Art Fair Philippines is back for its 11th year. The three-day fair, happening from Feb. 16 to 18 at The Link Carpark in Makati, will highlight artists from the country’s top galleries alongside noteworthy international contemporary artists.

But aside from the variety of art—in all forms, from paintings to sculptural works, photography to video, and even performance and digital (AR and AI included) art—there are also a number of special programs and exhibitions that have gotten us excited for this year’s Art Fair.

Exhibitions to look out for

One of these special exhibits is “Pambabae,” which highlights the work of Filipina modernists, particularly those active from 1969 to 1989, “two decades that saw an explosion of creativity which was significant in the development of Philippine modern art.” The women artists to be featured in this Miguel Rosales-curated exhibition are Ivi Avellana Cosio, Ileana Lee, Nelfa Querubin, Evelyn Collantes, Phyllis Zaballero, and Lilian Hwang.

Aside from these women modernists, works by renowned Filipino artists Jonathan Ching, Jigger Cruz, Gean Brix Garcia, and Rod Paras-Perez will be featured, alongside international artists Andreea Medar from Romania, Mr. StarCity from the United States, and Eugenio Ampudia from Spain.

Eskinita Art Farm, hosting a group of muralist painters under the mentorship of Alfredo Esquillo Jr. and Renato Habulan, will also be showcasing their work.

art fair 2024 — *The Karen H. Montinola Selection this year will also feature a retrospective exhibition featuring the artists who have previously been awarded the art grant*

With the resurgence of a movie-going culture, it’s also timely to have a special project for the Art Fair’s film section, entitled “No Showing,” curated by filmmaker Moira Lang, co-presented with Archivo Gallery and Club Kino.

The project is described as a “hangout/speakeasy/watering hole/listening party/dance floor/breathing space for filmmakers and filmgoers to weigh, diagnose, and compare notes and remedies on the state of movie making and moviegoing in the Philippines.”

As the title suggests, there are no film screenings at this ArtFairPH/Film project; rather, they are pushing “a festival, not of screenings, but of conversations—over beer, with music by selected filmmakers, playing just loud enough to talk and to listen to one another.”

Art Fair will also be spotlighting several local art groups under their Incubators program: Authenticity Zero Collective, Istorya Studios, Manila Illustration Fair, Pangasinan Group, Talyer 15, and The Empty Scholar.

Art Fair is also continuing its 10 Days of Art initiative, which takes the experience of art outside The Link. Starting Feb. 9, public exhibitions will take place at the Ayala Triangle, featuring multidisciplinary visual artist Derek Tumala’s solar-powered work, “A Warm Orange-Colored Liquid,” and motion graphics artist and multimedia engineer Isaiah Cacnio’s “Prismatic Embrace.”

Galleries will also be open for Art Fair visitors for the Gallery Weekend starting Feb. 9.

Participating galleries in Art Fair Philippines 2024

A total of 55 galleries from the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Spain will be showcasing their respective artists’ works at this year’s Art Fair:

Altro Mondo
Art Agenda
Art Cube Gallery
Art Elaan
Art for Space
Art Lounge Manila
Art Underground
Art Verité Gallery
Artemis Art
Avellana Art Gallery
Boston Art Gallery
CANVAS
Cartellino
Galeria Paloma
Gajah Gallery
Galerie Stephanie
Galería Cayón
Gallery Kogure
Gravity Art Space
J Studio
Kaida Contemporary
Kobayashi Gallery
León Gallery
Metro Gallery
Mind Set Art Center
Modeka Art
MONO8
Nunu Fine Art
Orange Project
Paseo Art Gallery
Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum
Qube Gallery
Richard Koh Fine Art
Secret Fresh Gallery
Shukado+Gallery Scena
Silverlens
Superduper Art Gallery
Tarzeer Pictures
The Columns Gallery
The Crucible Gallery
Triangulum
Vantage Contemporary
Village Art Gallery
Vin Gallery
White Walls Gallery
Yavuz Gallery
Yiri Arts
YOD Gallery
Ysobel Art Gallery

Accessing the Art Fair

Tickets to Art Fair Philippines 2024 are already available through their website for P750. Fairgoers can also purchase tickets onsite from Feb. 16 to 18.

For easy and direct access to the fair’s reception area at the fourth floor of The Link, visitors can pass through the third floor bridgeway of Landmark. Alternatively, visitors can also access the fair through the Parkway Drive entrance (via elevator or stairway). The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

More information on participating galleries and specific events can also be found on the Art Fair website.