An art gallery in almost every major commercial space, art fairs drawing long queues, auction hammers pounding left and right. Such were nothing more than a utopian vision for only a handful of stakeholders just twenty years ago, yet, these are realities in today’s thriving Philippine visual art scene.
Jack Teotico, founder and managing director of the Galerie Joaquin Group, had a front-seat view of the remarkable evolution over these past two decades. He established his first art space in San Juan in 2002 following 25 years of government service. It was more or less during that time, he said, that things first shifted for the art industry, as more galleries began to pop up and the market’s preference started to change.
‘I think our entry into the art industry was quite timely,’ Teotico said. Up to that point, collectors mostly favored works of masters such as the Thirteen Moderns, or the venerable group of Filipino modernists led by Victorio C. Edades and comprised of several National Artists like H.R. Ocampo and Vicente Manansala. ‘Then, contemporary art started shaking the world. The market wanted not just a modernist’s take on reality, but a contemporary artist who had his own concept, own vision, and many of those were quite different.’
Galerie Joaquin happened to enter the art scene equipped with what the shifting market wanted. As a result, they achieved their original objective of educating people on what good art is, while becoming one of the country’s premier networks of art spaces. Today, the Galerie Joaquin Group has several art spaces and sister galleries in key locations across the country. They were also the first Filipino gallery to set up shop in Singapore, and was one of the first to have worked with international auction houses Sotheby’s, Borobudur, Masterpiece and Larasati.
Educating the market also helped welcome a new generation of collectors. During this year’s Modern and Contemporary Art Fair (MoCAF), for instance, Teotico, also the founder, noted that ‘maybe 80%’ of the collectors were either millennials or Gen Z.
Susanne Tiausas, owner and managing director of Art Lounge Manila, noticed the same trends. Like Teotico, she opened her gallery during the time of the shift, when there was only a small collection of art spaces. Back then, the more established names were Galleria Duemila in Pasay, Finale Art File in Makati, and West Gallery in Quezon City. There was none yet in the metro south, which was why Tiasuas decided to open her first art space in Festival Mall in Alabang.
Putting up a gallery in a mall was part of the plan as well to ‘make art more available to the general public.’ While not everyone had the resources to buy, at least they let people experience the artworks in the flesh.
‘Art is visual; it has to be seen,’ said Tiasuas, who now leads multiple galleries across the metro. ‘We wanted to tell people that artists are here, that we have this type of art. Then, hopefully, when they see the works, they experience something.’
Everyone wins
Whether it was the maturation of the market that came first or the proliferation of art spaces and artistic talents can be classified as a classic case of the chicken or the egg paradox, according to Amy Loste, owner of Gallery Nine.
Regardless of what triggered what, she noted that at the end of the day, the result is a clear win for the entire industry. ‘More artists turn into more awareness turns into more people collecting, and so on. I think it’s a good synergistic cycle of inspiration going on.’
Loste also serves as the co-founder of ManilART, touted as the longest-running visual arts fair in the Philippines, launched in 2009. During that time, there was little to no movement in terms of collective action between the local art galleries. But through the annual event, the community had the opportunity to work and grow together, all for the shared cause of pushing the industry forward. At the same time, it led to the creation of more art fairs, including regional showcases across the country.
‘I’d like to think that, somehow, we fulfilled our mission, vision, and mandate to stimulate the Philippine visual arts scene,’ Loste said.
The pandemic years
Aside from the rise of galleries and art fairs that led to the democratization of art appreciation in the Philippines, the COVID-19 pandemic was another watershed moment in the local visual art scene in the past 20 years.
According to MPDI’s Global Art Market in the Aftermath of COVID-19, the worldwide industry experienced an initial contraction in 2020, followed by a robust recovery in 2021. Figures even exceeded the pre-pandemic level in 2019 to reach an estimated $65.1 billion.
The global trend extended to the local market, according to Rio Ambrosio, owner of Artes Orientes. Staring at the empty walls during lockdowns prompted people to beautify their spaces by purchasing artworks.
‘Art collecting made things a little bearable to endure the pandemic,’ he said. ‘Plus, more and more people saw the value of art as a form of investment.’
These factors also helped breed a younger generation of art collectors. With public spaces like art galleries closed, artists carried over their businesses on social media and dealt directly with the collectors. The trend also attracted new players, including Rey Castillo, an aggressive entrepreneur in his 30s.
Castillo runs a lifestyle company that distributes global brands of coffee equipment and accessories. Like any other pandemic-born collector, he sought artworks to spruce up his home. His search connected him with people who only made him fall deeper in love with the arts, to the point where he decided to set up his own gallery. Today, Castillo owns two: Rojo Galerie in Pasig City and Rouge Gallery in Cubao.
‘One of the reasons that drew me in was the opportunity to mentor young artists, much like how I enjoy guiding young talents in the coffee industry,’ he said, citing their roster of up-and-coming artists, including Drin, Kino, and Gabo Corpuz.
May colors never fade
In spite of his relatively young career in the industry, Castillo draws enough optimism to declare that the visual art scene will continue to thrive for years to come.
‘The industry will continue to evolve because everyone works to push its boundaries,’ he said. ‘In the next two decades, we might see the rise of different media like digital art, along with the use of different materials like 3D modeling.’
‘People will never lose their interest in art because it’s a reflection of what our society and our people are all about,’ adds Teotico of Galerie Joaquin Group. ‘It will always have that importance. It will always have that interest and desire from collectors to buy an interpretation of an artist of the world around them.’
‘I just hope the artists will all ride that wave of continually innovating themselves,’ Tiausas of Art Lounge Manila said. ‘There’s more to look forward to.’
Meanwhile, Ambrosio of Artes Orientes added that the staying power of art is rooted in its versatility, from being a proven investment asset to even serving as therapeutic property.
‘Art is here to stay, definitely,’ he said. ‘How robust will it become? That remains to be seen, and it all depends on everyone involved.’