MUCH of the past decade’s discourse on digital transformation once seemed more of a distant sci-fi future than an actual possibility for the thriving culture and entertainment sectors.
While there may have been efforts to adopt virtual processes pre-pandemic, product consumption and transactions still largely centered on the physical attendance of the audience in galleries and cinemas. Stakeholders understood that there was no equal to the experience of examining a painting’s brushstrokes up close in art spaces, or watching films on the big screen.
After all, it was an arrangement that has played sweet music for years—generations even—to the tune of billions of dollars in global industry value. Market and consumer specialist Statista reported that worldwide sales value of the art market stood at $64.4 billion in 2019, while global box office revenue was at $42.3 billion for the same year.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit and restrictions were enforced in wide swathes around the globe, the industries’ formula for success posed to be its own recipe for disaster. People stayed at home and, consequently, away from cultural and entertainment establishments. Global art market sales in 2020 dipped by 21.9-percent. With the closing of public spaces, including theaters, worldwide box office revenue saw an even bigger decline at 72.1-percent.
Twenty-twenty was a time when the threats of the worst global pandemic in over a century loomed over everyone’s head. The general sense of fear and uncertainty led people to search for a distraction, an escape…something. It was a demand that art and entertainment could supply—and did—by delivering their purpose through virtual means.
Ultimately, the digital transformation that the industries had been holding off got turbo-charged. Filipino industry players believe that the new processes and practices did not only help buoy the sectors through the toughest of times; more than that, it propelled the necessary evolution, featuring innovations that are here to stay.
A strong rebound
“OVERALL, we survived the worst of the pandemic,” said Rio Ambrosio, owner of BGC-based Artes Orientes Gallery. “I am not aware of any gallery having closed shop, and that should speak for itself.”
The local visual arts scene was among the few that maintained a relatively healthy business during the height of the pandemic. Of course, it was not spared of having its own set of challenges, from working around logistical hurdles and mobility restrictions. Overall, however, gallerists and artists benefitted from the renewed interest in the arts. Statista reports that after the plunge in 2020, total value of transactions in the global art market in 2021 rebounded to $65.1 billion, which even surpassed the 2019 record. The trend traces to several factors, including patrons in quarantine with nothing to do but fill the blank walls of their sprawling homes with artworks, as well as the rise of NFTs and cryptoart that bore the promise of quicker riches.
The industry met the surging demand by adopting digital processes, such as the mounting of virtual exhibitions. Even marquee art events staged completely virtual showcases for the first time in 2021, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze New York, and Manila’s Art in the Park.
Ambrosio also serves as the Exhibitor Relations Committee head for ManilART, tagged as the original and national art fair as a project copresented by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCAA). Set to run its 14th edition from October 19 to 23 at SMX Aura Convention Center, this year event carries the theme “Forging Futures.” The concept reflects the general carry-on, march-forward mindset of the local art industry. “ManilART 22 will continue to set higher goals and inspire the art industry as a force to reckon with. It has gone through the most difficult times yet it remains standing strong,” he said. “With the support of NCCA, its partners, especially the media, ManilART looks forward to a more vibrant art industry.”
Veteran gallerist Carlo Reyes notes the industry’s resilience, as well. “In spite of the pandemic, the art scene is doing great,” he said.
Reyes has been involved in the art scene for 12 years and is set to open a new space next year, called Fuse Projects. He said galleries, collectors and artists have learned to adjust to the new normal and have adapted well to survive. “I believe we need to use all the new tools available at our disposal to thrive. We need to persevere, to be more careful, and creative.”
Meanwhile, in a virtual roundtable discussion in May, called la Nuit des idées (The Night of Ideas), with the theme “[Re]building Together: Smart Ideas, Smart Projects Born during the Pandemic,” Cultural Center of the Philippines artistic director Chris Millado shared how they found great value in smart technology.
“Video archive and live streaming: this saved our lives,” he said. “We immediately made a quick pivot to digital platforms. Many years ago, we started digitizing and archiving our productions and performances. We have hidden in one basement corner thousands of video titles. We didn’t know how to distribute them, but they were there for archival purposes. When the pandemic hit, we found a treasure trove of digital content that we used in live streaming. This gave birth to CCP Channel.”
“Change is not an entirely bad thing,” Reyes said. “Art, just like our human resilience, will never go extinct.”
Newfound appreciation
ALSO making things work with adjusted processes are the television and film industries.
The past few years saw the sectors accommodate multi-level revamps in pre- and post-production practices. This included changes in stories and scripts, and the review of manpower complement for both studio and location shoots, among others.
According to Lilybeth G. Rasonable, senior vice president for entertainment group of GMA Network, the pandemic has brought to the forefront the use of digital tools and processes that enabled them to continue their productions effectively.
The change in work routines is also accompanied by the mentality to carry out operations as normal as they could, said Jose Mari R. Abacan, first vice president for program management department of GMA Network.
“People will always have a need to be entertained and to have information—and TV is still the primary source of that in our country,” said Abacan, adding he sought help from other partners to air programs on their channels. “Aside from canned content, we were still able to come out with live variety and game shows, and there were also local dramas. It was also at this time that we launched our DTT channels, among them being I Heart Movies, which caters to the needs of moviegoers.”
Both executives acknowledged the rise of online streaming platforms. Abacan made no bones about tagging online streaming platforms as “game changers,” especially during the height of the pandemic. As for the TV side, Rasonable said they “welcome the challenge to keep on pushing for better, more competitive content.”
“We also have penetrated these online streaming platforms, providing quality content in their programming, as we continue to strive to reach the widest audience possible,” she added.
As the Covid-19 dust settles and the world marches further into the new normal, industry stakeholders reflect on the value of their jobs. Rasonable, for one, admitted she has a renewed sense of appreciation for the role of entertainment in people’s lives.
“When the pandemic happened and we all had to stay home, entertainment programs kept us company, helping us get through that very difficult time in our lives,” she said.
“Producing entertainment programs at the height of the pandemic made me realize all the more the importance of what we do—how our programs not only entertain but also teach, enlighten, keep us sane amid all the things happening around us, and give us hope for better days to come.”
Image credits: RioAmbrosio and GMA Network