HOME OF PHILIPPINE AVANT-GARDE ART • THE PHILIPPINES' PREMIER MUSEUM OF EXPERIMENTAL ART •
HOME OF PHILIPPINE AVANT-GARDE ART • THE PHILIPPINES' PREMIER MUSEUM OF EXPERIMENTAL ART •
HISTORY:
The Legendary ART LAB
Written, collated and designed by Maxine Syjuco
Artistic rendition by Maxine Syjuco of ART LAB in the 1990s (left; designed by Architect Roberto “Bobby” Regala Jr.), and ART LAB today (right; designed by Architect Jose Antonio “Jae” Narciso)
ART LAB is the Philippines’ premier museum of experimental art. Beginning as a non-profit developmental art facility founded by Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco in 1990, its legendary roots as an alternative art space have since evolved into its current legacy as ‘The Home of Philippine Avant-Garde Art”.
The name ‘ART LAB’ is inspired by its core mission: to treat art as an ever-evolving experiment within a dynamic ‘laboratory’ of infinite possibilities.
Driven by a constant pursuit to seek the new, ART LAB blurs traditional artistic boundaries— fusing diverse disciplines and genres to pioneer new mediums, new directions, and new audiences for Philippine art.
Presenting decades of groundbreaking multi-media art by the famed Syjuco family, ART LAB is a testament to the undeniable ingenuity of Filipinos to redefine self-expression— showcasing our nation's bold creative history and cultural heritage both locally, as well as on the global stage.
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Founders and Directors:
Cesare A.X. Syjuco and Jean Marie Syjuco
Museum Director and Chief Curator:
Maxine Syjuco
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CESARE A.X. SYJUCO
Founder and Director
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JEAN MARIE SYJUCO
Co-founder and Director
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MAXINE SYJUCO
Museum Director and Chief Curator
The Art Lab Story:
A BRIEF HISTORY
[Condensed from ‘Two Minds, Many Madnesses: The Legendary Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco’ and ‘Masters of Mischief: Cesare A.X. Syjuco and Jean Marie Syjuco - Pioneers of the Avant-Garde’ by Maxine Syjuco]
“There are no two people as passionate and loving as my mother and father. Behind closed doors— beneath the legend and the legacy— they are inextinguishably larger than life; breathing art into a language so profound it is understood only by fire.”
—Maxine Syjuco
The Legend of ART LAB: from Rising, to Returning, to Immortalizing
Pioneers of the Avant-Garde: Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco as the Legends Behind the Legend
Cesare A.X. Syjuco and Jean Marie Syjuco are legendary pioneers of the avant-garde. Throughout their decades-long careers, their names have remained synonymous with breaking boundaries for the advancement of Philippine art.
Working both individually and collectively, their contributions are monumental— from spearheading multi-media, transmedia, and performance art, to creating entirely new mediums of their own.
As leading vanguards of the experimental, their luminary influence leaves an indelible impact on contemporary art and the lens through which it is viewed today.
Radicals of a Brave New Era: Breaking Boundaries and Spearheading New Art Forms (1980s)
It is no secret that a third-world country like the Philippines once had little to no room for supporting non-commercial art, particularly amidst the political and economic turmoil of the 1980s. During this time, public engagement with local art was mediated almost entirely through commercialized galleries and government-run institutions, which often prioritized financial viability and marketability over pure creative freedom.
In an art criticism essay written by Cesare in 1987 titled “A Dog Year for Philippine Art,” he observed:
“The current hibernation of Philippine art will ascertain that only those genuinely committed to a vision will persist. It makes a lot of sense that droughts are good for the shedding of unwanted flab, as the body politic feeds on its own fat. The 'art boom' of the '70s brought the vermin from out of the woodwork. The years ahead, if they proceed at the same pace, should send them back in droves.”
Because alternative art spaces were few and far between, the potential for self-expression and artistic experimentation was inherently limited. Deeply troubled by these constraints, Cesare and Jean Marie sought to challenge the status quo. Impassioned by a mission to push Philippine art to new heights, they remained independent of factions and restrictive schools of thought.
“Avant garde. Beatific. Dadaist. Euphoric. Mystical. Surreal. Words won't suffice describing the indescribable events that transpired on the closing night of Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco's art exhibit at the Sining Kamalig. The show ingeniously combined painting, sculpture and the performing arts to form a creative triad that regaled the audience with the most unique and unforgettable sensory experience.” —Felix Fojas, San Juan Magazine (1985)
On their own terms, Cesare and Jean Marie fearlessly devoted themselves to pursuing their avant-garde vision despite the lack of financial support and gain. At this time, the couple was only in their late-20s, and with unbeatable tenacity, they mounted their anti-traditional art in unconventional venues— such as public streets, parks, wet markets, libraries, universities, and alternative spaces (like the Penguin Cafe and Cafe Orfeo in Malate, Galeria de las Islas in Intramuros, Pinaglabanan in San Juan, Sining Kamalig in Pasay, and Kulay Diwa in Parañaque, to name a few).
Left: Cesare in a trance as he fills the glass walls of Sining Kamalig with his ‘simulated writing’ from his series “The Sleights and Slants of a Fast Hand”, circa 1980s / Right: Cesare posed with his award-winning “Tanka” series, circa 1980s
Left: Jean Marie poses with her interactive audience-participatory mixed-media sculpture titled “The Talking Booth”, circa 1980s / Right: Jean Marie in an impromptu performance held in the Quiapo wet market, circa 1980s
Sacrificing what little they had to fund their creative endeavors, they boldly soldiered through with their daring innovations, and independently rose to the pinnacle of their fields.
Soon representing the country in prestigious international venues, they continued to work tirelessly— captivating the audience with their meteoric rise.
Cesare A.X. Syjuco became widely regarded as “The Golden Boy of Philippine Art” and “the country’s most feared art critic”. As a multi-awarded painter, poet, art critic and transmedia artist, some of his remarkably varied distinctions during this period included:
TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines) Award for Art & Culture Advancement
The very first Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Award for Art Criticism
AAP Grand Prize and Gold Medal for Painting from the Art Association of the Philippines
Gawad CCP Sa Sining Biswal (Thirteen Artists Award) from the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature in English Poetry
UNESCO Paris Gold Medals for Photography and Design
CMMA Outstanding Filipino Communicator citation from the Catholic Mass Media Awards
Gerry Roxas Foundation Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts
Simultaneously, Jean Marie Syjuco became a leading figure in painting, sculpture and installation art, as well as the Philippines' foremost exponent of performance art— bringing unprecedented attention and institutional support to the once-obscure and maverick art form.
Among her awards and distinctions during this period included:
Gawad CCP Sa Sining Biswal (Thirteen Artists Award) from the Cultural Center of the Philippines
AAP Grand Prize and Gold Medal for Sculpture from the Art Association of the Philippines
Grant to Australia (for her performance ‘Por Kilo: Mail Order Bride’, The Performance Space, Australia Cultural Center)
Grant to France (for her performance ‘Parangal sa Patalim [Homage to the Blade]’, Alliance Francaise de Manille, Artist in Residence)
Grant to Thailand (Philippine Representative, first Asean Artists' Creative Interaction)
Grant to Hawaii (Kayumanggi Presence ’93: Honolulu Academy of Art)
Cultural Center of the Philippines: Grant to showcase Performance Art on stage for the first time in history (for her performance ‘Puting Uwak [White Crow]’)
A Legend Rises - The Revolutionary ART LAB in Makati (1990)
By 1990, then in their mid-30s and amidst their skyrocketing success as cutting-edge visionaries, Cesare and Jean Marie fulfilled their lifelong dream by opening ART LAB.
Located along EDSA in Makati, their vision was to establish an alternative art space in the heart of the city, offering a sanctuary for artists in search of respite from the humdrum of commercialism.
As a non-profit developmental art facility, ART LAB rapidly garnered a massive following and evolved into a vibrant hub for multi-media and literary workshops, radical collaborations, and international exhibitions celebrating the avant-garde.
“Build us a box,” asked Jean Marie of Architect Roberto “Bobby” Regala Jr. “A plain box where magic happens…”, added Cesare. “We want ART LAB to push art not as commodity, but art as energy.”
Meteoric Fame and the Heat of the Spotlight (Mid-1990s)
The incredible wave of awards, grants, exhibitions, collaborative events, and extraordinary triumphs continued for Cesare, Jean Marie and ART LAB. Together, their shared vision and unstoppable dedication transformed a mere artistic ‘laboratory’ into a cultural revolution.
As their fame and prominence reached unprecedented heights, however— so, too, did friction with an establishment disgruntled by their influence on breaking away from tradition.
The avant-garde couple's relentless dismantling of artistic norms earned them a reputation as ‘dangerous radicals’, and Cesare's cutthroat art criticism drew such virulent opposition that his very life was threatened by anonymous agitators seeking to silence him.
It is also rumored that a mysterious fire was ignited in the backroom gallery of ART LAB— resulting in the physical loss and damage of many of Cesare and Jean Marie’s personal artworks, archives, and memorabilia.
Refusing to continue in such an increasingly toxic environment under the spotlight, the dynamic couple made a decisive— albeit mysterious— retreat from the public eye.
Choosing creative sanctuary over celebrity sensationalism, they disengaged from the mainstream and sheltered into a private realm to focus on their art; away from the noise, and amidst safer surroundings within which to raise their five children: Michelline, A.G., Beatrix, Maxine, and Julian.
Triumphant Comeback with ‘Literary Hybrids®’, The Electric Underground Collective, and Transmedia Mastery (2000s)
After a decade of retreat from the spotlight, Cesare and Jean Marie re-emerged into the art world— armed with new mediums, brave new visions, and bold new voices.
In 2004, Cesare unveiled his major comeback exhibition, Flashes of Genius, at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Curated by Jean Marie and long-time collaborator Sid Gomez Hildawa, the exhibit introduced Cesare’s iconic Literary Hybrids®— a fusion of visual art and poetry presented through lightboxes, text-object composites, neon, and site-specific installations. Critics soon hailed him as “The Father of Literary Hybrids”— unanimously praising his work as “a stunning comeback”, and “a brilliant achievement for Philippine art!”.
In 2006, Cesare and Jean Marie formed The Electric Underground Collective— a congregation of multidisciplinary artists collaborating to bring experimental art, spoken word poetry, literature, music, and performance art to venues outside conventional constraints. The group toured locally and internationally from 2006 to 2012.
By 2009, Cesare launched his CD-Album and Book-Set titled “A Sudden Rush of Genius” featuring his underground poetry fused with experimental music. The prizewinning “Hybrid Poems” in these recordings were a collection of selected pieces from 1981 to 2008— ranging from poems found in his Palanca award-winning “The Chameleon” to newer poems till 2008.
Produced by his son, A.G. Syjuco, and designed by his daughter, Maxine Syjuco (along with graphic artist Mandy Cabral), the book was critically-acclaimed as “a twisted alterno/literary masterpiece… a huge and stunning achievement for OPM!”.
It was awarded the National Book Award by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) at the 29th National Book Awards.
During this period, Cesare received further prestigious recognition. This time, from his alma mater with the La Sallian Achievement Award for Art and Culture Innovation, as well as the highly-coveted Outstanding Manilan Award (a.k.a. the Araw ng Maynila ‘Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan’ Award) for New Art Forms from the City of Manila.
Through every milestone, Jean Marie stood steadfastly by Cesare’s side. While creating her own paintings, sculptures and installations, she single-handedly managed Cesare’s performances and curated his exhibits— overseeing everything from photography and video documentation to total event production.
On rare surprise occasions, she would stage her new performance art pieces— leaving audiences just as awe-stricken as they were in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Together, Cesare and Jean Marie continued to collaborate on numerous two-man exhibitions— showcasing their latest forward-thinking transmedia works across various galleries, museums, universities and the like. By ingeniously fusing literature and text with visual and performative art, they further solidified their legacy as true masters of transmedia, multimedia, and the experimental.
A Legend Returns - The New ART LAB in Alabang (2013)
Devoted to persistently pushing the envelope and continuing their mission for the advancement of Philippine art, Cesare and Jean Marie re-opened ART LAB within their family compound in Ayala Alabang Village in 2013.
Standing on a combined studio and exhibition space eight times the size of its original site along Edsa, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco remained committed to developing new directions, new mediums, and new audiences for Philippine art.
Architecture by Architect Jose Antonio “Jae” Narciso / Landscape design by Al Sibal, 2013
Celebrated Modern Masters of the Avant-Garde (2013 - 2020)
True to its form, the legend of ART LAB persevered and created more waves of change. Showcasing new works by Cesare, Jean Marie, and their children— now all adults and esteemed artists in their own respective fields— the environment celebrated avant-garde experimentation through the fusion of mediums.
Literary Hybrids and transmedia took center stage as light works, neon, vitrine boxes, mixed-media installations, audio/video and performance pieces merged with paintings and sculptures— creating an experiential environment unlike anything the Philippines had seen before.
The Pandemic and Whispers of Cryptic Mysteries (2020)
In 2020, as the global pandemic brought the world to a sudden standstill, ART LAB temporarily closed its doors to the public.
The bustling sanctuary of avant-garde experimentation grew quiet, transitioning from a vibrant public hub into a private enclave where the family continued their relentless, uninterrupted pursuit of creation— (quite literally) ‘masked’ behind closed gates.
Despite the world being at a standstill, Jean Marie was selected by the National Gallery Singapore as the Philippine representative for their historical exhibition, ‘See Me, See You: Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia’, which featured her landmark piece from 1986.
Titled ‘See Me, See You (Revenge of the Giraffe)’, the work is a multi-media masterpiece that fuses sculpture with painting, sound works, video, installation and performance (via audience participation and cathode-ray tube television).
Meanwhile, in keeping with his tradition of "Art in the Mail" (begun in the 1970s by sending posters and postcards to various audiences), Cesare mailed over a thousand copies of his latest poster titled "CESARE 2.0."
The cryptic and controversial subtext read: “Rumors of his recent demise have been grossly exaggerated. So eat shit and die, motherfuckers. The Ultra-New CESARE Version 2.0 is alive, and well, and badder than hell. Watch out!”
Designed by his daughter, Maxine, the poster featured a cartoonized portrait of Cesare as Superman, armed with an electric guitar, a paintbrush, and an amputated leg.
This remains the last correspondence the world has received from the Syjucos before the pandemic drew to a close.
Since then, widespread rumors of Cesare’s and Jean Marie’s whereabouts have circulated— once again leaving audiences in suspense.
A Legend Immortalized - ART LAB: The Syjuco Museum (2027 / 2028)
Rising from the stillness of the decade, a new chapter dawns for the Syjuco family's historical legacy with the opening of ART LAB: The Syjuco Museum, slated for 2027 to 2028.
Proudly standing as the "Home of Philippine Avant-Garde Art" and the country's premier museum of experimental art, this newly envisioned institution is directed by their youngest daughter, the internationally awarded artist and poet Maxine Syjuco.
Preview images of the ongoing Ground Floor renovations under the curatorial leadership of Maxine Syjuco: featuring restored and recreated masterworks by Cesare A.X. Syjuco and Jean Marie Syjuco
The museum serves as both a sanctuary for the avant-garde and a living testament to a family that continuously redefines Philippine contemporary art.
Housing decades of groundbreaking works, archives, and transmedia artifacts, ART LAB: The Syjuco Museum is a monumental contribution to Philippine art and history— a timeless beacon where the brilliant and visionary flames of Cesare and Jean Marie Syjuco will continue to ignite, inspire, and captivate generations to come.
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COMING SOON: MINOR REVISIONS TO TEXT, ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, TABLE OF CONTENTS, HISTORICAL REFERENCES, SPECIAL THANKS, AND COLLATED CITATIONS IN ‘APA’ FORMAT