Ateneo Art Awards 2024 Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art Return Exhibtion and Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prizes in Art Criticism

The Ateneo Art Gallery (AAG) presents the 21st Ateneo Art Awards (AAA), featuring eight (8) shortlisted writers for the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma (PKL) Prizes in Art Criticism, and four (4) return artists for the Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art Return Exhibition. The Awarding Ceremony and Exhibition Opening was held last November 24, 2025 at the Ateneo Art Gallery. Guests may now visit the Return Exhibition at the third floor galleries until 8 March 2025.

The 2024 AAA - PKL Prizes in Art Criticism, co-presented with the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation, Inc., centers on the theme of “Fluctuation,” referencing the 1974 book The Struggle for Philippine Art wherein Kalaw-Ledesma and Amadis Ma. Guerrero described the Philippine art scene at the time as "a fluctuating, flexible and wide-open field." Prompted by Kalaw-Ledesma’s perception of fluctuation as a realm of possibility, entries are anchored as criticism about artists, art works, exhibitions, projects, practices, or events that take a cue from irregular and unexpectable changes.

This year, there are a total of eight (8) shortlisted writers: six (6) for the English category, and two (2) for the Filipino category:

English Category

Justin Andrew Cruzana - Charlie’s Demons

Elio Garcia - In the Shadow of Language

Jodie Jose - Non-Objects and Magic-Activating Hotspots

Levi Masuli - All That Is Useful Lends Itself to Waste: Inside Jon Olarte’s Gyre Dominion

Jael Mendoza - On Hauntings and Intimacies

Chesca Santiago - Against Community as Moral Currency

Filipino Category

Ryan Cezar O. Alcarde - Line of sight: Ilang tanaw sa paggawa ng sining sa mga laylayan ng lunsod

John E. Barrios - "Iisang Bangka Tayo": Sining at Propaganda sa Panahon ng Pandemya

From the English category, Levi Masuli bags the PKL Prize in Art Criticism for The Philippine Star with his essay “All That Is Useful Lends Itself to Waste: Inside Jose Olarte’s Gyre Dominion.” Masuli will be awarded a monthly column for a year under ‘Platforms’ in the Arts and Culture section of The Philippine Star.

Chesca Santiago was selected for the PKL Prize in Art Criticism for ArtAsiaPacific, with her essay “Against Community as Moral Currency.” Santiago will be given the opportunity to contribute six (6) articles to the bimonthly Hong Kong-based publication for a year. She is also the recipient of a month-long writer’s residency at Orange Project Naranja Residency.

Ryan Cezar O. Alcarde from the Filipino category was awarded the PKL Prize for Art Criticism for the Katipunan Journal for his essay “Line of sight: Ilang tanaw sa paggawa ng sining sa mga laylayan ng lunsod.” Alcarde will have the chance to contribute a total of two (2) articles to the bi-annual research publication for a year.

The Ateneo Art Gallery also welcomes The White House, Ateneo Art Awards’ new Writer’s Residency Partner who have selected Masuli and Alcarde as its first recipients for the month-long writer’s residency located in San Antonio, Zambales.

All shortlisted entries are available for browsing on the Vital Points microsite.

This year, AAG presents the Return Exhibition of past winners of the Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art who completed art residencies: Keb Cerda (AAA 2019, with Liverpool Hope University, UK), Ronson Culibrina (AAA 2018, with Liverpool Hope University, UK), KoloWn (AAA 2018, with La Trobe University, Aus), and Christina Lopez (AAA 2021, with Project Space Pilipinas, Lucban, Quezon and No Space Residency, Baguio City). 

The Ateneo Art Awards 2024 is co-presented by Ateneo Art Gallery, Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation Inc. and The Philippine Star. Other program partners include the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines, ArtAsiaPacific, and Katipunan Journal; local residency partners Orange Project, ABungalow, CASA San Miguel, No Space Residency, Project Space Pilipinas; and international residency partners La Trobe University, Liverpool Hope University, OCAD University, and Artesan Studio.