This year’s Art Fair Philippines (AFP) seems to be
targeting everything and everybody.
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| E! by Roberto Feleo made from acrylic on sawdust with eggshell |
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| "Thinking" by Bencab |
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| "Mother and Child" by Bencab |
"We’re trying to raise awareness and
appreciation for art, we’re trying to promote its accessibility and we’re
trying to create a market for art, artists, galleries and collectors,” shares
Ms. Lisa Periquet, one of the fair’s organizers, in an
interview with the Manila Bulletin.
And
based on the impressive number of artists’ contributions, the art collectors’ purchases,
and the many people who participated in the event, AFP 2014 may have succeeded in
meeting its targets.
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| An edible art metal work with pastries by Heny Sison and Gino Gonzales |
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| "Candy Crush" by Machael Cacnio |
The
AFP is a fitting opportunity to showcase Philippine Contemporary Art in the
country and eventually find its place in the national psyche among Filipinos. And
because of this, the fair reaches out, not only to the country’s elite society,
but also to the average Filipino students, professionals, and office workers
who are fascinated by art. It also helps that the event is centrally located in
a car park in Makati City, which makes it accessible to the public, rather than
hosting it in an old intimidating museum. According to AFP organizer Trickie Lopa: “Art should belong to everybody interested and we want to make sure this
fair represents that.”
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| Ping Pong Table by Louie Cordero |
Now
on its second year, the AFP reveals a lot about the bustling and vibrant contemporary
art scene that truly impresses everyone. It exhibited various artworks in
different forms--- paintings, photos tables, chairs, cupcakes, sculptures, among
others. It also displayed art that used various medium and materials--- oil, glass,
wood, brass sheets, copper wire, nylon fabric, and even egg shells---which turned
out to be interesting art pieces.
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| Chair made of melted plastic spoons |
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| "The Reaping in a Cosmos of Confusion" by Tawnie Tantay |
These
artworks are proudly created by established and up-and-coming Filipino artists
that provided diverse interpretations of their experiences about life, their
impressions about time and history, and their perspectives about the world
around them. They have ingeniously captured their sentiments in their creations
that have provoked a lot of emotions and interests among the viewers. Some of
these art pieces induce various feelings, which can be nostalgic, comical, disturbing,
chilling, inspiring, and provocative--- yet all of these reflect the Filipino
artists’ talent, imagination, and creativity.
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| "Unnatural History: Ang Totoong Alamat ng Pilipinas" by Alwin Reamillo |
This
year’s art fair also featured a lecture series sponsored by Christie’s, the world-renowned art
auction house with its headquarters in London and New York. These talks titled “Christie’s
Art Forum” discussed the art market and featured Filipino artists as they
talked about their work. The participation of Christie’s in the art fair is deemed as a validation of the Filipino
artists’ growing fame in the international art scene. It is also considered a valuable
opportunity to further promote the country’s eminence and vibrancy in the field
of arts.
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| "Which Way Do I Go?" by Daniel dela Cruz |
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| by Marina Cruz |
The
AFP is truly a remarkable endeavor to give Philippine Contemporary Art the utmost
attention it deserves. Indeed, it has successfully advanced the awareness and
appreciation of art among Filipinos to which we can all be proud of. Hopefully,
as Filipino artists make waves in the international art scene, they will also have
continuous support in the country through such art fairs that would allow them
to share their creativity and promote Philippine artistry.
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