Expanded Views: A Bigger and Better Art Fair Philippines Highlights the Best of Contemporary Art

Roberto Feleo’s Tao-tao ng Aklasang Basi-Ang Hanay ng mga N, lacquer over acrylic on sawdust and eggshell mix over paper on aluminum expander, 2014-2015 (detail of installation piece)

Art Fair Philippines returns for the third time and promises to be bigger and better. It is a trade fair to market artworks, as well as a platform to showcase the best in Philippine contemporary visual art as well as a tool to foster wider appreciation for contemporary art, said one of the organizers, Lisa Periquet of Philippine Art Events Inc.

Art Fair Philippines will be mounted from February 5 to 8, 2015, in Makati City. As with the previous two fairs, it will again transform the car park building in Ayala Center, called The Link, into a venue where the country’s leading galleries gather and exhibit artworks. This year, more galleries are participating at 33, the biggest number so far. There were 24 during the maiden event, occupying 2,780 square meters, and 28 last year. Aside from local galleries, the 2015 fair will also include eight participants from around Southeast Asia.

Spread out over two levels, the participating galleries this year are 1335 Mabini, Altromondo, Archivo, Arndt, Art Cube, Artesan, Art Informal, Art Verite, Avellana Art Gallery, Blanc, Boston Gallery, CANVAS, Crucible, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Equator Art Projects, Finale Art File, Galeria Duemila, Galerie Michael Janssen, J Studio, MO_, Nova Gallery, Nunu Fine Art, Pablo, Paseo Gallery, ROH Projects, Salcedo Private View, Secret Fresh, Silverlens, TAKSU, The Drawing Room, Tin-Aw Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, and West Gallery.

At the heart of fair is a cluster of special exhibitions of selected artists, which the organizers consider the most exciting names in Philippine contemporary art. According to organizer Dindin Araneta, selected are those making important works, who have achieved both commercial and critical success, and have been invited to exhibit here and abroad. Also, they also want to highlight “neglected” artists such this year’s focal artist Roberto Feleo.

Feleo, professor and mentor to many artists, will be at the central exhibit space in The Link’s sixth level. The exhibit will include life-sized pieces tackling a pivotal point in Philippine history. Feleo will be joined by artists Mike Adrao, Poklong Anading, Annie Cabigting, Buen Calubayan, Mariano Ching and Yasmin Sison, Kawayan de Guia, Alfredo Esquillo Jr., Geraldine Javier, and Maria Taniguchi, who will be at the seventh level.

The special exhibits are curated in consultation with Dr. Patrick Flores, who was selected to be the curator of the Philippine pavilion at the upcoming 56th Venice Biennale. Art Fair Philippines again collaborates with prominent furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue and his team to fine-tune the fair’s layout.

Auction house Christie’s will return this year as sponsor and it will run Art Fair Philippines’ lecture series called Christie’s Art Forum. Art Fair Philippines welcomes a new sponsor, prominent local clothing brand Bench. Food and beverage partners for this year are Kai Restaurant, The Straits Wine Company, and Coca Cola.

Art Fair Philippines is included under the campaign “Make It Happen. Make it Makati” of Makati City, which projects itself as enclave that promotes art, culture and history, as well as urabn innovations and other developments. To entice more visitors, Makati has partnered with MasterCard for its Priceless Makati Staycation promo. It offers clients the chance to stay in one of the four hotel brand in the area, Raffles Makati, Fairmont Makati, InterContinental Manila, and Holiday Inn and Suites Makati. Those availing of the promo this February can get two complimentary tickets to the Art Fair.

Art Fair Philippines is one of the two major visual art fairs in the country. The one being ManilArt, organized by the National Committee on Art Galleries of the National Commission for Cultural and the Arts, which is on its sixth year. Over the years, Art Fair Philippines enjoyed increasing attendance. About 6,000 visitors attended in 2013, while about 10,000 visitors were at last year’s event. Organizers hope to exceed the 10,000 mark.

Geraldine Javier’s Let's  Talk About Art (detail of work in progress), using embroidery, fabric, foam,  (2014-2015) 

Annie Cabigting’s Girl in Red With Twins at the MOMA, oil on canvas, 2014-2015

Mike Adrao's Study for Elegant Beasts Beautiful Decay (Snakes), pen and ink on paper, 2014

Poklong Anading’s Road to Mountains, recycled tires, 2015

One of the featured artists, Kawayan de Guia

Maria Taniguchi

Alfredo Esquillo, Jr.

Buen Calubayan

Mariano Ching and Yasmin Sison

Tickets are available at the reception area located at the sixth floor of The Link. Art Fair Philippines is co-presented by Ayala Land Premiere, Alveo, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Globe Telecom, Volkswagen, and Bench. It falls under the Make It Happen Make It Makati initiative. For more information, visit www.artfairphilippines.com and www.facebook.com/artfairph. Email secretariat@artfairphilippines.com or irene@artfairphilippines.com. Call phone number 831-0953.

Photographs courtesy of Art Fair Philippines