(SPOT.ph) We're exactly a month away from Art Fair Philippines 2020, which is happening from February 21 to 23 at The Link in Makati City; and we can feel the excitement in the air as the art-loving public awaits this year's list of participating artists and galleries. As in the previous editions, the three-day fair is always overwhelming, but in the best way—imagine wading through four floors of art booths, immersive installations by featured artists, and getting to attend daily talks and demos that revolve around art. Here's a rundown of what to expect so you can plan your Art Fair Philippines "battleplan" accordingly.
Here's what you need to know about Art Fair Philippines 2020:
What's New at the Fair
While Art Fair Philippines 2018 introduced the new photography section, the 2020 edition has three fresh ideas: film screenings, open studios, and incubator spaces.
ArtFairPH/Film, curated by Erwin Romulo, Philbert Dy, and Teddy Co, celebrates the last century in Philippine cinema. It's set to screen some of the best feature and short films—from narrative to experimental, from documentary to animation.
ArtFairPH/Open Studios is an extension of Art Fair Philippines' talks program. It features workshops and demonstrations, including a watercolor painting session with Claude Tayag, a photography workshop with Paco Guerrero, a look into furniture-making with Benji Reyes, a class on printmaking with the Association of Pinoyprintmakers (A/P), a glimpse into cyanotyping with Alexis Oshima and Angela Silva, a pottery demo by Rita Gudiña of Tahanan Pottery, and lessons on lighting techniques for photographers by Neal Oshima and Mark Nicdao.
These live demos are complemented with ArtFairPH/Talks, which is created in partnership with the Ateneo Art Gallery and Museum Foundation of the Philippines. One of the featured sessions is an afternoon with Italian ambassador and How to Look at Contemporary Art author Giorgio Guglielmino. He will talk about his newest book, The Originals (2019), which spotlights 30 artists that changed the landscape of international art.
Elmer Borlongan and Allan Cosio are scheduled to talk about the art of the late Onib Olmedo, who helped found the Filipino Expressionist movement. His works represented the marginalized sectors of the Philippine society, including sex workers, musicians, and artists.
Part of Art Fair Philippines' mission is to expand the audience for Philippine visual art, which means looking into the art scene outside the Metro. Artists from the Philippines' very own longest-running art biennale—Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference—will be flying all the way to Manila to give us a sneak peek at the art landscape in the Visayas and talk about VIVA EXCON's 30-year history.
ArtFairPH/Incubator showcases art projects that aren't your usual gallery exhibitions. An example of this is Issay Rodriguez's work, which incorporates virtual reality and augmented reality to create a beehive-like environment that guests can explore. It is presented by a/n23. Other exhibitors for this section include Giatay, Limbo, Loadnadito, Project 20, and Signum.
Featured Artists
ArtFairPH/Projects for 2020 includes an interesting roster of Filipino artists. The collection, which is curated by Norman Crisologo, presents works by Salvador Joel Alonday, Perry Argel, Jaime De Guzman, Joe Geraldo, Jellyfish Kisses, Gene Paul Martin, Neil Pasilan, and Carlo Villafuerte—recipient of the private art grant Karen H. Montinola Selection.
Art Fair Philippines also worked with the estate of Onib Olmedo to present drawings from the family's collection during the fair. These pieces not only give a retrospective of one of the Philippines' most important artists, but also highlight how he influenced the next generations.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot is co-presenting works by Rodel Tapaya, who emerged from a decade-long exhibition hiatus in September 2019. He is known for appropriating and retelling Filipino folk legends—merging the magical with the popular, mythology with reality.
American artist Sol Lewitt, who is known for his contributions in conceptual art and minimalism, is also one of Art Fair Philippines' featured artists. His works are curated by New York-based art historian Carina Evangelista.
ArtFairPH/Photo, on the other hand, puts the spotlight on the works of Poklong Anading, who also astounded us in the 2019 edition of the fair. Other exhibiting artists for the photography section are art/n23, bio|trans|forms, Denise Weldon | Tom Epperson Photographs, Luzviminda, Silverlens Photo, Strange Fruit, and Tarzeer Pictures.
Participating Galleries
2020 is seeing a heightened interest among international galleries to participate in the three-day affair. Out of the 61 booths, 19 come from foreign countries like Italy. The participation of Galleria Tiziana Di Caro is part of a special cultural exchange with the Embassy of Italy in Manila.
The list of foreign galleries include:
- Art Porters Gallery (Singapore)
- Artemis Art (Malaysia)
- Cayón (Spain)
- Energy Field (Japan)
- G13 Gallery (Malaysia)
- Gajah Gallery (Singapore)
- Galerie Ovo (Taiwan)
- Gallery Kogure (Japan)
- Hanada Gallery (Japan)
- Kobayashi Gallery (Japan)
- La Lanta Fine Art (Thailand)
- Mind Set Art Center (Singapore)
- Number1 Gallery (Thailand)
- Nunu Fine Art (Taiwan)
- SHUKADO (Japan)
- Vin Gallery (Vietnam)
- Yavuz Gallery (Singapore)
- YOD Gallery + Asian Art Center (Japan)
Participating exhibitors from the Philippines are:
- Altro Mondo Gallery
- ARCHIVO 1984
- Art Cube
- Art Underground
- Art Verité
- Artery Art Space
- art/n23
- Association of Pinoyprintmakers (A/P)
- Avellana Art Gallery
- bio|trans|forms
- Boston Art Gallery
- CANVAS
- Denise Weldon | Tom Epperson Photographs
- District Gallery
- Eskinita Art Gallery
- Galerie Roberto
- Gallery of Fine Arts
- Galerie Stephanie
- Giatay
- J Studio
- Kaida Contemporary
- León Gallery
- Limbo
- loadnadito projects
- Luzviminda
- Mariyah Gallery
- METRO
- Michael Janssen / 1335 Mabini
- Mono8
- Orange Project
- Paseo Art Gallery
- Pinto Art Museum
- Project 20
- Salcedo Private View
- Secret Fresh
- Signum
- Silverlens
- Strange Fruit
- Tarzeer Pictures
- Tin-aw Art Gallery
- Tropical Futures Institute
- Ysobel Art Gallery
Venue
As in the previous years, the fair will be held at covered carpark The Link along Parkway Drive in Ayala Center, Makati City. Queues for the elevator can be a nightmare, so we recommend passing through the bridgeway from the third floor of The Landmark to the fouth floor of The Link—saves you from walking under the sun, too.
The fourth floor will house the reception area as well as sponsors' booths. The fifth to seventh floors will be dedicated exhibition spaces while the open-air roof deck will once again be used for Art Fair Philippines lectures and talks.
Tickets
To buy your Art Fair Philippines 2020 tickets, all you have to do is log onto their website and select a date. Regular tickets are at P350.
We recommend going on the first day, which is a Friday, to avoid the weekend crowd. After putting in your details, such as your e-mail address, name, and contact information, you can pay using your debit or credit card. You will then receive an e-mail containing your QR code, which will be scanned when you visit the fair. You can print this out or just save it on your phone if you're keen on saving paper (and ink).
You can also get your tickets at the fourth-floor reception during the three-day fair. Students with valid ID can get in for P150, while Makati students can get in for P100.
10 Days of Art
10 Days of Art is part of Art Fair Philippines' efforts to bring art closer to the people. The 10-day art festival happening from February 14 to 23 showcases public art pieces, promotes gallery shows, and holds art talks outside the confines of The Link. Out-of-the-box venues include bars, restaurants, and even retail establishments around the Makati Central Business District.
Art Fair Philippines 2020 runs from February 21 to 23 at The Link, Parkway Drive, Ayala Center, Makati City. Tickets, priced at P350, are available through Art Fair Philippines’ website.
Main photo: Paintings by Fernando Botero on display at Art Fair Philippines 2019, from Art Fair Philippines' website
