Virtual exhibition

We are pleased to present ‘Together Apart – Art world voices that connect us now’ in partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines. 

A spin off of our recently concluded online campaign the exhibition highlights thoughts of art leaders in the Philippines, UK and other parts of the world at the beginning of the global crisis in early 2020. Responding through artworks from the British Council Collection, their reactions are deeply personal and serve as a reminder of the transformative power of art.  

Boots Herrera, Chief Curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery and Rafael Schacter, Anthropology Lecturer at the University College London are just some of the participating leaders.  

Co-curated by the National Museum of the Philippines, the presentation allows a global audience to discover select pieces from the National Fine Arts Collection. The artworks bridge circumstances from the time they were created to today’s context. They evoke familiar feelings and perspectives presented through the exhibition themes, from anxiety to the need for solidarity. 

‘Together Apart — Art world voices that connect us now’ started as an online campaign through Platform. This exhibition serves as an archive as well as an extension of the campaign to include more local artworks and voices. 

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British Council Collection banner by Ed Hall

About the British Council Collection

Since 1938, the British Council has been collecting works of art, craft and design to promote the achievements of the very best British artists, craft practitioners and designers. This global resource features over 8,500 works and has been referred to as a ‘Museum Without Walls’.

About the National Fine Arts Collection

Housed at the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Collection is protected and promoted by the National Museum of the Philippines. It represents Philippine art from the 18th century to today. The works are accessible to the public through programmes that showcase achievements and aspirations of the country’s artistic heritage. 

Online campaign 

Platform: Art world voices that connect us now was a social media campaign launched on 18 May 2020 in celebration of International Museum Day. It aimed to show solidarity with arts communities during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. #PlatformVoicesUKPH ran from May to July and resulted in the launching of the virtual exhibition, Together Apart. 

Some testimonials on the campaign: 

‘At a time that calls for no physical contact, unity and community-building is ever more needed.’ – Kat Grow, Filipino Artist  

‘The British Council has an amazing collection. Perhaps someday we can host some of them at the National Museum.’ – Dr Ana Maria Labrador, Deputy Director General for Museums, National Museum of the Philippines  

‘It was a beautiful experience to select an artwork out of the British Council Collection to reflect on Covid times.’ – Katelijn Verstraete, Regional Director Arts and Creative Industries East Asia, British Council 

Checkout the #PlatformVoicesUKPH full campaign on our Facebook and Twitter. You may also join the conversation on our Instagram. 

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