It is a chilling scene. In a dim room, a wall is covered with photos of the dead and wailing. Photographed by Carlo Gabuco, the exhibit, entitled Ang Walang Pangalan, is one that transports viewers into the dark and grim world of those victimized by the extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. It is but one of the exhibits that sets an image of the reality we all live in.
Ang Walang Pangalan is a prime example of what makes this year’s ArtFair Philippines a game changer. For the first time ever, it introduces photography as art to the local scene. Often put aside in favor of paintings and sculptures, photography, modern in its conception, sets its merits on its technical and artistic ability of capturing reality with a tool owned by nearly everyone: the camera. However, despite it being readily available, the craft has yet to have a buying and collecting population in the country.
“There are a lot of good photographers in the country. We want to give them a venue,” co-founder Lisa Periquet says in an interview with Vantage, explaining that the reason why photography has yet to truly shine as an art is that people are not so aware of it. However, with this year’s ArtFair having entire sections devoted to the medium, photography is put on the map as an art, alongside the conventional painting and sculpture, in the local art scene. A particularly noteworthy exhibit showcased in the fair this year is one by renowned Filipino-Catalan photographer Eduardo Masferre, whose work features indigenous peoples in the Philippines from the 1930’s to the 1950’s.
The introduction of photography to the ArtFair is but one of the more revolutionary additions the event has added in recent years. Set every year in one of Makati’s mundane car parks, The Link, it dispels the notion that art is only something that can be appreciated by the elite and privileged. A concept as singular as it is sensational, it democratizes art in a way never done before as it is now seen and enjoyed by the general viewing public.
On its sixth year, ArtFair is larger than it has ever been. Spanning six floors of The Link, it has grown to include some of the shining stars of not only local, but also foreign art. With a third of its repertoire being of import, ArtFair has proven to have grown into a renowned event for art lovers all over Asia.
“When we started, we only had one floor and six thousand people came. Last year, which was our fifth year, we had two floors and over forty thousand people came. It’s a big change every year, [and] we grow each year with our audience,” Periquet remarks, tracking the unbelievable growth that the annual event has experienced since it started in 2013.
Despite being less than a decade old, by bringing not only social realities to the scene, it makes itself relevant not only for art aficionados, but for people from different walks of life. What the yearly art extravaganza has in store for us next will be a mystery. But with such impressive exhibits and awe-inspiring additions, it will no doubt be something to look forward to.