Blending art and tech (and, no, not NFTs)
THE ARTISTIC career of Spanish-born Filipino painter Juvenal Sansó was at its most secure and happy when he made the colorful Breton House Series. Now printed in high-resolution onto hi-fi Rega turntables, the cheerful Brittany houses he painted can be part of a unique listening experience.
The limited-edition Sansó x Rega turntables were unveiled at Fundacion Sansó early in October in a music lounge event, and are now available for purchase at their museum shop. They are a collaboration between the UK-based, world-class hi-fi audio brand Rega and the foundation dedicated to Mr. Sansó.
Most importantly, part of the sales from the turntables will be donated for study grants of students from the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines (UP).
“The collaboration with Rega is mainly a means to fund the education of budding artists. We’re able to expand the reach of Sansó’s art to music lovers and audiophiles and raise money for the students,” Ricky Francisco, Fundacion Sansó museum director, told BusinessWorld at the launch.
The painting chosen to grace the rare turntables was the iconic Impact of Creation, inspired by the artist’s visits to Brittany.
It portrays charming, whimsical houses dotting the coastline, azure skies and seas, and fishing boats in the foreground. The cheerful colors give it an optimism, something they noted when choosing it to be the turntable motif.
“Those who don’t know Sansó or are not art lovers always first react to his Breton House Series, since they’re very bright and put people in a good mood,” said Mr. Francisco. “It’s something they can happily display in their homes.”
If all 150 limited-edition sets are sold, the institution will be able to raise a little over a million pesos, which will be enough to support several second- and third-year college students until they graduate.
Mr. Sansó, who was a UP Fine Arts alumnus, had always had a mission to help art students achieve their dreams, secretly giving scholarships out of his own pocket to select UP Fine Arts students in the past.
“The turntable, going beyond being a collectible, is merely a continuation of his vision,” said Mr. Francisco. In fact, the institution has been providing scholarships and grants to over 30 Fine Arts students from Bulacan State University, Far Eastern University, and UP over the past few years.
He added that recipients will be chosen based on teachers’ recommendations. They will be supported until they graduate, after which Fundacion Sansó will host their first exhibition and introduce them to galleries, collectors, and mentors to kickstart their careers.
The Sansó x Rega turntable system is available exclusively at the Fundacion Sansó Museum Shop in San Juan, which has an online shop at fundacionsanso.com. It can also be experienced in person by visiting Fundacion Sansó and its partner galleries, Art Lounge Manila in the Podium, Galerie Joaquin at the Powerplant Mall, and Galerie Nicolas in Greenbelt 5, Makati. — Brontë H. Lacsamana