The annual showcase of Philippine contemporary art is back with a glowing garden, a speakeasy for Pinoy film junkies, an orange ‘sun’ on water, and more reimagined realities

Words Francine Y. Medina
Feb 16, 2024

Art fairs can be exciting and lame as well.

In the case of Art Fair Philippines — now on its 11th year of showcasing the best in Filipino contemporary art — 2024 looks thrilling with new multimedia offerings, a hangout place for film junkies, tributes to nearly forgotten masters, along with the regular participation of established and up-and-coming galleries.

The setting remains at The Link, the seven-story Makati City parking space. Coinciding with Philippine Arts Month, the event unfolds on the weekend of Feb. 16-18.

If followers of Art Fair PH think they’ve seen everything, its three founders, Trickie Lopa, Lisa Periquet, and Dindin Araneta, infuse fresh energy this year with pieces that embrace science and technology, sustainability, food security, and other relevant issues of the day.

It marks the annual event’s second face-to-face since the pandemic. The presentations reveal bold and interesting worlds conveying the message that artists can never be silenced, that art induces reflection and transformation in times of crisis.

“Last year has been an enriching experience,” said artist and Gravity Art Space owner Indy Paredes. “When we joined, the gallery was just two years old. I used to participate in Art Fair as an artist and as a gallerist for another space. But now I’m manning my own gallery. It’s unbelievable.”

Gravity Art Space will show the works of its artists. Paredes said, “We’re coming in strong this year — we’ll do three exhibitions each day, and during vernissage, all works of 18 artists will be mounted.”

(From first slide) Jigger Cruz, Karen H. Montinola Selection 2024 awardee Gean Brix Garcia, Jonathan Ching, Mr. StarCity

On the renewed excitement in the art scene, Paredes said, “It’s a nice time to be an artist. Art keeps us sane, and it showed its power during the pandemic.”

 Whether one is a first-timer or a regular, the experience can be overwhelming, especially since there are five floors with 55 galleries and a number of special presentations. Here are teasers for your ArtFair PH must-visit list.

1.  ArtFairPH/Projects on the 7th floor has an enthralling glowing garden created from plastic and embroidery using luminous threads by Romanian conceptual artist Andreea Medar. A recollection of her grandfather’s decaying garden, the space evokes desolation and an imagined dystopic world.

Also in this section is Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Mr. StarCity who promises“a joyful experience” with his colorful expressionist portraits in a velvet room with a saxophonist, and the artist reciting poetry. Periquet said, “His work is all about spreading joy and love.”

On view as well are the works of Jonathan Ching, Jigger Cruz, Gean Brix Garcia, and a group of muralist painters called Tuklas mentored by Alfredo Esquillo and Renato Habulan.

The Projects section revisits Filipino women modernists who thrived in the late 1960s to the ’80s. The show is aptly titled, “Pambabae.”

The scholarly works and paintings of art historian and artist Dr. Rod Paras-Perez are also part of the section. Paras-Perez was a significant figure in the ’80s.There is also a viewing of his erotic paintings and two video documentaries about him. The initiative, said Periquet, is “an effort to rediscover this phase in Philippine art history.”

Meanwhile, the Karen H. Montinola (KHM) Selection showcases the works of past grantees. Now in its 10th year, the KHM program is an annual grant by the Montinola family to young emerging artists. Besides the retrospective curated by Norman Crisologo, the 2024 awardee, Gean Brix Garcia, is presenting his paintings.

Said Periquet: “(His works) are populated by characters who have their own personalities, the costumes they wear are linked with who they are, and they all live in the world of Gean Brix Garcia. It’s storytelling in a theatrical setting. His works are a combination of surrealism, pop part, and art nouveau.”

2. ArtFairPH/Residencies features an installation piece by Mark Salvatus in collaboration with the Manila Observatory. Salvatus, who will be exhibiting at the 2024 Venice Biennale, based his work on cloud photographs taken in Manila between 1945-1946. Clouds, according to the artist, tell what the day would be like and are thus signifiers of hope and the future. 

On the 4th floor, Residencies also highlights other artists who have collaborated with organizations or partners: Anna Miguel Cervantes for Linangan Art Residency in Alfonso, Cavite; Jett Ilagan forEmerging Islands in San Juan, La Union; Julian Tapales for Butanding Barrio in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Renz Baluyot for Orange Projects in Bacolod, Negros Occidental. Orange Project is also presenting two international artists who are part of its residency program: Iseult Perrault and Petr Hajdyla.

3. ArtFairPH/Film on the Roofdeck presents “No Showing,” a project curated by filmmaker Moira Lang. It’s a hangout-cum-dancefloor space where, literally, no movie will be screened. Come with a sense of fun as Lang plays the DJ. Strike a conversation with guest filmmakers over ice-cold beer. The space is in collaboration with Archivo Gallery and Club Kino.

4. ArtFairPH/Digital and ArtFairPH/Photo are both on the 7th floor. In the Digital section, David Gryn’s “Best Dressed Chicken (Manila Version)” has digital video artworks tackling vanity and choice. The title is from the 1970s reggae song by Jamaican singer and DJ Doctor Alimantado. Gryn is the founder of Daata, a global proponent of digital art. 

Explorations in the vibrant web3 space continue through CryptoArt PH, which focuses on Filipino artists working with NFT and blockchain technology.

At the Photo section, FotomotoPH, a Manila-based organization, mounted works curated by Sandra Palomar, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

5. Art FairPH/Talks on the 7th floor will be hosting engagements between artists and viewers through a series of lectures organized by the Ateneo Art Gallery.  Meanwhile, the Lopez Museum will have a discussion on the basics of artwork conservation.

6. 10 Days of Art, which are presentations outside The Link, has a solar-powered bright orange “sun” projected at the Ayala Tower One fountain area. The digital installation is by trans-disciplinary visual artist DerekTumala, titled “A Warm, Orange-Colored Liquid.”

Also at the outdoor space is motion graphics artist and multimedia engineer Isaiah Cacnio’s “Prismatic Embrace,” a video projection on the Green Wall of Ayala Triangle Garden Tower 2. Various galleries in Makati City will also mount shows alongside the fair proper.

Visit www.10daysofart.com for schedules and updates.

Tickets are at P750 each for a whole-day, all-access pass; Concession ticket is P500 for students, PWDs, and senior citizens, and P300 for Makati students. Visit theArt Fair Philippines website; follow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram(@artfairph) and Facebook (facebook.com/artfairph).