Since its inception in 2013, Art Fair Philippines is known as every art enthusiast and collectors’ go-to destination to appreciate contemporary art.
Not only because it is a place to showcase the creativity of Filipino artists, but also it serves as a platform for local and international exhibitors to make art accessible for the general public.
However for this year, in the efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Art Fair Philippines is going online for the first time.
From May 6-15, here’s what’s new for Art Fair Philippines 2021.
Shift to digital space
In Art Fair PH’s dedication to providing homegrown and foreign artists alike with an inclusive outlet for their own creativity and artistry, they decided to translate their physical exhibition into a digital museum.
Called the Metaverse, a collective virtual shared space and integrated the use of alternate reality, this is where Art Fair Philippines 2021 will be.
Considering that the fair has shifted online, everyone can now explore different artworks at the comforts of their own homes. Have we also mentioned that access to the fair is free of charge? Now, that is definitely something to be excited about.
43 exhibitors
Local and international exhibitors will showcase artworks through their online viewing rooms, which will include videos produced in collaboration with Globe Studios.
For more information on this year’s program and schedule of activities, please visit the Art Fair Philippines website www.artfairphilippines.com
This year’s exhibitors include 1335Mabini, A3 Arndt Art Agency, Altro Mondo Gallery, Archivo 1984, Art Agenda S.E.A. (Singapore), Art Cube, Art Elaan, Art Porters Gallery (Singapore), Art Underground, Art Verite Gallery, art/n23, Artery Art Space, Avellana Art Gallery, bio|trans|forms, CANVAS, District Gallery, Gajah Gallery (Singapore), Galeria Mayoral (Spain), Galerie Roberto, Galerie Stephanie, Gallery Kogure (Japan), J Studio, J StudioHQ, Kaida Contemporary, Kobayashi Gallery (Japan), La Lanta Gallery (Thailand), León Gallery, Lotus Asian Art, Metro Gallery, Mono8 Gallery, Orange Project, Pinaglabanan Gallery, Primo Marella Gallery (Italy), Qube Gallery, Salcedo Private View, Secret Fresh, Shutterspace Studios, Silverlens, Tarzeer Pictures, The Crucible Gallery, Thomas Epperson Photographs, Yavuz Gallery (Singapore and Australia), and Ysobel Art Gallery.
Focus on digital art 
For its first online edition, Art Fair Philippines 2021 will shine the spotlight on digital art.
They will be debuting digital artworks in their section ArtFairPH/Film. This section of the fair, presented by Globe Platinum and developed in partnership with Daata, will feature high-quality digital artworks from new media and contemporary artists like Jeremy Couillard and Petra Cortright, and Keiken.
To recognize emerging artists with focus on digital art, Julius Baer, a strong supporter of the arts, will be announcing the six winners of the Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize for Southeast Asian artists.
For their ArtFairPH/Projects section, viewers will be introduced to the concept of crypto basics embedded within the crypto art community in Welcome to the Metaverse: The NFT 101 Showcase.
This is presented by the Bank of the Philippine Islands and co-curated with Tropical Futures Institute, a multi-disciplinary think tank and studio based in Cebu; and Narra Art Gallery, a Filipino digital art gallery.
New section
This year, Art Fair Philippines will be launching a new section called ArtFairPH/Residencies. This is an artist residency program project in partnership with Bleeding Heart Rum Corporation, the makers of Don Papa Rum.
Five artists selected based on their submitted portfolios will be paired with art spaces and galleries from different parts of the Philippines including Manila Observatory in Quezon City, Linangan Art Residency in Cavite, Emerging Islands in La Union, The Orange Project in Bacolod, and Barrio Butanding in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The resulting artists’ projects will be presented at Art Fair Philippines 2022.
Special exhibit for photography
Co-presented by the Swiss private bank Julius Baer, ArtFairPH/Photo has proved to be one of the more popular sections of the art fair.
For this year, the ArtFairPH/Photo section will feature Paris-based Filipino photographer Ding Panganiban. He will bring to the fair his ambrotype collodion process of developing photographs taken with a vintage camera and printed on glass.
New workshop sessions
In keeping with the fair’s thrust to widen the audience for the visuals arts and to continue to expand the appreciation of fair visitors for contemporary art, ArtFairPH/Talks features daily discussions presented in partnership with the Ateneo Art Gallery, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, and the international publication, Art Review.
Launched last year, the series of workshops dubbed Open Studios goes online with a selection of live demonstrations and recorded instructionals aimed to give fair visitors hands-on experiences in art-making.
Also in the pipeline are two virtual tours: a look at the singular collection of filmmaker and current Baguio resident, Moira Lang, and a studio visit with acclaimed artist Alfredo Equillo.
10 Days of Art
The 10 Days of Art initiative started in 2018 to create buzz for the art fair beyond the physical confines of its venue. Even as the fair pivots to a digital platform, an installation is planned for Ayala Tower One’s fountain area with live screenings of the selections of ArtFairPH/Film digital artwork.
For more information on this year’s program and schedule of activities, please visit the Art Fair Philippines website www.artfairphilippines.com and follow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram (@artfairph) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/artfairph).
/dbs
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