The recently-concluded Art Fair Philippines drew more than 40,000 visitors over a four-day period, a massive increase over last year’s 22,000 attendees.
“Year on year, we strive to make the best of Philippine contemporary art accessible to more people, and continue to provide a massive venue for local artists to showcase their works with a spotlight that they deserve,” says Trickie Lopa, who cofounded the fair with Lisa Periquet and Dindin Araneta. “It’s apparent that with this year’s numbers, we have met our goals.”
More than 600 people also signed up for art talks, which this year featured Dr. Sarah Thornton, author of the best-selling “7 Days in the Art World”; and historian Ambeth Ocampo, among others.
Despite the addition of two more floors this year, the fair still attracted capacity crowds of collectors, art lovers, students and millennials. The organizers say they will likely add even more floor space next year, in anticipation of the continued growth of the local contemporary art scene.
“The commercial aspect of the fair will always be there; it is a market encounter after all,” says Periquet. “We’ve always had a developmental, educational aspect that we continually work on each year as we seek to widen the audience for art.”