THE city springs more surprises than many of its residents are ready for. Take Green Papaya Art Projects, a sliver of an art “space” wedged between two middle class-modest homes in Teacher’s Village in Quezon City. Since founders Norberto “Peewee” Roldan and contemporary danseur Donna Miranda opened the space in 2000, Green Papaya has hosted everything from “amplified assemblages” to improvisational dance performances to exhibits featuring Santiago Bose and prolific young artist Maria Tanaguchi.

In short, hindi lang siya art gallery, pero art “space,” suggesting art with a capital “A.” So forget paintings na katerno ng sofa mo or art pieces that founders Norberto “Peewee” Roldan and contemporary danseur Donna Miranda call “market-friendly.” Roldan and Miranda are provocateurs, delighting in the absurd and the marginalized and keen on prying eyes wide shut.

Just like the way the gallery is easy to miss for first time visitors. Once a garage, the gallery proper is pushed back by a concrete apron that serves as smoking area and tambayan. Parang metaphor din for the stuff it presents—available but not especially visible, down home but a bit disturbing, and startling for the way the ordinary is repurposed into something actively different.

Co-founder and performance curator Donna Miranda, 26, was in Kyoto, Japan recently to participate in the third leg of an improvisational dance performance called Chasing the Whale. Supported by the Japan Foundation and various embassies, Chasing the Whale ran on May 3 and 4 at Green Papaya after its debut in Bangkok, Thailand. It featured dancers from Austria, Brazil, Korea, Afghanistan, Denmark and Japan. Miranda emails her thoughts on the succulent fruit of her and Roldan’s work.

Green Papaya was founded by Norberto Roldan (Peewee) and me in 2000. Previously located on the 3rd floor of the Sterten Place condominum (a colorful building near the present location), Green Papaya started out as a gallery providing alternative exhibition space for midcareer and emerging young contemporary artists.

We established Green Papaya out of our dissatisfaction with the current contemporary art landscape, favoring figurative and representational works that are market-friendly if not those that portray a “Filipino identity.” Much more concerned with experimentation and cross-pollination of the different art fields, we decided to set up green papaya as a parallel art space for artists who wish to pursue experimental projects and non-media based art production that put forward the contemporary concerns of Philippine art.

A physical space and then some

Our first two years, was a period of what I call our formative years. Finding the distinct direction and philosophical framework that we wanted to pursue besides as an alternative art/exhibition venue to other artists. The initial projects were purely visual arts exhibition and curated (thematic) group shows. Only in 2002, when we moved to our present location in 124-A Maginhawa in a converted garage space, were we able to define what we really wanted.

Taking in Manni Chaves as artistic director until 2005, we developed projects that now define what Green Papaya is all about. I always say that Green Papaya is a space. A physical space and a space in your head.

Green Papaya Art Projects is artist-run. It endeavors to provide modest resources and a creative platform to Filipino contemporary artists. It also facilitates an environment of artistic and intellectual exchange among artists in the Asia Pacific region. Since it moved to its present location in 2002, it has initiated projects that crossbred the visual arts with contemporary dance, experimental music, spoken word, fashion and new media.

An intimate evening of loud experimental music

In 2004, we launched our regular performance programs which consist mainly of amplified assemblage (aa+) and anatomy projects (ap+) AA+ is an occasional gathering of independent musicians both from the nearby UP College of Music and the thriving music scene in Manila, for an intimate evening of loud, live, and experimental music.

AP+ is a series of contemporary dance performances that seek to engage artists in discursive, collaborative, and creative process in dance. An ongoing research project on framing bodies and relationship in space, AP+ has since served as a platform for young and emerging independent dance artists.

Green Papaya doesn’t make money. It operates a design studio and artshop + cafe within its 60 sqm. premises to help sustain its artistic programs, publications and other costs of operation. Otherwise, we rely on occasional sales from paintings that go to our rental costs. And sometimes from commissioned works from exhibits we have mounted abroad such as Fukuoka Asian Art museum and 24hr Art.

For our performance projects, most artists get paid minimal honoraria that come from private funds. Only with our last performance, Anatomy of Humiliation in Desire, did we get funding from the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.

Why it’s unique

What makes our space unique is that it has become a creative hub for artists from various fields. Aside from a physical meeting place, we have strived to become a creative space where artists converge, exchange ideas and meet.

For more Green Papaya, visit
www.greenpapaya.org.

What’s up

August - Artist in residency by Japanese visual artist Midori
September - An exhbition by Ronald “Pokling” Anading
December – Group show by the art collective, Surrounded by Water.