THOSE active in the Salcedo Park community and the artists that have been part of Art in the Park over the years are again coming together at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati City this month.
The art festival will see 61 exhibitors representing Filipino galleries, art collectives, independent art spaces, and student groups at its 19th edition on March 23, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Entrance to Art in the Park is free, and the price the works can sell for is capped at P70,000. Many fairgoers can score coveted artworks for much less, thanks to “a vibrant sense of art appreciation and belonging in the community,” said Art in the Park co-founder Lisa Periquet, at a March 11 media roundtable in Pablo Bistro, Makati City.
While it may sit comfortably in the shadow of its recently concluded, grander counterpart, Art Fair Philippines (which was held largely in a park this year as well), the thrust of Art in the Park has always been different.
“This started as a first anniversary event for the Salcedo Market, in 2006. It was linked to the market for a long time, so we used to do it on the same day. That went on for several years and eventually, because we got our own crowd, our own audience, we separated it,” Ms. Periquet said.
She recalled how Salcedo Village used to be a quiet, extremely zoned neighborhood before the market began, with commercial establishments not allowed on street level.
“Once Salcedo Market opened, there was an opportunity for people to have a place to buy food and hang out within the neighborhood. It made it more livable. Now, this is the home of so many restaurants and businesses. This vibrant sense of community gives life to the place, and Art in the Park is one of those events,” she explained.
Ms. Periquet said people were drawn to Art in the Park for being “an interesting incubator or breeding ground for younger artists and collectors who have just started or haven’t broken into the market.”
FEATURED ARTISTSEach year, the fair highlights a number of artists whose works are shown in special exhibits around the park. This year’s featured artists are multimedia visual artist TRNZ, contemporary mixed-media artist AR Manalo, and designer and artist Carlo Tanseco.
TRNZ (real name: Terence Eduarte), who first exhibited at Art in the Park in 2018, will be showcasing his acrylic paintings depicting the beauty in ordinary scenes. His special exhibit is titled A Study of Quiet Disguises, inspired by his day-to-day encounters with random objects, like clothes at the ukay-ukay (used clothing markets) or piles of shuttlecocks at the corner of a badminton court.
“Those who follow my work will see that I’ve been exploring. I usually do portraits focused on the people in my paintings, like what they’re wearing and what they’re holding. This time around, I’ve been focusing on the surroundings, to give kind of an emphasis on the place and ambiance,” Mr. Eduarte said.
“There’s a narrative I want the audience to see, that I convey through cues and vague use of elements, but I never give the whole picture. I always want it to be open-ended,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Manalo’s works seem like standard paintings on canvas at first glance, but turn out to contain mixed-media cut-outs akin to elaborate pop-up books. He told BusinessWorld that this special exhibit is once again dedicated to his child.
“It’s called Princess in the Park because it’s made for my three-year-old daughter who loves going to the park. When she grows up, I’ll have something to show her when she sees nothing of herself,” he explained. The images on the various vintage prints, emboldened with ink, depict a young girl in different scenarios.
“Yes, I’m a certified girl dad,” added Mr. Manalo, proud that his full-circle moment at Art in the Park, where he started submitting works many years ago, is now a platform to show his fatherly love.
Finally, Mr. Tanseco will be using his space at the fair to reintroduce a pivotal work from his critically acclaimed Rizal Matchbox series. Titled Liyaban ang Apoy ng Kagitingan (Mid-Open – Red), the piece is inspired by the safety matches with Jose Rizal’s image on them.
Coming from his well-received sari-sari store-inspired exhibit at Art Fair Philippines, he hopes the matchbox piece evokes “some patriotism.” The works are in acrylic on box canvas.
This year’s special exhibit is also a full-circle moment for Mr. Tanseco, who started out attending Art in the Park as a collector, until eventually he started exhibiting with various galleries. As a featured artist, he will not only show the matchbox works, but also offer 20 limited edition giclée prints based on it.
MUSEUM FOUNDATIONProceeds from Art in the Park will go to the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, in support of its projects and programs for the National Museum of the Philippines and its network.
This year’s exhibitors are Ang INK, Archivo 1984, Art for Space, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verité Gallery, Artbeat Collective, Artery Art Space, Avellana Art Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Cartellino Art, Cornerstone Pottery (EJ Espiritu), the Cultural Center of the Philippines, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde, FA Gallery, Fuse Projects;
Galeria de las Islas, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, Gallery Genesis, ILCP Art Space, J Studio, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, KASIBULAN, Komiket, Kulay Art Group, Looking for Juan;
MAG, METRO Gallery, MONO8, Nest, Nineveh Artspace, Orange Project, Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum, Qube Gallery, Resurrection Furniture, Savage Mind / Kamarin Art Space, Sheerjoy Collective, Sierra Madre Gallery, Space Encounters Gallery, Superduper Art Gallery, Talyer 15 Manila, The Authenticity Zero Collective;
The Mighty Bhutens, The Photography Collective, The Print Outpost, The Thursday Group, Tin-Aw Art Projects, UP Artists’ Circle, UP College of Fine Arts, Urban Sketchers Manila, VeryGood Gallery, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, White Walls Gallery, and Ysobel Art Gallery.
Visitors seeking refreshments or a dining experience will have a variety of food and beverage concessionaires to choose from at the fair. Singer-songwriter duo Leanne and Naara, jazz musician Soulful Mood, and all-vinyl DJ Mario Serrano of EST City will be playing music throughout the day.
BPI credit cardholders can enjoy special perks and privileges. For a minimum purchase of P3,000, they can convert purchases into monthly installments at 0% interest for up to six months. There is also a “Buy Now; Pay 3 Months Later” option.
For more information, visit www.artinthepark.ph or @artintheparkph on Facebook and Instagram. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
