This is a spiritual (and actual) follow-up to a 2024 post on contemporary spaces in Metro Manila. Check that out for more places to visit and art to appreciate.
Read more: conversations with contemporary: four art spaces near metro manila
Art Fair Philippines | February 6 to 8, Circuit Makati
Rating: ★★★★☆
Admission Cost: Php 750 for a regular day pass; Php 300 for Makati students and teachers. BPI premium credit card holders and Globe Platinum subscribers have free admission.
Event Details: Art Fair Philippines brings together top local and international galleries exhibiting and selling modern and contemporary art. Some of the more familiar names include Silverlens, León Gallery, Archivo 1984 and Galerie Stephanie. The event hosts daily discussion talks on art, and special spaces for their residency grants and art projects.
The 2026 iteration featured a special gallery project titled “Mga Tambak sa Kubo ni Mombaki de Fertility (Portraits of a National Artist… as a Kultur Warrior)” on Kidlat Tahimik, as well as a special endurance performance art piece by Thai artist Pitchapa Wangprasertkul entitled, “The Standard“.
I enjoyed going around Art Fair Philippines this year, though we were admittedly in a bit of a rush. I think the curation was strong and introduced me to some new artists to follow. The new venue in Circuit Makati is still cramped, but I felt like I could breathe a little better compared to the last few years in The Link.
ALT ART | February 13 to 15, SMX Convention Center Pasay City
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Admission Cost: Php 500 for general admission
Event Details: ALT Philippines is the annual contemporary art fair organized by the ALT Collective (Artinformal, Blanc, The Drawing Room, Galleria Duemila, Finale Art File, MO_Space, Underground, Vinyl on Vinyl, and West Gallery). Unlike other art fairs and shows, ALT ART features emerging and established artists coming exclusively from those galleries.
The works displayed in ALT tended more towards either the experimental or the expansive (I imagine the buyers to have very high ceilings, or plenty of wall space). Still, the collection was mostly engaging and provocative for the individual/casual goer. Lindslee’s Weight of the Day under Artinformal gallery is a definite standout piece.
The wide and spacious exhibit proved to be a good place to spend a couple of hours, though it’s relatively more costly for what you get in volume or variety. The energy was relaxed with only a few galleries and a coffee kiosk right smack in the middle. (My only confusion was in the navigation of the space itself; even with a map in hand, I felt like I was still getting lost.)
Seams of Memory | March 13 to July 12, Metropolitan Museum of Manila BGC
Rating: ★★★★☆
Admission Cost: Php 550 for general admission for the entire museum
Event Details: Seams of Memory by Winna Go was a solo exhibition featuring large-scale works exploring the Chinese-Filipino heritage. Aside from paintings, there were also several small sculptures and large textile installations.
I visited this solo exhibition at the Groundspace Gallery of the M twice, and both times proved to be a treat. On a purely aesthetic level, there’s a satisfying arrangement of colors, textures, and traditional motifs spread across the different media. It can be viewed as a bigger conversation of textile and fashion as art.
However, my enjoyment was a somewhat removed from the intended sub-narratives of migration and personal growth. In that sense, I do think there was more room to be explored between the intent and the actual impact.
Threads of Dreams | June 2 to July 26, Metropolitan Museum of Manila BGC
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Admission Cost: Php 550 for general admission for the entire museum
Event Details: Threads of Dreams: 70 Years of Philippines-Japan Relations through Fashion was a limited-time showcase at The M, presented in partnership with Bench, the Embassy of Japan, and the Japan Foundation. Three Filipino designers –Jaggy Glarino, Rhett Eala, and Joey Samson– presented their own interpretations of the relationship between the two countries through cultural dialogue, migration, and of course, fashion.
Fashion as an art form remains severely underrated. Exhibitions like this one prove the richness of garments and textiles as a medium: what it can say about the designer’s environment and resources, their perspectives on form and function, and their expression as story-tellers playing with meaning and memory. I may or may not have felt overwhelmed by all the information included in the art labels’ narrative texts.
By some stroke of luck, we even got to see the three designers as they sat down for a talk. It was even cooler to look at the fashion and styling of the audience participants (presumably people in the fashion industry, or in design school).
MoCAF | July 3 to 5, Marquis Events Place BGC
Rating: ★★★★☆
Admission Cost: Php 380 via Klook
Event Details: Calling itself the Philippines’ most dynamic art festival, MoCaf –Modern and Contemporary Art Festival– has expanded to include hundreds of artists and more than 50 local and international galleries. Unique to the MoCaf experience is Xtn Artisans, a space for local handcrafters and designers, as well as Xtn Bites, a dedicated space for foodies and drink enthusiasts (we got some Bored & Hungry burgers, and some takoyaki).
For a high diversity, high quality, and also merchandise-oriented art show, MoCaf is the place to be –and that might have been everyone’s idea the night we visited, because it was seriously packed. Thankfully, Marquis Events Place was just big enough to accommodate everyone inside. There’s some room to improve when it comes to the layout and transition of the different spaces. Maybe a map would be helpful.
With such an accessible ticket and fairly central location, I think this is a great space for young and new collectors.
Some days I upload my favorite pieces to my Instagram art account: MaArteType.
ArteFino Festival | July 30 to August 2, Rockwell Makati
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Admission Cost: Php 150 for a day pass; free for Security bank card holders
Event Details: ArteFino is a Filipino artisanal movement that celebrates local creativity and craftsmanship. It’s less of a visual art fair, and more of an event to showcase modern local fashion, home decor, and heritage crafts. They host different pop-up events in Rockwell as well as Alabang throughout the year. Last July 30 to August 2, they also celebrated their 10th anniversary main festival.
The booths showcased world-class local craftsmanship and grassroots stories worth supporting. Continuing the discussion of fashion as art, some of the standout brands focused on indigenous weaves incorporated into modern/experimental designs, while other brands championed environmental causes or sustainable processes.
Because of the commitment to quality (and narrative), there’s a higher price point to the items on sale. Some conscious consumerism is advised, otherwise you’d exit with an empty wallet. I personally only left with a Rags2Riches 4-way A-line skirt that I’ve been eyeing for years.
I highly recommend the ArteFino pop-ups and the main festival for shopping-loving Filipinos or anyone looking for specific wares that can last a long time. As of now, it’s probably not for me.
*We were easily able to find the North and South Courts, as well as the displays along the R1 Lifestyle Hallway. It took some time and a detour before we could find The Fifth (we initially went up to the Church). So pro-tip: the events place can be accessed from the dedicated elevators near Zara and Starbucks Reserve in the first floor.
For next time (or to be updated)
- Art in the Park, which normally happens on a sunny weekend every March, and which I completely missed this year
- Ortigas Art Festival, which normally runs every July (and which I also completely missed this year)
- ManilART: The National Art Fair, which will be held this October 14 to 18 at SMX Aura
I also hope to post some of my reviews and thoughts over the last big art museums I’ve visited, including M+ in Hong Kong, National Gallery Singapore, and National Gallery of Victoria.
Until next time! ♥
jari m 
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