I’ve never missed a run of Art Fair Philippines, but I’ve always gone as a guest, so I’m extremely happy that I’m covering this year as a blogger. Another reason to be happy: this year’s run is expected to be bigger with a larger space, more participating local and regional galleries, an impressive lineup of public art installations, sonic art, talks, guided tours, and the newly-launched 10 Days of Art.
From February 16 to 19, Art Fair Philippines will showcase the best of Philippine and regional art, inviting 34 local galleries and 12 regional galleries: 1335 Mabini, Altro Mondo Arté Contemporanea, Archivo 1984, ARNDT, Art Cube Gallery, Artinformal, ART LAB, Art Underground, Art Verite’, Artesan Gallery + Studio, Avellana Art Gallery, Blanc, Boston Art Gallery, CANVAS, Edouard Malingue Gallery, Finale Art File, Gajah Gallery, Galería Cayón, Galerie Anna, Galerie Michael Janssen, Galerie Stephanie, Galleria Duemila, Gallery Kogure, Gallery Orange, J Studio, Kaida Contemporary, Asian Cultural Council/Leon Gallery, MO_Space, Nunu Fine Art, Paseo Art Gallery, Pinto Art Gallery, ROH Projects, Salcedo Private View, Secret Fresh, Silverlens, TAKSU, The Crucible Gallery, The Drawing Room, Tin-aw Gallery, Underground Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, West Gallery, XuArtspace, Yavuz Gallery, Ysobel Gallery, and YOD Gallery.
To continue its tradition, Art Fair Philippines will be held at the carpark of The Link in Ayala Center, a move to take art out of the intimidating ambience of the gallery and the museum, and into a more inclusive (albeit unconventional) space. This year, the fair will expand to three floors and the open-air roofdeck to accommodate the growing number of guests.
However, the fair will begin earlier than that. For 10 Days of Art, from February 9 to 19, the organizers will hold a series of events, special exhibits, tours, and exclusive dishes and parties at restaurants like Museum Cafe, Pappy Bistro, Pablo, Cartel Deli, The Belle and Dragon, 20:20, Finders Keepers, Black Market, XX XX, Bar Mathilde, Bucky’s, Pura Vida, and Z Hostel. If you order an Art Fair dish or drink with your Mastercard, you get a free Art Fair token.
At the Ayala Triangle, enthusiasts can join the Silent Disco, an experimental music and headphone gathering on February 18, 2017. Six DJs will compete for a chance to battle against nine local DJs and nine DJs from Hong Kong, Japan, and Sweden at the Silent Disco finals at the Malasimbo Music Festival. Attendees can also try the food at the Street Market, also at Ayala Triangle.
In other parts of the city, Xyza Cruz Bacani’s Humans of Makati exhibit will be displayed at the Dela Rosa elevated walkway. Bacani, who I met when she was still starting out as a photographer (and still working as an overseas worker in Hong Kong), photographed individuals to show the diversity of Makati’s population. Derek Tumala will also exhibit a light installation repurposed from old Christmas lights at the elevated walkway leading to Landmark.
The centerpiece of Art Fair Philippines 2017 will be the Southeast Asian premiere of British artist James Nares’ Street, a 61-minute video installation that captures street life in New York in a dream-like state. It will be shown at a specially-installed video screen at the Ayala Triangle from February 14 to 19 at 12 to 2PM and 5 to 9PM daily. The organizers didn’t leave anything to chance, and will also organize busker performances at various walkways and underpasses from February 13 to 19, 12NN and 5PM daily.
If this all sounds confusing and too much information, I will be creating a calendar of all the things you shouldn’t miss at this year’s fair!
Art Fair Philippines is organized yearly by Trickie Lopa, Lisa Ongpin-Periquet, and Dindin Araneta, with the participation of Makati City, a haven for arts and culture through its architecture, parks, museums, galleries, and malls.
For more information about Art Fair Philippines, visit http://artfairphilippines.com/en/, or visit its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. For more about the city that makes it happen, visit www.makeitmakati.com and follow its social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.