From interactive public installations to thought-provoking exhibits, these vibrant sights will get everyone excited for Art Fair Philippines 2025.
Art Fair Philippines 2025, one of the biggest and most highly-anticipated art events in the country, returns on February 21 to 23. But the excitement doesn’t just start on those days—there are plenty of other art exhibitions, public installations, and activities before and in tandem with the big event, most of which are part of the fair’s 10 Days of Art program in collaboration with various partners. Here are a few that will certainly make the days leading up to the fair all the more special.
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An Art Walk With AyalaLand
On February 14 to 23, 2025, Makati will transform into an art paradise with Ayala Land’s 10 Days of Art. Now on its 12th year, the much-awaited gathering showcases a curated selection of artists, creations, and activities designed to engage the country’s thriving art community.
This is all part of a larger initiative to make art more accessible to everyday urban dwellers by placing pieces in high-traffic areas—from Makati Central Business District (MCBD) to Circuit Makati—ultimately transforming the city in an open art hub.
The exhibit covers Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Center (One Ayala, Glorietta, Greenbelt, Ayala Museum), MCBD (Legazpi Active Park), and Circuit Makati.
Divided into clusters, the art walk begins at Ayala Triangle Gardens (Cluster 1), where thought-provoking installations, photographs, and augmented reality paintings ignite wonder and curiosity. The path continues to Ayala Center and MCBD (Cluster 2), featuring creative installations at Greenbelt 3 and Glorietta; portraits and large-scale live painting exhibitions at One Ayala Mall; mesmerizing outdoor sculptures at Legazpi Active Park and Seda Residences Makati; and special presentations and talks at the Ayala Museum, all designed to captivate the imagination. Finally, Circuit Makati (Cluster 3) shines the spotlight on two internationally renowned artists, JEFRË and Olivia d’Aboville, as they share their masterpieces to local audiences.
For more information, visit @MakeItMakati and @10DaysOfArtPH on Facebook and Instagram.
Tapiserya featuring Joel Geolamen and Lynyrd Paras
Tapiserya is the third in the series of art exhibitions held at the Goldenberg Mansion and forms part of Art Fair Philippines’ 10 Days of Art from February 21 to 23, 2025.
Presented in partnership with Salcedo Private View, the gallery arm of auction house Salcedo Auctions, the show features the works of contemporary artists Joel Geolamen and Lynyrd Paras. It brings together the storied terrains of the archipelago, draped on Geolamen’s impressive paintings of indigenous textiles that reflect their places of origin; and the embellished figurative expressionism of Paras’ human subjects. Theirs becomes a seamless tapestry of markings, foregrounding notions of identity, territoriality, and ultimately personal and societal recovery.
A portion of the proceeds from the art exhibition will be donated to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.
The general public can visit the exhibition at The Goldenberg Mansion, free of charge, from February 22 to 23, 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., with a prescribed attire of smart casual. The Goldenberg Mansion is at 838 General Solano Street, San Miguel, Manila.
I Think I Need New Glasses by Erwin Canlas
I Think I Need New Glasses is photographer Erwin Canlas‘ first solo exhibition, in collaboration with RiseSpace Gallery. It aims to reimagine his identity as both an artist and an image maker, abandoning the precision of his commercial and fashion photography as he frees himself from photographical control through unfocused, abstract images.
“Through I Think I Need New Glasses, Erwin Canlas invites us to pause, turn inward, and confront the shifting terrain of our emotions. How do we register our inner tensions, moods, and the quiet undercurrents of feeling?” writes RiseSpace Art Gallery.
“I Think I Need New Glasses” will be on view, free of admission, until February 20, 2025 at RiseSpace Art Gallery. The gallery is located on the second floor of Communa Building, 238 Pablo Ocampo Sr. Ext., Makati City, and is open from 12:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. from Monday to Sunday.
Ideological Mash-Up/Remix by Manuel Ocampo
Singapore-based STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery has collaborated with award-winning painter Manuel Ocampo on his latest presentation, Ideological Mash-Up/Remix, as part of the Projects space at Art Fair Philippines 2025.
The presentation features works produced during Ocampo’s artist residency at STPI’s Creative Workshop in 2019—a pivotal moment that marked a striking departure from his usual modes of production. Known for his rich iconography, Ocampo employs symbols drawn from a wide of references—from local kitsch, religious rituals, and the supernatural to punk culture, surrealist films, and the internet. This distinct visual language was furthered and challenged at STPI, where Ocampo reimagined his practice by experimenting with the unique demands of print and paper. The residency allowed him to reinterpret his imagery, melding painting with innovative print techniques such as lithography, screenprinting, collagraphy, etching, and collage.
The resulting works blur the lines between accessibility and ambiguity, humour and darkness, and materiality and history. Ideological Mash-Up/ Remix invites audiences to engage with the fluidity of symbols and signs, challenging perceptions of culture and history in an age of shifting global narratives.
Guests can view the works at the Art Fair Philippines 2025 Project Section on the 2nd Floor of Ayala Tower 2, Ayala Triangle from February 21 to 23.
Beyond the Bark featuring Janine Barrera and Francis Dravigny
Beyond the Bark presents the captivating works of two internationally recognized artists, Janine Barrera and Francis Dravigny, who share a deep connection to the Philippines—either as their homeland or as an adopted sanctuary. Their art is deeply rooted in personal and cultural narratives, and explores the rich interplay between nature, identity, and storytelling.
The works in the show are contemplations on their shared fascination with trees, manifested through Barrera’s layered, abstract oil on canvas works and Dravigny’s mixed-media works that utilize local fabrics born from trees like abaca, raffia, and even rayon. Together, their works “channel the enduring mysteries and hidden stories contained within these natural sentinels, encouraging viewers to explore the rich symbolism and metaphors trees offer,” writes the exhibition’s official catalog.
“Beyond the Bark” is a collaboration between Alliance Française and Qube Gallery, and is part of Art Fair Philippines 2025’s 10 Days of Art. It runs until March 15, 2025 at Alliance Française de Manille, located at 209 Nicanor Garcia, II, Makati City. Operating hours are Mondays to Saturdays (except holidays), from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., then 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Photos courtesy of Visions & Expressions, Kevin Conopio, and Bridges PR (unless specified).
