches advantageously situated in Ayala Malls’ One Bonifacio High Street in BGC and in Rockwell’s prestigious Power Plant Mall.
Through the unified involvement and shared engagements with sister galleries such as the Galerie Francesca Group, Galerie Stephanie Group, and Galerie Raphael Group, along with interlocking arrangements with museum institutions and publications including Fundacion Sansó and Art+ Magazine, as well as the well received MoCAF or the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival, the gallery also plays a unique role in bridging art to other creative industries and beyond, as well as continuously playing a galvanizing role in the country’s ever-evolving cultural transformation.
Galerie Joaquin is also the first Filipino art gallery to open in Singapore. In cooperation with British investors, the gallery debuted in Cuscaden Road at The Regent of Singapore in December 2006, to offer homegrown talents a chance to bask in the global limelight and to capture the attention of the Southeast Asian market.
In 2004 and 2005, Sotheby’s conducted its VIP preview of Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art at the gallery’s main branch in San Juan. In addition to Sotheby’s, project integrations with other prominent auction houses such as Borobudur, Masterpiece, and Larasati marked a great achievement for the organization and to the people responsible for its cultivation over the years.
As part of its mission of showcasing Filipino art to international shores, the gallery has succeeded in entering diverse art fairs held in metropolitan capitals including Beijing, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Japan, New York, and Frankfurt. Through its unified creative vision with one of its sister galleries, Galerie Joaquin became instrumental in introducing foreign artistry to the local art scene by bringing in Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, Canadian, Spanish, American, and Syrian artists to exhibit their works in the Philippines.
All these and more were celebrated during the dinner, which was attended by industry partners, prominent artists, members of the press and some employees. The senior management team and heads of galleries, led by Ricky Francisco and Susanne Tiausas, also made a surprise tribute to Teotico, who ended the formal ceremonies by sharing a heartwarming message to those in attendance.
“If I may be allowed to summarize the essence of my message tonight, it can be summed up into three phrases. And, it is: thank you, thank you, and thank you! Sa Wikang Pambansa: Salamat! Salamat! Salamat! It has been such a great and eventful journey we have had the opportunity to join international art fairs, work with top artists… Yes, it has been a great journey, we have had great exhibits, held art fairs and group shows, one man shows, sculpture reviews, thematic projects, joined auctions, not to mention beach and company outings, bonding times, and travel and study tours abroad,” said Teotico.
Later in the evening, guests sang and danced to the energetic beats of Juan Miguel Salvador and The Authority Band. The event was managed by IMPRINT Media Group of Tedrick Yau and Rica Barcelon while the decor was created by Gideon Hermosa.
Cheers to 20 years!
