The Art Protis of Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila)

 

Art Protis of Frederico Aguilar Alcuaz 

The Art Protis of FedericoAguilar Alcuaz, a temporary exhibit at the third floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, features 20 of National Artist (for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media in 2009) Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s (1932-2011) most beautiful art textile works, made in the 1970s and 1980s in Brno,  Barcelona and Manila, from the collection of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).  

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Gallery entrance

Some of these works were featured in the 1971 Modern Tapestries Exhibit. Opened last March 13, 2018, it was supposed to run until May 25, 2018 but was still ongoing during my visit.

 

Abismo y Precipio (1971)

Apotheosis (1980, Barcelona)

 

Alcuaz, renowned in the art world for his diverse talents in visual arts, painting, sculpture and mixed media, made use of a unique Czech technique of creating unwoven art works which were invented in the 1950s by a team (F. Pohl, V. Skala and J. Haluz) from the Wool Research Institute in Brno (the second biggest city of the Czech Republic). 

Autumn Night (1970, Manila)

Encounter D (1980, Barcelona)

The three also invented another procedure called Arteg, a technology based on the principle of seamless interconnection of colored wool fleeces which were put together through the aid of a needle punching machine. 

In the patented process, fleece wool is stitched by a machine onto a fabric backing after being layered by an artist. The technique, originally aimed for apparel fabric production, was soon mainly used for creating distinct artworks which was suitably named Art Protis.

 

Green Earth (1970)

Art Protis was artistically developed by famous Czech artists Jiří Trnka (known for his illustrations and animations) and Antonín Kybal (known for producing textiles to appease the stylistic demands of modernist architecture since the late 1920s). Kybal, merging his background in painting with a deep knowledge of textile production and handcraft, became the single most important promoter of Art Protis locally and abroad.

 

Metaphor (1980)

The works Kybal created with the Art Protis technique were prominent in the parts of Czechoslovak pavilions at World exhibitions.  Awarded gold medals, both at EXPO ‘67 in Montreal and EXPO ‘70 in Osaka, they were eventually recognized by the art world. 

Mythical Yellow (1979, Manila)

Reencuentro C (1980, Barcelona)

Using this foreign technique and his skills and talent, Alcuaz was able create outstanding collage artworks.

 

Reencuentro U (1980, Barcelona)

Reminiscencia No. 5 (1979, Brno)

After finishing his studies in Madrid, this wide-eyed wanderer of the globalizing art world even back stayed on to live and familiarized himself with the art and culture of Europe. In 1968, Alcuaz visited Prague where his interest was immediately caught by the Art Protis. 

Reminiscencia No. 14 (1979, Brno)

Reminiscencia No. 20 (1979, Brno)

In the premises of Vlněna textile company (where the special stitching machine was located) in Brno, a Czech artist introduced him to the new, one-of-a-kind textile collage technique. By then, Alcuaz fell in love, not only with the art, but with the city of Brno as well.

 

Reminiscencia No. 23 (1979, Brno)

Reminiscencia No. 25 (1979, Brno)

After two decades, his works have become highly favored, not only for its refinement and European flair, but also for his ease and pleasure in conveying “uncluttered playfulness” with constant fluidity. 

Show Window (1980)

Showelle (1980, Barcelona)

In this set of Art Protis, he made art in an unconventional manner, creating non-woven tapestries by first preparing wool, which comes in raw sheets dyed in different colors, then cutting them to pieces and placing on top of one another like a collage. 

Simile (1980, Barcelona)

Spring in the Alley (1975)

Through a warp knitting machine, the finished layers were then pressed and stitched together on to a canvas.

The Loggia (1975)

The Window (1975)

The Art Protis of Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: Gallery XXI, GSIS North Hall, 3/F, National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA), Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM - 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Visitors shall be limited to 100 per museum per session. Visitors are required to pre-book online at https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov at least a day before the visit. Confirmation of booking will be sent through email. Group reservations are limited to five (5) persons only.  Walk-in visitors will NOT be accommodated.