February is one of my favorite times of the year. Officially recognized as National Arts Month, there’s always something to do and pieces to see every weekend.
Art Fair Philippines remains a top highlight. It’s like my Super Bowl. …Museum and Galleries Month in October are like the qualifiers. Or something.
Art as memory
This is my tenth year visiting Art Fair Philippines, an unbroken streak since 2015 (skipping over the year that wasn’t due to COVID-19). I feel like I actually grew up with this event —from college to medical school to internship to residency, and now, chief residency. Through rain or shine, post-duty or class, I made it.
Art changes when shared through the eyes of other people. Conversations evolve. Display pieces get sold and are replaced the next day. I’ve been to the fair with my sister, every year I’ve been, my mom almost each time, and friends for repeat visits some years.
The years confirm that inflation is real, pumped even higher by the growing art consciousness in the metro. I remember Art Fair Philippines 2015 cost Php150 or so, and there were only 30 galleries hosted in the dark and cool repurposed parking lots of The Link, Makati.
(My glasses though.)
Read more: Snapshots: #ArtFairPH
Now the fair hosts 53 galleries and a dozen more concessionaires, and regular admission costs a whopping Php750. (It’s a blessing the fair started giving complimentary tickets to BPI Privileged/Gold Members and Globe Platinum members along the way.)
The experience has changed other ways through the years. We’ve seen some celebrities come and go. The 2022 edition was stressful and only vaguely enjoyable because of pandemic restrictions. And this year’s fair marks a new set-up in the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati. I’m happy to leave the stairs behind.
Read more: My Art Fair PH blog tag
There’s also a little bit of pleasure and comfort in greeting new works by familiar artists year on year. As the glass and space separate artist from audience, I can still say: I have grown, and so have they.
Art as experience and conversation
I’m in the stage of art enthusiasm where what moves me the most are cute, bright, contrasting and often uncanny (???). I can’t articulate it quite yet beyond a cousin of cute aggression, but a little uglier.
The recent conversation between me and art is usually me asking “why is this so compelling?”. Hahahaha. I also don’t know. Tell me why I need to bring those heart-butts home…
The character design is still as uncanny yet even more compelling as it was when I first saw it last year in MOCAF. The themes of fate, love, and a little nostalgic comfort translated well through the different media (sculpture, video and paint).
Read more: conversations with contemporary
I sincerely hope they put more of these up for sale soon. And that it comes in a smaller, studio unit-friendly size. Secret Fresh Gallery, please come through.
One of my goals for 2025 is to take a piece of these conversations home. Sadly, art as commodity is harder to contend with — everything’s sold out by the afternoon of the second day. My resolution now is to go to Art Fair Philippines 2026 on the morning of the first day. Mark my words!
From several paces away this work reminded me of the triptych by Hieronymous Bosch. The colors, symmetry, and otherworldly creatures were clear echoes. There were several layers more to why I found this work so exciting, but I’ll end at saying it got me excited to see Bosch again this April during our vacation!
The circular process of inspiration and multiplication captures the truth about art as transformative media. Dionisio’s work emphasizes the hidden threads that bind stories together.
Yunizar’s doodles reminded me of Keith Haring’s free figures, only Yunizar’s tended towards the tribal, dark, and more naturalistic. Imagine my surprise when we saw a bright Haring silk screen print (on sale for a measly Php184,000) a few galleries over!
To more spaces for art (and pieces on my shelves…)
Over the last three weeks I also visited Luneta Art Fair and Ugu Ceramics (based in Quezon province) with my family. I took home some new baby figures, which I love. I am yet to buy a new shelf —or at least clear out some space— to display them properly.
I remain excited for the rest of the year, from Ortigas Art Festival, ManilArt, the Into the Woods staging this August, hopefully Hope on the Stage sometime this May, and of course this year’s ballet season…
And eventually Art Fair Philippines 2026 will come around again. Wild.
Until next time! ♥️
jari m 
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