The Outdoorsy Geek: Pinto art museum

When people think of summer getaways, they usually think of beaches, places where people go out to have fun. But there are people who prefer quieter alternatives to those places. For those people, there's the Pinto art museum, a 1.2 hectare property inside a private subdivision in Antipolo.This was supposed to be the first stop among many in our itinerary. We realized that it was gonna be a full day affair when after walking around for 4.5 hours in the museum, we still had not explored it fully.

The art museum, where you pay the entrance fee of 180 pesos

The artwork is everywhere, inside the galleries also in the museum's many gardens

All the while I was calling it the “pintow” museum. Apparently it’s pinto –as in door in Filipino. Must've sounded like a male Kris Aquino. Unlike most museums, photography here is allowed. Also, unlike most museums or galleries which are mere vessels for the artwork displayed within them, the Pinto museum integrates so well with its art that it's sometimes hard to tell where the artwork ends and the museum begins. The gardens make you feel as if you fell into a rabbit hole; Sculptures are everywhere, inside and outside the galleries. The placement of furniture has a surrealist feel. There are rocking chairs with hands on the handrests in the gardens; Beds with impossibly white sheets are everywhere they shouldn’t be-in the gardens, next to the pool, in the cafe. (I think it’s pretty awesome that you can lie down on them while ordering your food. ) It’s as though the entire museum itself is extension of the art that's on display. It seemed like the idea was not just to view art but be immersed in it.

beds are everywhere

A sculpture of a naked couple lying on the grass. Oh and there's also a bed on the far end of the pool

A couple lying on a bed while ordering food. Not a sight you see everyday

After paying the 180-peso entrance fee, you’ll be given a map which will come in handy because there really is a lot to explore. The pinto museum has multiple galleries, gardens and a lot of open areas in between them. When you're not busy checking out the artwork, there are plenty of places to lounge around. There’s a pool but as you might expect, you can't swim in it. There are two cafes. We tried ordering food and drinks at the Ta-naw café. Food was a bit on the expensive side. The minimum cost of a dish was somewhere in the vicinity of 300 pesos. I'd write about how the food was but it took them 20 mins to tell us that the food that we ordered was not available. Rather than wait another 20 mins to find out if our next order would be available, we just paid for our drinks and decided to eat outside. The mango shake was good though.

The Tanaw cafe

The other cafe which we didn't get to visit

The Pinto museum would definitely appeal to the art lover but I think it would also appeal to those who are looking for a quiet place where they can unwind, relax and just be away for a while while enjoying the aesthetics of their surroundings. A place that’s not too far away from the city but also not too close. Since most people who go there are probably also after some tranquil time, you can expect some peace and quiet even if there are people around.

Entrance is 180 per head for adults, 150 for senior citizens and 100 for students

7500 for photoshoots
The Pinto art museum is only open until 6pm

More photos after the break