New venue anew: What to expect at Art Fair Philippines 2026

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January 14, 2026 | 5:50pm

MANILA, Philippines — The annual Art Fair Philippines will once again find itself in a new space ahead of its 13th edition next month.

Since its inception — except for two years due to the pandemic when it was held virtually — Art Fair PH has always called The Link carpark in Makati its home.

Last year was the first time the fair was held in another venue at the Ayala Triangle Gardens and portions of Ayala Tower 2 in Makati.

This year, Art Fair Philippines moves to another part of the city, setting up shop in Circuit Makati's Circuit Corporate Center One building (the structure that houses the Samsung Performing Arts Theater).

Art Fair PH will take over six vacated floors in the building (5th to 9th, and the 11th) when it runs during the first weekend of February.

"[This] signals a very cultural life in the city," said one of the fair's co-founders Trickie Lopa during a press conference held in the Circuit Makati area.

Adaptation

Dindin Araneta, another co-founder, told Philstar.com in an interview that last year's edition was planned to be held in Circuit Makati but there was no available space.

She noted that it has been a long-term plan to turn Circuit Makati into a hub for contemporary art, particularly with the ongoing construction of the Contemporary Art Center in the area.

"We've always been a place that has always had the thinking of adaptive moves," Araneta said. "We were in a car park, we were in a park last year, and now we are within the site of a former race track."

Araneta is referring to the Santa Ana Race Track, which operated for 70 years before closing in 2008. Circuit Makati began development on the track's original piece of land in 2011.

"There is always, for me, value in terms of thinking of how contemporary art can be more accessible within spaces that are not a typical gallery or museum space," she added.

Projects

This year, 50 exhibitors will go on display at Art Fair PH, 35% of which are from outside the Philippines including from around the Asia-Pacific region to as far as Spain and France in Europe.

The Projects section of the fair will be dedicated to 10 artists (an unusually larger count than past years) and one artist collective.

Taking center stage are the print making of Imelda Cajipe Endaya, the woodcut prints of Ambie Abaño, the mixed media architectural abstractions of Max Balatbat, the textiles of Ged Unson Merino, the ceramics of Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, and the Sa Tahanan Co.

Art Fair PH will also pay tribute to late artists Brenda Fajardo through her Philippine-centric tarot cards, Constancio Bernardo and his abstractions, Solomon Saprid through his sculptures and nude works, and Romeo Tabuena and his Neorealist works.

The Embassy of Spain in the Philippines is collaborating with the fair for a third consecutive year as Spanish artist Ampparito will be tapped to create calendars until the year 2099 for the entirety of the fair — a form of meditation reflecting on the average lifespan of fair visitors.

Designers Rita Nazareno and Gabriel Lichauco will assist the fair in the Projects section by turning the Circuit Corporate Center One 6th floor into a town plaza to house the curated displays.

Other features

The Digital section of the fair will highlight works that incorporate animation, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse.

Painter and graphic artist TRNZ will debut at the fair "The Keeper," his animated short film in collaboration with Fleet Studios about the gravity of pressure in society.

Also part of this section is the TYLR Collective with a presentation on "digital alchemy" as they use generative art and augmented reality to challenge the boundaries between the physical and the simulated.

New York-based producer Anne-Laure Lemaitre will serve as the curator of this year's Residencies grant.

Eight elevators will be used during the fair as organizers assured the event would be accessible to persons with disability (PWDs).

The point-to-point bus service from One Ayala to Circuit Makati will continue operating to assist transport interested visitors.

Tours will be held twice a day during the fair — at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. — to give visitors a highlight reel of this edition's offerings.

Regular daily admission costs P750. Discounted tickets for students, senior citizens, and PWDs go for P500. Makati students will have a specialized rate of P300.

Art Fair Philippines 2026 will run at Makati's Circuit Corporate Center One from February 6 to 8, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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