Art Fair Philippines 2024: Everything You Need to Know

(SPOT.ph) Art Fair Philippines, which is now in its 11th year, is all set for its 2024 run from February 16 to 18. As in previous editions (except the pandemic), it's happening at The Link in Makati City from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

ArtFairPH co-founder Trickie Lopa said this year's event is something to be excited about, especially since they started planning a month earlier than the usual 10-month duration. 

As we all know, Art Fair Philippines can be a bit overwhelming, so we rounded up everything you need to know ahead of this art-filled weekend.

Also read: Art Fair Philippines 2024: What to See at The Link, Makati

Here's your guide to Art Fair Philippines 2024:

Venue

The Link, which used to be the site of Park Square 2, is surrounded by Glorietta 3, Makati Shangri-La, and The Landmark. Levels four through seven of the parking space will be transformed into exhibition spaces come Art Fair Philippines week.

To get to the fair's reception area on the fourth floor, you can ride the elevator from The Link's ground floor or take the staircase. The entrance is along Parkway Drive.

But considering how small the elevators are, there's often a long line going up, so the best option is to go through The Landmark's bridgeway at the mall's third level. This is also a good route if you're coming from the MRT station, SM Makati, or Glorietta, so you don't have to get out of the air-conditioned and inter-connected shopping malls. Just look for the lingerie section on the third floor at The Landmark, and follow the signs to The Link.

Tickets

Regular Tickets (available online)

• P750 (Day Pass)

Concession Tickets (available on-site)

• P500 (for students, senior citizens, and PWDs with valid ID)
• P300 (for Makati students with ID)

You can buy your passes at the reception area on the fourth floor. If you don't want to line up, you can also purchase your tickets in advance through the ArtFairPH website.

Featured Artists

Art Fair Philippines is, literally, a multi-level exhibition. But the seventh floor is dedicated to the fair's selected artists. As in previous installations, ArtFairPH/Projects—as it is called—showcases a collection of special exhibitions commissioned by the fair. Production designer Ed Lacson conceptualized the contiguous space.

• Jonathan Ching - They Think We Still Grant Wishes
• Jigger Cruz - Dialectic Disruptions
• Talon Havini
• Andreea Medar - Leftovers from the Future
• Mr. Starcity - One Pedal at a Time
• Rod Paras-Perez
• Tuklas, which is a collaboration of muralist painters mentored by Alfredo Esquillo Jr. and Renato Habulan of Eskinita Art Farm
• Gean Brix Garcia (Karen H. Montinola Selection) - Ceremonials

Also read:
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Other Special Exhibitions

The /Projects section holds Pambabae, a group exhibit of works by Filipina women modernists from 1969 to 1989, with most of them primarily overshadowed by their male contemporaries. The female artists in this exhibition include Ivi Avellana Cosio, Ileana Lee, Nelfa Querubin, Evelyn Collantes, Phyllis Zaballero, and Lilian Hwang. It is curated by Miguel Rosales.

There's also a performance art exhibition by Eugenio Ampudia called Be a Tree Now. This is in partnership with the Embassy of Spain in Manila. 

Another special show is a retrospective of works under the Karen H. Montinola (KHM) Selection. Karen H. Montinola was a huge advocate of the arts; and her family has been in partnership with Art Fair Philippines through an artist grant since 2014. In celebration of this collaboration's 10th anniversary, the retrospective will showcase the previously exhibited works vis-a-vis new works of the grant recipients: Pio Abad (2014), Mike Adrao (2015), Mac Valdezco (2016), Mark Valenzuela (2017), Alvin Zafra (2018), Liv Vinluan (2019), Carlo Villafuerte (2021), Melvin Guirhem (2022), and Faye Abantao (2023). It is curated by Norman Crisologo.

Art Fair Philippines Residency, Film, Photo, and Digital

The 2023 edition of ArtFairPH/Residencies, an artist residency program that started in 2021, is set to present completed works by:

• Mark Salvatus for Manila Observatory in Quezon City, Manila;
• Anna Miguel Cervantes for Linangan Art Residency in Alfonso, Cavite;
• Jett Ilagan for Emerging Islands in San Juan, La Union;
• Julian Tapales for Butanding Barrio in Puerto Princesa, Palawan;
• and Renz Baluyot for Orange Project in Bacolod, Negros Occidental.

Joining them are two international artists, Iseult Perrault and Petr Hajdyla, who completed a residency program at Orange Project.

Unlike previous versions with a special film viewing, ArtFairPH/Film is not screening any movie this year. Instead, there's a program titled No Showing, where guests can hang out with filmmakers like Ricky Lee and Erik Matti, share a few drinks with fellow film enthusiasts, and talk about everything happening in the film industry. No Showing is curated by Moira Lang, and is co-presented by Archivo Gallery in cooperation with Club Kino. It's "an event as well as a concept," said Art Fair Philippines co-founder Dindin Araneta.

Introduced in 2018, ArtFairPH/Photo shines the spotlight on photography as part of the Philippines' visual art landscape. This year, Manila-based photographers' collective FotomotoPH is holding a group show to jumpstart their series of events for 2024, ranging from their annual exhibit to collaborations with local art spaces. It is curated by Sandra Palomar.

ArtFairPH/Digital, which was introduced in 2023, returns with its focus on digital media as well as works that engage with computer technology, artificial intelligence, and so on. David Gryn, founder of Daata, is flying in to present a selection of digital video artworks titled Best Dressed Chicken (Manila Version). There's also a special exhibition in collaboration with CryptoArtPH, a community of Filipino digital artists.

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Talks, Workshops, and Incubators

Art Fair PH/Talks, in collaboration with Ateneo Art Gallery and special participation of Lopez Museum and Library, hopes to amplify the visual display by providing context into the art practice. Discussions include the intersection of art and science, photography as authorship, women in modern art, and historical art criticism.

Also featured are creative spaces outside the mainstream gallery format. This year's selection for ArtFairPH/Incubators are: Authenticity Zero Collective, Istorya Studios, Manila Illustration Fair, Pangasinan Group, Talyer 15, and The Empty Scholar.

Participating Galleries

Art Fair Philippines 2024 welcomes 55 exhibitors from the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• Altro Mondo
• Art Agenda
• Art Cube Gallery
• Art Elaan
• Art for Space
• Art Lounge Manila
• Art Underground
• Art Verité Gallery
• Artemis Art
• Avellana Art Gallery
• Boston Art Gallery
• CANVAS
• Cartellino
• G A L E R I A P A L O M A
• Gajah Gallery
• Galerie Stephanie
• Galería Cayón
• GALLERY KOGURE
• Gravity Art Space
• J STUDIO
• Kaida Contemporary
• Kobayashi Gallery
• León Gallery
• METRO Gallery
• Mind Set Art Center
• Modeka Art
• MONO8
• Nunu Fine Art
• Orange Project
• Paseo Art Gallery
• Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum
• Qube Gallery
• Richard Koh Fine Art
• Secret Fresh Gallery
• SHUKADO+GALLERY SCENA
• SILVERLENS
• Superduper Art Gallery
• TARZEER PICTURES
• The Columns Gallery
• THE CRUCIBLE GALLERY
• TRIANGULUM
• Vantage Contemporary
• Village Art Gallery
• Vin Gallery
• White Walls Gallery
• Yavuz Gallery
• Yiri Arts
• YOD Gallery
• YSOBEL Art Gallery

10 Days of Art

10 Days of Art, which is from February 9 to 18, has always served as a jumpstart to the fair since its inception in 2017. It focuses on highlighting art outside The Link through public art displays and gallery weekends. This year, the public art component is by two artists: Derek Tumala, who is presenting A Warm Orange Coloured Liquid at the Tower 1 Fountain, and Isaiah Cacnio with Prismatic Embrace at the Green Wall, both at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Galleries in Makati are also holding complementing exhibits throughout the 10 days of the event.

Art Fair Philippines 2024 is from February 16 to 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at The Link, Parkway Drive, Ayala Center, Makati City. For more information, visit Art Fair Philippines' website.

Also read:
Sneak Peek: 10 Things You Need to See at Art Fair Philippines 2023
Sneak Peek: 10 Must-See Works at the Online Version of ArtFairPH 2022