Art Fair Philippines 2022

Walkthrough at the Ayala Triangle Gardens

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

With the lifting of the quarantine protocols to Alert Level 1, Metro Manila is finally experiencing a freer movement around the metropolis. What has been virtually done for the past two years are now made physical and live.

Art Fair Philippines will have a physical iteration this month with a Baroque-themed exhibition curated by Norman Crisologo. The walkthrough is installed on the grounds of the Tower 1 Plaza of the Ayala Triangle. The exhibit will be mounted with five specific galleries: projects, photo, film, residences, and art trail.

Under the Projects domain, ten artists will be featured. These include the folk traditions of Aro Soriano, the social realism of Nune Alvarado and his commentary on the erstwhile 'sakada' system, the mixed media of Iloilo-based artist Melvin Guirhem, the works of NFT (non-fungible tokens) artiste Bjorn Calleja, the sculpted obra of Johanna Helmuth, cubism artist Ryan Nada and his 'diary of the pandemic,' the retablos of Doktor Karayom, the wood work collection of Tyang Karyel, the huge works (12' x 40") of Aze Ong, and the performance art of Russian artist Sasha Frolova.

The outdoor photo exhibit, which will unfold at the walkway, will feature "Tattoos, Ternos, and Couture: A Celebration of Philippine Fashion & Photography" that will feature captured images by ace lensmen Neil Oshima, Mark Nicdao, and Shaira Luna among many others.

The film component will be scheduled at the amphitheater and will highlight the works of Jeremy Louillard, including "Fuzz Spiral." While Residences, on the other hand, will feature Don Papa and Faye Abantao's "Barrio Butanding."

The Art Trail, installed with the collaboration of Daata, will be an interactive, augmented trail that will feature 'Aparisyon,' as well as the works of writer Eliza Victoria.

There will be a gallery walkthrough - with four galleries each day - on March 23 and 24. This will be followed closely by the ArtFairPH Talks on March 25-27. Under "Public Art," audiences will be amazed by the 20-foot works of Norman Dreo and Juanito Torres.

Art Fair Philippines 2022 will breeze through ten days of art at the Ayala Triangle Gardens starting on March 23rd from 10 in the morning to 10 in the evening.