As the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M Museum) approaches a significant milestone in its history, anticipation has been building for its golden anniversary event November 7, 2026.
For five decades, The M Museum has stood as a distinct cultural and educational landmark that showcases modern and contemporary Filipino and international art, consistently aiming to foster a deeper appreciation for the arts from the public. From its early days along Roxas Boulevard in Manila to its present home in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, The M has continued to evolve alongside the local and global artistic landscape, cultivating spaces for creativity, conversation, and cultural exchange.
Honoring 50 years of “Art for All,” The M Museum will host the “M 50 Now” Gala Night, a special fundraising dinner to be held within the museum itself. Bringing together The M Museum’s Board of Trustees, VIP patrons, donors, and supporters, the evening will honor five decades of artistic and cultural excellence and stewardship while looking toward the next chapter of the museum’s decades-long mission.
“M 50 NOW” is a celebration of this milestone with a series of events, beginning with not one, but two landmark exhibitions, Miniaturismo to Modernism: Philippine Art from the 19th Century to the 1960s and Alfonso Ossorio: In My End is My Beginning. Curated by internationally renowned curator and academic Dr. Patrick Flores, both exhibitions offer a rare and unparalleled opportunity to experience distinct curatorial perspectives that showcase the richness and enduring legacy of modern Philippine art.
Alfonso Ossorio, ‘Black and White,’ plastic and various materials on panel, 1963
Drawn from the Lito and Kim Camacho Collection, Alfonso Ossorio: In My End is My Beginning surveys the significant tendencies and phases in the practice of this most elusive artist from the Philippines who moved to the United States, and was friends with key figures in the Abstract Expressionism movement in New York, among them Jackson Pollock. Expect to see an extensive selection of his works that span his early drawings to his fabled Congregation series.
Juan Luna, ‘La Bella Feliz Y La Esclava Ciega,’ oil on canvas, 1880
Victorio C. Edades, ‘Artist and Model,’ oil on canvas board mounted on wood,1927
Miniaturismo to Modernism: Philippine Art from the 19th Century to the 1960s, on the other hand, takes a historical and critical approach that features works gathered from private collections, highlighting important examples of art from this particularly fecund period in Philippine art history. It begins with the founding of the Academia de Dibujo in 1821 to the opening of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1969, and encompasses academic realism and the rise of Modernism and non-objective art.
The exhibition is made possible with the support of BPI Private Wealth, Gold Sponsor; DENZA, Official Premium Mobility Partner; and TBWA\SMP, Creative Partner.
