'Radically different': Art Fair Philippines to return onsite for 10th edition
MANILA, Philippines — The annual Art Fair Philippines, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this 2023, will be onsite once again after two virtual years when it returns this February.
This year, 63 exhibitors will go on display as the annual art fair brings back all its regular sections: galleries, photos, incubators, regional focus and tributes — the latter for late artists Albert Avellana and Noram Liongoren.
Local exhibitors include 1335/Mabini, Art Lounge Manila, FotomotoPH, Galerie Stephanie, León Gallery, Orange Project, Pintô Art Museum and White Walls Gallery, while invited from abroad are Malaysia's Artemis Art, Taiwan's Nunu Fine Art and Vietnam's VIn Gallery, to name just a few.
Some of the new sections Art Fair Philippines will be displaying are for projects, residences, digital, film and lecture series.
The projects section, curated by art consultant Norman Crisologo, will feature the works of Faye Abantao, Kiko Escora, Mark Andy Garcia, Raymond Guevarra, Pow Martinez, Yeo Kaa and Peter Zimmerman. Each of them is an expert in different mediums and art styles.
Selected artists for this year's residency section are James Clar, Aaron Kaiser Garcia, Nicolei Gupit, IC Jaucian and Jonathan Baldonado, and ESL Chen of the aforementioned Orange Project.
The digital section, curated by CryptoArtPH artists Bjorn Calleja and Jopet Arias, will focus on digital media and work that incorporates and engages with computer technology, animation, virtual or augmented reality, the metaverse and non-fungible tokens or NFTs.
Other highlights will be works by Rosario Bitanga, the Philippines' first woman abstractionist; an inaugural performance display by Eisa Jocson and a special exhibition by Indonesian artist Yunizar.
New fair design
Architect Andy Locsin will be incorporating a new biophilic design for The Link Car Park, the fair's onsite home since 2013.
The option to go with biophilic takes inspiration from nature with an underlying order, a parallel reflection with how someone deals with something new.
"It's something new and different... a recognition of a new world," Locsin explained, referring to this year being the first time the art fair is held in-person after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Art Fair Philippines co-founder Lisa Periquet added, "It offers something relatively familiar, but a little bit different and disconcerting... a journey of discover where things simply unfold."
Periquet also said the biophilic design will be provided by natural bamboo veneer from Bukidnon in some areas, in line with the art fair's sustainability efforts.
Fellow co-founder Dindin Araneta also encourages visitors to attend the art fair's "10 Days of Art" from February 10 to 19. It includes the Gallery Weekend, from February 10 to 12, when participating galleries will exhibit in their very own locations, as they did for the 2022 edition.
Art Fair Philippines 2023 will be from February 17 to 19, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., where tickets will be sold at P450 per day (concession tickets for senior citizens, people with disabilities and Makati students have differing prices).
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