Philippine Contemporary Art Network - call for Philippine art writing submissions

The Philippine Contemporary Art Network (PCAN) invites contributions to its first volume of writing on Philippine contemporary visual art. Decisively centered in, though not exclusively steered towards, Philippine art contexts, PCAN reflects on the curious location of Philippine art writing as it plays out along the production and presentation of visual arts in recent years. This attempt recognizes the diverse and tonic quality of articulations registered in disparate spheres and opportunities of discourse. As these instances of writing might have been moored in different agenda, PCAN affirms the task of writing as the active form that puts pressure on the tendency towards motion.

As if only existing in the muscle tensions of the writer and the trembling spirits of the reader, the call to gather art writing relieves, at least temporarily, the social authority that maintains writing’s status as subsidiaries of art-making. PCAN positions this collection to be a broad alliance of art and writing: It treats the two faculties as comakers and fellow sufferers of a world. The publishing of this co-habitation functions as events of understanding, painfully shown as things themselves revealing passion and commitment in the rhythm of critique, imagination, and connection.

PCAN’s emphasis on a more hospitable custodianship of writerly rigor, esoteric analytical routes, and ample reflection aligns with a writing that deepens with theory and generates with materiality. Writing that is attentive to the nature of contemporary visual art practice is encouraged. Voices that diligently assert their thoughts through the cracks of the professionalised critical writing are valued here. PCAN looks forward to receive submissions that open up to wider horizons, either through the deployment of the marginal author or to the new irritations that the neglected subject of study surfaces.

Any previously published or unpublished essays of 2,000 - 3,500 word in length, inclusive of references, will be reviewed and considered for publication.

All essays must be sent to Public Engagement and Artistic Formation of PCAN at vargasmuseum@up.edu.ph by October 15, 2019.

If you would like to contribute, please make sure you read the full call here