MANILA – Ongoing until February 21 at The Link Carpark, Ayala Center Makati, Art Fair Philippines is an annual event celebrating the aesthetic endeavors of individuals or groups found all over the country. With three levels to explore, a day isn’t enough to take it all in, and there are even tours which will take visitors to partner galleries/museums to take in ongoing exhibits.
Immediate standouts at The Link include “Mabini Art Project” a collaborative installation between Juan and Isabel Aquilizan, and Antonio Calma that chronicles the schism between modern and figurative art—bringing them together in a carefully curated exhibit. It’s meant to question our perceptions on what modern art is now and how we see “Mabini art” –a local derogatory term for supposedly insipid works of art catering to common or tourist-y tastes. Another gem to be found here are the wax-resist works by Alfonso Ossorio, famous for his painting of the seemingly angry Christ at Victoria’s (the sugar plantation) chapel in Negros—vibrant, seemingly childlike, but with strokes that tell of a struggle or exploration between mastery and abandon.
Posted by adobo magazine on Thursday, February 18, 2016
Wander around the seventh floor, and you’ll find works by Yayoi Kusama, a playful sculpture by Pete Jimenez featuring welded bumpers of 50’s cars, Brenda Fajardo’s four horsewomen of the apocalypse, and a mesmerizing photo installation by Martha Atienza. Jetro Rafael of Van Gogh is Bipolar invites visitors to step through a cabinet door and explore a thread-tangled maze festooned with his paintings and installation art, with some brave souls trailing a bit of thread themselves as they wend their way through the little wonderland and out another cabinet doorway.
Don Papa Rum also will be announcing the winner of their art competition on February 20, and the original works are proudly displayed with the canisters bearing the work. Bench also has a cheeky little stall selling shirts featuring designs by artists like Geraldine Javier, Robert Alejandro, Electrolychee, and Pergy Acuna. Not to be outdone, National Book Store’s alcove features artsy keepsakes and a bench with three “books” that when opened are actually lamps.
Inspiring, engaging and mind-opening, why not take some time to take in some art this weekend at the Art Fair.
For more information on exhibits, lecture and other Art Fair PH activities, please log on to artfairphilippines.com or www.facebook.com/artfairph.
