His stint at the Ayala Museum enabled Francisco to get to know prominent figures in 20th-century Philippine art, Fernando Amorsolo and Fernando Zóbel. Eventually, with Baker's support, he co-curated BPI's 150th-anniversary exhibition featuring the works of Juan Luna and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. "Dr Baker was in the States back then, so she asked me to make curatorial decisions for her, as well as negotiate with the client. I think that's how I started having a deep appreciation for Philippine visual arts," he narrates. The more he got to know the artists and their works, visiting collectors' houses to survey the pieces to be exhibited, Francisco found affection for the arts and felt honoured to see a lot of exquisite masterpieces that are rare for the public eye.

"A lot of the works during the modern period were very experimental and that piqued my interest. Luna, Hidalgo, and at some point, Fabian de la Rosa, had academic formulas to adhere to. Amorsolo was also starting to do new things as well [post-war], but the public was not ready. But in the era of Zóbel, Cesar Legaspi, Vicente Manansala, there was a clear-cut break. While I was working at the Ayala Museum, I saw the early Zóbels that were experimentations with sand, wax, and more. That was exciting for me—seeing these artists experimenting and discovering their individual art," Francisco says.

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Eventually, Francisco moved to the Lopez Museum and Library and got to work with Mariles Ebro-Matias and Joselina "Yeyey" Cruz, who is now the director and curator of the renowned Museum of Contemporary Art and Design.

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"Before I came, Lopez already had a fantastic collection of Lunas, Hidalgos, and almost all of the National Artists (except Guillermo Tolentino). Mariles and Yeyey were so clear with what they wanted to present, making it easier to understand art history from their perspective," Francisco shares. "That was a pivotal moment in my career. I understood that art could be a dialogue across generations."

Being mentored by these prominent personalities from an earlier generation of curators at a time when curatorial studies and art management courses were available only abroad, Francisco has learnt a lot from working with them firsthand, as well as through books and online sources available.

"I like that the curators before me are very scholarly in their approach. They are all very thorough in framing an exhibition or putting together a project. What I would say I have contributed is adding anthropological frameworks as I have studied anthropology and sociology in college. In my generation of curators, perhaps we appeal to the mass market more as we enjoy the time of growth in appreciation for Philippine art among young people."

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Eventually, Jack Teotico of Galerie Joaquin approached Francisco to lead then on-the-rise Fundacion Sansó. It started with an exhibition he co-curated with Ethel Villafranca at Lopez Museum, featuring the works of Leslie de Chavez, Mike Adrao, and Ea Torrado. There, he juxtaposed a work by Juvenal Sansó with works of younger contemporary artists. Intrigued by it, Teotico admired Francisco's approach of featuring Sansó as an embodiment of a complicated Philippine-based Spanish-born artist who has national and international prominence as a Filipino artist.

"Jack asked me why I was interested in Sansó and what aspect of his works I would highlight. I told him, 'Mr Sansó is a victim of his own success. The current art market chooses his floral works and Brittany series, but if you look closely at his evolution, there were many aha moments.' He was one of the early artists who made printmaking a high art in the Philippines and many experimental works with theatre, photography, and more," Francisco recalls.

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Despite now being Fundacion Sansó's museum director and curator, Francisco continues his independent curatorial work for other artists in various commercial galleries around Metro Manila. "I learn more when I work with other people, I understand art better, and I get to build relationships with many emerging and established artists today. In my line of work, that's what's most important," he says.

Among his notable curations, Francisco finds "Still" at the Vargas Museum as one of his most memorable. It was a curatorial grant from the Japan Foundation Manila, and the curator tackled Japan and the Philippines' shared issue of natural and climate disasters being both located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and its similar and varying effects on culture. In it, he worked with Chim↑Pom, Marc Gaba, Allison Wong David, Ida Santos, and Kiri Dalena and saw their different takes on resilience, environmental awareness, and other sensibilities toward this pressing issue. "It took so much of my time and energy, so I am most proud of that," Francisco reminisces.

Aside from this, he also worked with Anton del Castillo and Niccolo Jose to make public art at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), which paved the way for the university's continuing tradition of putting up massive public art on its campus. "These artists wanted to open ADMU's newest art space, the Arete, and so we came up with works that anyone could enjoy. Students would take photos and videos there while hanging out, even the maintenance staff and, of course, the museum-goers. That kind of art is what I like to do more, something that appeals to people from all walks of life," he reiterates.

And lastly, being Fundacion Sansó's museum director, one of Francisco's proudest moments was putting up its inaugural exhibition when it finally opened to the public in 2015. "Not everybody gets the chance to put together a show to open a museum," he says with a grin.

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How do you grasp an artist's identity and his intention in his/her exhibition?

I take a long time. For example, Gaba opened an art space in Cubao before. And he would open it to the public from 7 pm until 12 midnight, while I would be there from 10 pm to 1 am. We would talk about what he is doing, why he is doing it—all because I am curious. So I spend time with artists often; either we would go out, or I visit them in their studios. Most artists would just sleep during the day and paint at night. (laughs)

What are the things you consider when curating the layout of an exhibition?

Some curators work with mockups, but I personally can't. The body reacts to space differently. You can't predict it from a mockup, I believe. The way the light enters, the way it bounces off to walls, on the works, and the colours of the walls all affect how the art is perceived. I often stay in the space first and go in and out several times, just to see what takes my interest and observe how the people would react to the space, the path they would take when they enter, and then I place the best works against the line of vision. And then, I place other works around those pieces that would support them so that I create a narrative in space.

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What would you advise to art collectors who exhibit art in their homes?

There are certain things that frame the line of sight. For example, a doorway, hallway, and some windows are things that you allow vision to go through. You are already putting together a story when you align an artwork within that frame. So I advise working with the highlights of your home.

Is mounting a group exhibition more difficult? The things you've said earlier work best in solo exhibitions. . .

It's difficult if you just gather works from the back room and put them together in a commercial gallery. But there are group exhibitions that are well-thought and well-planned. This is because the curator took into account how each artist works, their pieces, the colour palette of their works, and how they ultimately complement each other and create dialogue. When you mount an exhibition like this, it's like conducting a choir of multiple parts, creating harmony. All art, I believe, is like that. They are expressed in different forms but create harmony when put together.

What do you think of today's Philippine visual art scene?

It's really a great thing that there is a 'boom' in appreciation for the local arts, thanks to the social media and the big art fairs and festivals here and there. A lot of artists are now able to sustain their careers in comparison to those in the past. It's great that there is an economy in art already today, pushing younger artists to pursue their passion even while in college.

But with the proliferation of art, I think there is a crisis. There is an imbalance of creativity of the artists and market demand. We end up having scarcity in terms of creativity—artists copying each other's styles.

Regarding the rise of crypto art, Fundacion Sansó will unveil its first NFTs at MoCAF. I think the blockchain technologies supporting NFTs will enhance our current art ecosystem. Aside from promoting provenance, it will also hinder forgeries. The blockchain has a lot of potential, and I think we're still at the very start of NFT art. I hope the right artists will make use of it so that it will flourish.

What do you love and hate about your work?

I love that there's no typical day. Every day is a challenge, and it presents new challenges along the way. I get to use my mind in so many different ways—learn about the physical and philosophical aspects of a painting, the history behind it, the culture that supports it, the economics of it—and it's beautiful. 

What I hate about it kulang ang oras (time isn't enough to do things). There is so much to do! (laughs)

Favourite art movement or period...

Impressionism for international, and the light/space movement at the moment. Locally, I love that I saw the Baguio Arts Guild grow when I was young.

Favourite artists

Leslie de Chavez and Anton del Castillo, not only because of their art but also because I love them as people.

Rising artists that people should watch out for

Sid Natividad and Chelsea Theodosis. I really like their works. Both of them are technically proficient, but they focus on silence in their works. A lot of works nowadays delve into so many things. But these two focus on 'being comfortable with themselves'.

What do you do in your downtime to fuel your creativity?

Having coffee and a very, very slow breakfast. I usually sleep late, like 3 am, so I start my day slow. Reading books and going to studio visits reinvigorates my creativity.

What does art mean to you?

Art is what is beautiful in humanity. Mr Sanso once said that art is the quality of an exceptional human life expressed by an exceptional human being. And I totally agree with that.

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