Archivo 1984, the unconventional art gallery focusing on contemporary art, is closing shop this year but will reopen in 2020 as a film archive, a library of rare books, and a service for digitizing old films.
Its name was coined in the same year the owner—who requested anonymity—started collecting artworks, old books and film memorabilia at age 8.
Archivo 1984 has had a large collection of Filipino movies, documentaries, rare footage of artists and filmmakers. To maximize the space on Chino Roces, it held film screenings to attract cineastes, who didn’t have to go to CCP or the University of the Philippines to watch vintage Filipino movies. The screenings also drew the film crowd to the art exhibits.
Vintage 16 mm movie projector shows bits of Dimples Cooper scenes from Hollywood films at Archivo 1984. —NELSON MATAWARAN