Highlights From Art Fair Philippines 2018
By Julee WJ Chung
In balmy Manila, the sixth edition of Art Fair Philippines (AFP) opened on February 27, transforming multistory car park The Link into a one-stop cultural cache at the heart of the city’s financial district. Showcasing modern and contemporary art from the Philippines brought by 51 galleries—36 of which operate spaces within the country—the fair gave prominence to the medium of photography through its new section “ArtFairPH/Photo,” presented in partnership with the Swiss private banking group Julius Baer. Works in this segment, such as those by Philippine photographers Jake Verzosa and Neal Oshima, shine a light on indigenous traditions and the changing Philippine environment. Meanwhile, large-scale solo installations and dedicated booths created under the segment “ArtFairPH/Projects” were centerpieces that gave artists the freedom to move past the white-cube format.