Featuring twice as many programmes
By Ho See Wah

Cenon at Mav, ‘Bumaba sa lupa, mula sa langit’ (Down to Earth, From Heaven) from Mga kahina-hinalang kaganapan sa Santor, 2020. Image courtesy of Tarzeer Pictures.

Art Fair Philippines is back for its biggest edition with a record number of 61 participating galleries, a substantial increase from the 24 exhibitors in its 2013 inaugural showcase. Sticking with its ethos of fostering appreciation for modern and contemporary Filipino art, 42 galleries will come from the Philippines itself, and the remaining 19 will see exhibitors from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and more. The fair is set to take place at its usual location of The Link carpark in Makati City from 21 to 23 February 2020.

Wawi Navarroza, ‘La Bruja (All the Places She's Gone, Self-Portrait)’, 2019, archival pigment print on Hahnemühle, cold-mounted on acid-free aluminum, with artistʼs exhibition frame i.e. wrapped fabric on double wood frame custom-tinted to WN skin tone, 101.6 x 133.4cm. Image courtesy of Silverlens.

Familiar galleries in the Filipino art scene will be making their appearances, such as Silverlens Galleries. The gallery will present works from over 30 local and international artists, including Filipino artists Pio Abad, Gary-Ross Pastrana and Maria Taniguchi, Thai artist Mit Jai Inn, and Malaysian artist Yee I-Lann. It will be worth visiting their booth each day of the fair as their showcase will be refreshed daily. The gallery will also have Wawi Navarroza’s works at ArtFairPH/Photo, a section dedicated to photography, and a special exhibition featuring Filipino-American artist James Clar’s liquid and light installation. Prices for the works are from USD2,962 to USD6,912.

Emmanuel Tolentino Santos, ‘Laguna’, 2019-2020, type C print, hand-coloured photo, 100 x 100cm. Image courtesy of Art Porters Gallery.

Visitors can expect Filipino art from international galleries as well, such as fair newcomer Art Porters Gallery, based in Singapore. Art Porters will be presenting a solo booth dedicated to Melbourne-based Filipino artist Emmanuel Tolentino, titled ‘Shadow Earth’. Founder Guillaume Levy-Lambert, who is also behind the private collection The MagMA Collection, says, “The Collection has been proudly collecting Emmanuel’s works for 15 years and we look forward to sharing our passion for his works with the art-loving public in Manila.” Tolentino’s works are priced from USD3,800 to USD5,200.

Dexter Sy, 'Do you remember when life is so simple and permanent #2’, 2019, mixed media on canvas, 122 x 152cm. Image courtesy of G13 Gallery.

Also joining for the first time is the Petaling Jaya-based G13 Gallery. The gallery has taken part widely in numerous fairs, and this will be its inaugural participation in a Filipino fair. Director Kenny Teng says, “We are excited to showcase the artworks of regional young artists at Art Fair Philippines. The art scene in the Philippines is vibrant and with our participation in the fair, we hope to strengthen our relationship with the regional art audience.” G13 will be showcasing nine artists at its booth: Filipino artists Jason Montinola, Winner Jumalon, Valerie Chua, Dexter Sy, Renz Baluyot and Tiffany Lafuente, Malaysian artists Shafiq Nurdin and Nik Shazmie, and Indonesian artist Natisa Jones. Prices range from USD2,000 to USD7,000.

Ang Kiukok, ‘Meditation Under the Moon’, 1979, watercolour on paper, 23 x 30cm. Image courtesy of Art Agenda, S.E.A..

Singapore-based Art Agenda, S.E.A. will be collaborating with Asia Art Center from Taiwan for its first participation in the fair. “Filipino collectors are amongst the most active in the region with a strong interest in both modern and contemporary art,” Director Jefferson Jong says. “To offer a fresh perspective and to entice the collectors, we are presenting modern works by prominent local artists such as Concepcion and Ang Kiu Kok and juxtaposing them with works by their Indonesian contemporaries.” The booth will feature Filipino artists Pacita Abad, Ang Kiu Kok, Florencio B. Concepcion, Hernando R. Ocampo, Mauro Malang Santos and Fernando Zobel, Indonesian artists Popo Iskandar and Zaini, and Taiwanese artist Li Chen. Prices go from USD10,000 to USD30,000 for Southeast Asian artists, and will start from USD35,000 for Li Chen’s works.

Chamnan Chongpaiboon, ‘Etsu’, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 120cm. Image courtesy of La Lanta Fine Art.

La Lanta Fine Art from Bangkok returns for its second run with a range of offerings as compared to its solo presentation the year before. Gallery Director Sukontip Fon Prahanpap says, “La Lanta Fine Art is pleased to return to Art Fair Philippines in 2020. This year we will feature multidisciplinary artwork in forms of sculptures, painting, and embroidery by artists from Thailand, the Philippines and France.” The gallery will be presenting works from Thai artists Chairat Sangthong, Sita Inyai, Chamnan Chongpaiboon and Nilraya Bundasak, Filipino artist Jason Montinola and French artist Olivier Duhamel. The artwork prices range from USD1,200 to USD6,000.

Besides the main booths, visitors can expect rigorous programming as Art Fair Philippines doubles the number of its existing programmes by introducing three new components, such as ArtFairPH/Incubators. Incubators will feature a roster of burgeoning creative spaces experimenting with unconventional modi operandi, a welcomed inclusion that reflects the fair’s desire to stay abreast of contemporary trends.

Issay Rodriguez, ‘DOON (Over There)’, 2020, 3D visualisation courtesy of Raha Rodriguez. Image courtesy of art/n23.

One such space is the Dumaguete City- and Brussels-based art/n23, an agency that represents artists and designers who are Filipinos or based in the Philippines. Fairgoers can look forward to an interactive virtual reality (VR) installation, 'DOON (Over There)' by Filipino artist Issay Rodriguez, as a fresh approach towards experiencing art. “We expect to attract more millennials and a different group of collectors to the fair,” note Founders Sandra Palomar and Cristina Herfort. “VR can potentially change the economic model in art, where artists can be “paid per view” like in film instead of only a single transaction in the beginning. This is why representing VR art is a game-changer in our view.”

The VR artwork can be bought at USD15,700. art/n23 will also present artist Joseph Gabriel, photographer Jake Verzosa, sculptor and furniture maker Karl Aguila, and biologist Jean-Henri Oracion at other sections of the fair, with prices ranging from USD500 to USD9,000.

Julian Udine, ‘Pseudo Animalia: In Scrutiny’, 2020, thermoplastic, polymer, wood, copper, acrylic paint, mirror, stainless steel, 25.4 x 25.4 x 20.3cm. Image courtesy of Signum.

Another Incubator booth is Signum, a platform that focuses on objects made by architects, designers, printmakers and artists. Speaking on its interdisciplinary approach, co-founder Stephanie Frondoso says, “We are excited about this segment of the fair because it opens the art market to creative disciplines that intersect with art. Our platform is a once-a-year pop up exhibition that brings these fields together and breaks the boundaries between them.” Signum will bring in 31 creatives, including Filipino artist Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, and artist-designers Lilianna Manahan and Julian Udine. Prices are limited to around USD198 to USD988 as Signum aims to have the artworks be more accessible to the general public by containing the scale of the works.

Visitors can also expect a dynamic selection for returning programmes such as ArtFairPH/Photo, first launched in 2018. This section cements photography’s position as a recognised contemporary art form and aims to strengthen its appeal in the Filipino art market.

Dianne Rosario, selection from the ‘I came like water, and like wind I go’ series, 2020. Image courtesy of Tarzeer Pictures.

Manila-based Tarzeer Pictures, a creative agency and photography gallery, reinforces ArtFairPH/Photo’s motivations. Executive Producer Dinesh Mohnani comments, “We’re joining the fair as a first-time exhibitor, showcasing contemporary photography by emerging Filipino artists. The fair has continued to evolve and diversity its photography section, and we’re very proud to be part of that this year.” Tarzeer Pictures will present new works by Filipino photographer Dianne Rosario and photographer-and-stylist duo Cenon at Mav, with prices going from USD355 to USD1,777.

Other programmes include ArtFairPH/Projects, ArtFairPH/Talks, ArtFairPH/Tours, ArtFairPH/Open Studios and ArtFairPH/Film, which took place from 14 to 15 February at Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Art Fair Philippines seeks to reimagine what visual arts can encompass, and to attract a wider audience into the world of Filipino art. We look forward to seeing how its biggest edition yet will unfold, especially with the wide variety of programming it has lined up.

A&M is proud to be an official media partner of Art Fair Philippines 2020.

Art Fair Philippines 2020 runs from 21 to 23 February 2020 at The Link carpark in Makati City. For more information, visit artfairphilippines.com.