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Welcome to the biophilic art jungle

By SCOTT GARCEAU, The Philippine STAR Published Jan 30, 2023 5:00 am

If Art Fair PH 2023, returning to The Link at Ayala Center from Feb. 17-19, has a single word for this year, it is not FOFA (“eff around and find out”), but “biophilic.” This is a design term that aims to weave natural shapes and forms into spaces where people interact, promoting a more organic flow—thus, buildings and lobbies with undulating patterns echoing leaves, bamboo trees crisscrossing, or enfolding scalloped shapes to increase visitor “connectivity” with the natural environment.

This means The Link floors, which are primarily stacked, white cubes, will have to undergo serious reimagining to bring us closer to an imagined natural environment. It’s a happy Schrödinger’s Box problem for longtime Art Fair designer Andy Locsin. “We thought it was important to challenge the idea of the grid this year,” says the architect from longtime Art Fair collaborator Leandro V. Locsin Partners. “Biophilic design takes inspiration from how nature forms itself, the randomness of some things, with the underlying order, so it presents to the public a sense of discovery.”

Back to The Link: Art Fair returns to the Ayala carpark on Feb. 17.

Early on, it was decided Art Fair would return to “something relatively familiar, the same venue, but introducing something that was a little bit different—and a little bit disconcerting—with disruption, which we have all sort of been experiencing for the last three years.”

Raymond Guevarra work

An early walkthrough of the proposed space left some gallery exhibitors baffled (where to hang things?), but Locsin says, “There are opportunities to take advantage of how corners are turned, how layouts present themselves, and how the sequence through the space plays out.”

You’ll just have to imagine it—for now.

(From left) Dindin Araneta, Lisa Periquet, Trickie Lopa, and Andy Locsin present Art Fair Philippines 2023—its 10th edition—to media at Raffles Long Bar.

But linking the outside of Makati with the inside has always been the goal of Art Fair, now marking its 10th year: increasing foot traffic to art spaces not just inside the Ayala carpark building, but all around the surrounding galleries and installations of Makati. After all, this long-term project of founders Trickie Lopa, Lisa Periquet, and Dindin Araneta has survived a COVID lockdown (during which Art Fair went online, then hybrid last year), so this transition to a familiar space can only be a welcoming sign.

Faye Abantao, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Kiko Escora, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Pow Martinez, \Pphoto by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Peter Zimmerman, Photo from Nunu Fine Art

Yunizar, Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery

Mark Andy Garcia / Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Yeo Kaa, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Eisa Jocson . Photo from Rockbund Art Museum and Hugo Boss Asia Art Awards 2019

Raymond Guevara, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Faye Abantao, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Kiko Escora, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Pow Martinez, \Pphoto by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Peter Zimmerman, Photo from Nunu Fine Art

Yunizar, Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery

Mark Andy Garcia / Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Yeo Kaa, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

Eisa Jocson . Photo from Rockbund Art Museum and Hugo Boss Asia Art Awards 2019

Raymond Guevara, Photo by Jojo Gloria for Art Fair Philippines

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The 10 featured artists in the project section curated by Norman Crisologo this year are:

  • Faye Abantao, “a Bacolod-based artist working with archival prints and photographs which she interweaves, using origami techniques, collage,” says Lisa.
  • Kiko Escora whose works are described as “portraits of modern society.”
  • Mark Andy Garcia, who works with “beautiful landscapes with figures that are ethereal and symbolic, and relate to his own experience of life, with a strong faith component.”
  • Raymond Guevarra, who’s “well known for his boxes which integrate a lot of pop culture toys from the ‘90s and many of them have a mechanical component,” says Lisa, “so each row is like a nice microcosm of nostalgia.”
  • Pow Martinez whose paintings are “funny, a little grotesque, super colorful, like a commentary on urban life, and vignettes of society.”
  • Yeo Kaa whose popular cartoon-like figures show “traces of anime, very feminine, very colorful,” with “sometimes an undercurrent of violence,” will feature three-dimensional works as well as paintings.
  • Peter Zimmerman, a Germany-based artist who builds up layers of epoxy paint in his abstract work, has created a special piece for Art Fair 2023.
  • Rosario Bitanga, now in her 80s, is known as one of the first female abstract artists in the Philippines and will be featured in the Special Projects section: ”She’s still very active, and her work has been enjoying a resurgence.”
  • Eisa Jocson is “a very interesting artist who deals with dance, movement, movement language, body language,” notes Lisa. “She uses it as a way to explore gender and identity.” A winner of the 2018 Hugo Boss award, she weaves macho dancing, pole-dancing, and “Disney entertainer” modes into her performance.
  • Yunizar is an Indonesia-based artist whose work “has a lot of symbols, will be bringing us icon paintings, cast bronze sculptures, animals and human figures.”

The roof deck exhibits are co-presented by BPI, which “sees the works of these talented artists not only as cultural expressions but also as art forms for investing in the future: it is history in the making,” says Jenny Lacerna, BPI product & sales head of Unsecured Lending and Cards.

Wawi Navarroza
Photographer Wawi Navarroza will exhibit “As Wild As We Come.”

Also look for photographer Wawi Navarroza’s striking self-portraits, featured in a current survey of Southeast Asian photography at the National Gallery of Singapore, in “As Wild As We Come” for this year’s ArtFairPH/Photo section. 

Our vision has always been expanding the audience, so we tried to provide a guiding light, and when the audience caught up with us, it’s basically been about increasing their scope, upping the bar for them. And so that’s been a challenge but, at the same time, there’s always room to do something new.

With 63 exhibitors from the Philippines and beyond, a greater emphasis on art from the three main island clusters of the Philippines (Luzon‘s no Space, Visayas’ Orange Project and Mindanao’s Panit Bukog), and new sections devoted to film (a session with filmmaker and historian Nick Deocampo) along with a tribute space to key gallerists Albert Avellana and Norma Liongoren who have passed away, it’s an expanded vision, 10 years on.

Ayala Land, BPI, Globe Platinum, and Don Papa Rum (which sponsors the Residency project spawned by the COVID lockdown) return as key sponsors.

‘‘Epiphany’’ by Mark Constantine Inducil

Digital art and NFTs will remain a presence, with sessions curated by Bjorn Calleja and Jopet Arias of Crypto Art PH featuring artists Mark Constantine Inducil and Skye Nicholas, and special presentations from Tezos, an international foundation that focuses on NFT artists which will explore “Entering the World of Web 3 as an Artist.”

A new look adds to the mystique. “The idea of biophilic coming in after the pandemic situation is exciting,” says Dindin. “Of course, we wanted something new and fresh. And the artists were excited about rethinking the terms of installing in a space that wasn’t a white box. How do you hang in a space with curves, with halls flowing into each other?”

‘‘Sanctuary #30’’ by Skye Nicolas

Reflecting on 10 years of Art Fair, Trickie says, “Our vision has always been expanding the audience, so we tried to provide a guiding light, and when the audience caught up with us, it’s basically been about increasing their scope, upping the bar for them. And so that’s been a challenge but, at the same time, there’s always room to do something new.” She was pleased with the positive response to local gallery hops in last year’s hybrid Art Fair, and aims for 10 Days of Art to repeat and enhance that experience. “So we encourage your people to start the week by visiting the galleries in their location, and end the week at the Art Fair” from Feb. 17-19.

Be there.

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Art Fair 2023 tickets can be purchased in advance at www.artfairphilippines.com. Tickets are also available at the reception area of Art Fair PH from Feb. 17 to 19. For schedule and updates, visit www.10daysofart.comFollow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram and Facebook.