A mythical utopia isolated from the outside world – the fictional Shangri-La promised to keep its inhabitants in a state of eternal suspended harmony. Modern and contemporary art gallery Galerie Stephanie celebrates its 10th anniversary, as well as its move to its new location in the East Wing of Shangri-La Mall with a group exhibition that explores twenty-two artists interpretations of a mythical “Utopia.” Local artists Emman Acasio, Lawrence Cervantes, Iya Consorio, Kara De Dios, Vincent De Pio, Anton Del Castillo, Farley Del Rosario, Proceso Gelladuga II, Sarah Geneblazo, Rommel Joson, Aileen Lanuza, Lyndon Maglalang, Carlo Ongchangco, Reybert Ramos, Juan Sajid, Camille Ver, Rom Villaseran, and Allison Wong-David are joined by international artists Roby Dwi Antono (Indonesia), Noor Bahjat (Syria), Cristina Gamon (Spain), Nunzio Paci (Italy). “Utopia” showcases a visual plethora of styles and perceptions — a post-humanity Eden for animals; a private heaven that only exists in the mind’s eye; utopia as a sense of being; even a primordial soup conflating cosmogenesis with conception. The subjectivity of one’s personal paradise elicits images that are ostensibly disparate, but are connected by an undercurrent of longing, idealism, and an ambiguity that suggests it is enough to simply desire and not to have.