Art Fair Philippines 2023 Goes Sustainable with Locsin and Partners
They also paired with Rizome Philippines for sustainable materials.
(SPOT.ph) Art Fair Philippines is finally opening in person this 2023 after two years of online and hybrid shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And with its return, the much-awaited art event will have a biophilic, organic-inspired design and layout at its home at The Link in Makati City. You can see it for yourself during the public run of Art Fair Philippines from February 17 to 19.
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Art Fair Philippines' Biophilic Design for Different Times
Art Fair Philippines paired up with iconic Philippine design firm Leandro V. Locsin Partners Company in creating a new look for The Link.
In an interview with SPOT.ph, Andy Locsin—son of National Artist Leandro Locsin—explained that their biophilic design is a departure from the venue’s previous grid-style layout; with the organic, "pod-like" booths offering fair-goers a new, intuitive experience in seeing art.
"It was an issue of, do we simply return Art Fair to what it was? Do we go back to pre-pandemic times? There is a general recognition that the world is slightly different, and that there are lessons that the pandemic taught us, and it is important to send some kind of message that recognizes that moment," Locsin explains.
"The layout is a physical manifestation of this, with a different approach…especially its connection is essential to nature, and how nature develops how we experience art." Locsin adds that the layout and overall design of this year’s fair will be "a journey of discovery" and one that addresses the issue of environmental responsibility.
A Sustainable Art Fair Venue
This accountability in issues about the environment is also the reason that Art Fair PH partnered with Rizome Philippines, a Cagayan de Oro-based supplier of Philippine-grown bamboo that can be used as structural members, decorative paneling, lamination, and other building materials.
"Basically, all the public spaces that you’ll experience in the art fair will feature this material. You will see it in use as a sort of finishing material, on the walls, etcetera," Locsin adds. “We think it shouldn’t be the alternative, it should be mainstream. It’s incredible stuff. And it’s good for the planet at the end of the day."
"Rizome is quite an interesting company. It’s been discovered that over the years that one of the more amazing and sustainable building materials that exist and whose potentials have not been tapped is actually bamboo," Locsin continues.
“It’s not a tree, so it doesn’t take eons to produce the building material, literally within a year or two, because it’s a grass, it’s a rhizome. And it turns out [that] in terms of strength, buildability, constructability—with some clever ways to put the material together, laminate it, design the components of it—it turns out to be a sustainable and inherently beautiful material. It’s super strong structurally, and [also] enduring."
Locsin goes on to explain that the material, even when used as structural units or as veneers, has a low carbon footprint. Its components—staying true to its nature of sustainability and circular design—can also be reused afterward. He says that once Art Fair Philippines is done, the materials will be reused in a series of housing complexes. "So, it’s not only a win-win [situation], it’s authentically correct! It’s a wonderful thing," he says.
Art Fair Philippines 2023 is from February 17 to 19, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at The Link, Parkway Drive, Ayala Center, Makati City. Tickets, which are available online, are P450. For more information, visit Art Fair Philippines' website.