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Four days of liveliness at Art Fair Philippines
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Geraldine Javier's installation at the Equator Art Projects area at this year's Art Fair Philippines.
It says a lot about this year’s Art Fair Philippines that even at the “odd hour” of an early Thursday afternoon, the space was not quite empty. Apart from the people from the galleries and the artists, there were students (those from Makati’s public high schools got in for free), collectors, and art enthusiasts with time to spare. It was a far cry from the Wednesday night vernissage, where a lively hubbub filled the two floors of the Ayala Center’s Link building. And on a Saturday, a steady stream of people came over to catch what Manila’s art scene had to offer.
The challenge of Art Fair Philippines is not only to build on what was started last year but also to set a pattern for the future. What is clear is that the fair is aiming for a broader international audience, which explains why, among others, two art galleries and an auction house from out of town were there.
As Trickie Lopa, one of the organizers, told GMA News Online, “We knew we had to keep the momentum from last year going, that we had contributed in some way to creating awareness for our local art scene. So we wanted to continue that.” The process of momentum-building included getting a bigger space. This time, visitors could explore a floor and a half of the Link parking building, and the upper floor hosted some of the fair’s special solo exhibitions.
One of these solo exhibitions was by Marina Cruz, a visual artist whose exhibit this year was, unbeknownst to many, part of an ongoing advocacy. “This is the first time I am talking about my story,” Cruz said, “and in this show, I somehow subtly tell [the viewer] how my family is formed.”
Cruz is an advocate of adoption, and she told her story at a TED event in UP Diliman last year. “For example, some of the paintings in the Waiting for Home series are about how an orphan child dreams of a home,” she said. Her husband Rodel Tapaya also had a solo exhibition there, and Saturday saw the launch of the catalog for his ongoing exhibit at the Ateneo Art Gallery, both of which deals with his fascination with archetypes and mythology as social commentary. 
The challenge of Art Fair Philippines is not only to build on what was started last year but also to set a pattern for the future. What is clear is that the fair is aiming for a broader international audience, which explains why, among others, two art galleries and an auction house from out of town were there.
As Trickie Lopa, one of the organizers, told GMA News Online, “We knew we had to keep the momentum from last year going, that we had contributed in some way to creating awareness for our local art scene. So we wanted to continue that.” The process of momentum-building included getting a bigger space. This time, visitors could explore a floor and a half of the Link parking building, and the upper floor hosted some of the fair’s special solo exhibitions.
One of these solo exhibitions was by Marina Cruz, a visual artist whose exhibit this year was, unbeknownst to many, part of an ongoing advocacy. “This is the first time I am talking about my story,” Cruz said, “and in this show, I somehow subtly tell [the viewer] how my family is formed.”
Cruz is an advocate of adoption, and she told her story at a TED event in UP Diliman last year. “For example, some of the paintings in the Waiting for Home series are about how an orphan child dreams of a home,” she said. Her husband Rodel Tapaya also had a solo exhibition there, and Saturday saw the launch of the catalog for his ongoing exhibit at the Ateneo Art Gallery, both of which deals with his fascination with archetypes and mythology as social commentary.
Some of the work from Marina Cruz's special solo exhibition.
Increased interest in art
I had a chance to talk on the record with two of the people running booths at the fair. Richie Lerma, who runs Salcedo Auctions, was there on behalf of its new venture Salcedo Private View. “The level of interest and the quality of the visitors last year was really strong,” he said of why they accepted the invitation to take part this year, “so when they sent us the invitation [to take part this year], we didn’t hesitate to accept it.” This year, he said, “the enthusiasm is quite palpable and has grown.”
However, for one exhibitor, Manila Contemporary, it was, in many ways, a last hurrah. Curator and gallery director Eva McGovern told us, “This year, what with Christie’s being here and all, we are able to draw a lot of people and a lot more international clients and curators, and so we’ve been really, really happy about that.” Of the fact that this is the last Art Fair they would be attending, McGovern said, “We are happy to exit at this particular point, because the Philippine contemporary art scene is growing and evolving and is at a very exciting time right now.”
There were some visitors who have been to both editions of the Art Fair, and one of them, Kris Sebastian, who works at a university in Quezon City, found the experience priceless. “Art Fair is always an overwhelming experience,” she told us, “and it is an event where you get to meet a lot of people who share the same passion for art as you do.” She noted the large number of young people who attended, which gave her hope for the future of Philippine art. Indeed, it was an occasion to meet people from different circles who shared an interest in what was on offer.
Lopa felt that this fair was a success: “We had more than 10,000 visitors in four days—almost 50 percent more than last year. The galleries reported robust sales.” Higher visitor numbers do not, however, negate for what another artist, Maria Cruz, who is currently based in Sydney, felt about the fair. “I found [art fairs like this in Manila] to be social, with lots of parties,” she observed, “perhaps because the scene is small and everybody knows each other. It is celebratory.”
Perhaps a floor and a half of a smallish carpark, where it is easy to bump into someone one knows, makes for a far different mood and gives an art fair in Manila a character all of its own. — BM, GMA News
I had a chance to talk on the record with two of the people running booths at the fair. Richie Lerma, who runs Salcedo Auctions, was there on behalf of its new venture Salcedo Private View. “The level of interest and the quality of the visitors last year was really strong,” he said of why they accepted the invitation to take part this year, “so when they sent us the invitation [to take part this year], we didn’t hesitate to accept it.” This year, he said, “the enthusiasm is quite palpable and has grown.”
However, for one exhibitor, Manila Contemporary, it was, in many ways, a last hurrah. Curator and gallery director Eva McGovern told us, “This year, what with Christie’s being here and all, we are able to draw a lot of people and a lot more international clients and curators, and so we’ve been really, really happy about that.” Of the fact that this is the last Art Fair they would be attending, McGovern said, “We are happy to exit at this particular point, because the Philippine contemporary art scene is growing and evolving and is at a very exciting time right now.”
There were some visitors who have been to both editions of the Art Fair, and one of them, Kris Sebastian, who works at a university in Quezon City, found the experience priceless. “Art Fair is always an overwhelming experience,” she told us, “and it is an event where you get to meet a lot of people who share the same passion for art as you do.” She noted the large number of young people who attended, which gave her hope for the future of Philippine art. Indeed, it was an occasion to meet people from different circles who shared an interest in what was on offer.
Lopa felt that this fair was a success: “We had more than 10,000 visitors in four days—almost 50 percent more than last year. The galleries reported robust sales.” Higher visitor numbers do not, however, negate for what another artist, Maria Cruz, who is currently based in Sydney, felt about the fair. “I found [art fairs like this in Manila] to be social, with lots of parties,” she observed, “perhaps because the scene is small and everybody knows each other. It is celebratory.”
Perhaps a floor and a half of a smallish carpark, where it is easy to bump into someone one knows, makes for a far different mood and gives an art fair in Manila a character all of its own. — BM, GMA News
