Parola’s latest exhibition, Old Iskul, Old is Cool, opened last Saturday, September 20, to an overwhelming turnout of artists, alumni, students, and art enthusiasts. Staged at the Parola Atrium, the exhibition brought together students of the UP College of Fine Arts from the 1970s to the 1990s, filling the space with vibrant stories of memory, transformation, and legacy.
Organized by Paul Albert Quiano and curated by Jim Orencio, this exhibition brings together works of 75 UP College of Fine Arts alumni from the 1970s to the 1990s. A day of casual conversations and inebriated reminiscing earlier this year among friends turned into a project bringing together a broad batch of CFA alumni, each contributing one’s past student plates and present creations as practicing artists: something old, something new.
The earliest work, by former Dean Nestor O. Vinluan, dates to 1971. The most recent were made a few weeks ago, in CFA’s trademark swiftness, to an invitation to gather once more. The artworks here attest to that: with most having 15 to 30 years in between being made.
Tracing the artistic journeys of these alumni, the exhibition presents a dialogue between early student works, evolving visions, and recent pieces, revealing how memory, discipline, and experimentation continue to transform across decades. More than a reunion, “Old Iskul, Old is Cool” is a mapping of artistic legacies, a constellation of images, gestures, and forms that remain vital to understanding the place of art in both personal and collective histories.
While the works were made in different times in recent past, common to all was the transition from old to new, from modern to contemporary: from analog to digital, from imbibing to innovating, from starting out small to staying strong in the Philippine art community. These are their stories.
The energy of the opening reception underscored the continuing impact of the UP CFA community, with guests reconnecting over shared histories and discovering anew how the past informs the present.
This landmark reunion of the “young once” from the old school is, finally, also a challenge to the present generation: what creative journeys will you take and what new paths will you make, with everything around you happening today?
Beyond the opening night, audiences can look forward to artist walk-throughs and talks in the coming weeks, where participating artists will further unpack the stories behind their works.
“Old Iskul, Old is Cool” runs until October 4, 2025 at the Atrium, UP Fine Arts Gallery
