“For me, art is anything that is beautiful in general. In recent years, I’ve developed this attachment to evolving art forms primarily because art can’t be encapsulated—Art is an activity. It’s a state of practice. It’s quite difficult to pin down art. [It is] very evocative of response, reaction, and critique. An effective artwork is one that would compel you to react, but not on the level of protest reaction, but that compels you to think, question, appreciate and put value on that art form.”

JC Casimiro, Heights Editor-in-Chief

“Well, art is an aesthetic response to the world around you. Good art depends on two things: how you’re able to make that aesthetic response…and second, the impact of the aesthetic response. It may be a social event or a personal experience but art is a representation of that thing. In other words, you distinguish art from the literal. I see that tree as a literal tree. If it was art, then I would represent it with something else. It’s mainly subjective. What I feel about the tree is what will come out as art.”

Ricardo Abad, PhD, Stage Director and Fine Arts Program Director

There’s no reason for its being than itself. The concept of beauty is embedded in the idea of that object or idea that really has no other reason. It validates its own existence because it is. When it comes to defining what is good in art as well, I suppose that it’s the question that is very relative. The whole subjectivity of art is something that cannot be disputed.”

Ramon Lerma, Ateneo Art Gallery Curator