Independent Curatorial Manila (ICM™)

Independent Curatorial Manila (ICM™)

 

Independent Curatorial Manila (ICM™) is a small-scale, personal initiative founded and run by Filipino artist, printmaker, and independent curator Amiel Gerald A. Roldan. It functions as a voluntary, nonprofit curatorial service and practical guide aimed at supporting emerging artists in the Philippines.

Structure and Nature

- Independent and voluntary — Roldan explicitly describes ICM as an independent/voluntary services entity that aims to remain so. It is not a formal institution, gallery, or large nonprofit with a permanent staff, fixed space, or extensive public programming. He started it as a “nonprofit philanthropy” while still working with institutions earlier in his career.

- Project-based and selective — Engagement is proposal-driven. Selection of artists or projects is temporary and at his prerogative. There is no open call structure or fixed application cycle publicly detailed beyond contacting him directly.

- Contact — Inquiries go through Roldan’s personal emails (amiel_roldan@outlook.com or amielgeraldroldan@gmail.com). No dedicated public website, social media account, or formal organizational page for ICM appears to exist independently of his personal platforms.

Purpose and Approach

ICM serves primarily as a curatorial services and guide for emerging Filipino artists. It aligns with Roldan’s broader practice of:

- Offering practical curatorial support and mentorship.

- Emphasizing ethical collaboration, self-reliance, and rightful recognition/compensation for cultural labor.

- Bridging creative practice with infrastructure needs (documentation, guidance, facilitation).

- Remaining cautious about institutional politics and preferring project-based independence over long-term institutional affiliation.

This mirrors the values he articulates elsewhere: independence, measured trust, support for emerging practitioners without positioning himself as a “savior,” and treating cultural work (including the often-invisible labor of curation, administration, and facilitation) as legitimate creative contribution.

Context within Roldan’s Practice

ICM is consistent with his trajectory:

- Early experience organizing and facilitating exhibitions (including traveling shows) at venues such as Hiraya Gallery, Jorge B. Vargas Museum, NCCA, CCP, and others in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s.

- Mentorship under figures such as Roberto Chabet and Brenda Fajardo.

- International exposure via the 2003–2004 Asian Cultural Council fellowship and ISCP residency in New York, which informed a local-global bridging perspective.

- Ongoing identity as both artist and cultural worker who participates in projects highlighting the labor of curators, administrators, and facilitators (e.g., the 2025 Cultural Workers: Not Creative? exhibition at ILOMOCA).

Limitations of Available Information

Public documentation on ICM is sparse and almost entirely self-reported by Roldan on his blogs and profiles. There are no detailed lists of completed projects, formal mission statements beyond the brief descriptions above, published guidelines, or third-party reviews found in current sources. It appears to operate as a low-profile, personal service rather than a visible organizational platform with regular public activities or a strong online presence.

In summary, Independent Curatorial Manila is best understood as Amiel Roldan’s personal vehicle for offering selective, ethical, project-based curatorial guidance to emerging Filipino artists—reflecting his commitment to independence, practical support, and the recognition of cultural labor outside traditional institutional structures.

 

Digital Draft Composition for An Acrylic Lighted Sculptural Relief 2014 by Emerson Romney Abraham & Amiel Gerald Roldan