If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale

18/05/2026

Happy International Museum Day!

In Ibaan, Batangas, on a sprawling piece of land lined with mango trees, a children’s museum is coming to life.

The Tumba-Tumba Children’s Museum of Philippine Art is a major initiative of the Center of Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), envisioned to showcase and promote child-friendly Philippine art as a medium to encourage a love for books, and to encourage discussion and reflection on the key issues of our times.

As the home of the If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale, Tumba-Tumba is open to visitors every weekend, Thursdays through Sundays, until July 31, 2026. Admission is free! Schedule your visit at bit.ly/TreesBiennale2026 🌳

13/05/2026

If trees could talk, what would they say?

We asked. You answered.

Since January, we have received 500+ postcards from over 60 countries around the world. We've collected these messages of love, hope, apology, and gratitude from artists, children, poets, mothers, fathers, activists from all continents. Visit iftreescouldtalk.art for more 💌

Postcards by:
• Yesim Tetik, Turkey
• Chantal Faith Bagang, Philippines
• Kira Mironova, Georgia
• Mara Kawka, Germany
• Felicia Joleen Harianto, Indonesia
• Adrielle Altagracia Tjahyadi,
• Quenella Samantha Lane, Indonesia
• Maryam Aboelezz, Egypt
• Nidhi Ghose

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

Visit the Tumba-Tumba Children's Museum of Philippine Art! The 2nd If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale runs until July 2026.

Schedule your visit at bit.ly/TreesBiennale2026 🌱

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day 🌿🌏🌷

Let's take care of our only home in the universe.

💌 Postcards featured: Julia Nagai (Japan), Dante Lerma (Philippines), Marta de Martino (Italy), Nele Thönnessen (Germany), Aldous Reyes (Philippines), Carmela Abayon (Philippines)

🛰️ Photo of our planet via NASA

22/04/2026

Happy Earth Day from CANVAS and the If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale! 🌻🌏🌱

22/04/2026

"On a sunny, breezy morning in Ibaan, Batangas, Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan led the community mural painting activity at the Tumba Tumba Children's Museum as part of the "If Trees Could Talk" biennale hosted by Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS). Laughter filled the air and small, eager hands grabbed paints and brushes as the children visitors began to work on the mural under the watchful eyes of Ang INK and Project Barako, a fellow artist collective from Ibaan. Little by little, the last blank spots on the mural were filled in, and the artists both big and small admired their handiwork."

Visit the Tumba-Tumba Children's Museum of Philippine Art to see the mural—aptly called KaLIKHAsan—for yourself ✏️🌱🎨

Schedule your visit at bit.ly/TreesBiennale2026

The museum is open Thursdays through Sundays, 9 am – 4 pm. Admission is free, with pay-what-you-can options for those interested in supporting the development of Tumba-Tumba.

16/04/2026

Filipino fishermen face increased danger while pursuing their livelihood the West Philippine Sea as they defend themselves against the aggression of the Chinese Coast Guard. Learn more about their plight in this screening of 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮: 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖 — the award-winning 2025 documentary by Baby Ruth Villarama — on 21 April 2026, Tuesday, 6:00pm-8:30pm at the Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.

This free screening will be followed by a talkback session with the filmmakers.

Learn more and register for free here: https://www.ateneo.edu/events/2026-04-21-food-delivery-screening

16/04/2026

10/04/2026

At the BenCab Museum, a mural of lush trees and birds in flight greet the museum’s guests. This is Roots of Connection, a satellite work for the If Trees Could Talk International Art Biennale painted by artists Jose Santiago and Francis Alingcayon. The large-scale mural, almost five meters tall, is located at the museum’s parking space, an invitation for viewers to “slow down, breathe, and reconnect with nature” before they begin their visit or before they head home.

Urban spaces in the Philippines are marked by congested roads and concrete pavements, so murals such as this—a rich, complex interpretation of forests and wildlife—standing out amid manmade structures remind us of the essential function of trees: to photosynthesize and create oxygen. Trees allow us to breathe and so we must safeguard their existence for generations to come.

Roots of Connection
Jose Santiago and Francis Alingcayon
4.5 x 7 m
2026

BenCab Museum, Benguet