MANILA, Philippines — Museums and art exhibits often charge an entrance fee. While publicly owned art displays usually offer discounted tickets or cheaper fares, it is still rare to find fully accessible exhibits that are open to everyone.
The Ortigas Art Fair Festival 2025 seeks to break down these barriers that prevent the public from experiencing and appreciating great works of art, with this year’s theme, “Art for All: A Celebration of Borderless Artistic Expression.”
Running from July 10 to 24, the exhibit spans four key areas across Greenhills Mall in San Juan City. Each area brings together artists who share a similar thematic approach or are grouped by their chosen medium.
Exploring all wings
The East Wing of the exhibit focuses on the meaningful stories and cultural narratives that exist in the country’s many regions. Some notable art foundations include the San Juan Artists, Angono Artists based in Rizal, Linganan Art Residency, and many more.
Meanwhile, the Annex Wing shows multimedia pieces from interactive VR paintings to photographs. South Wing also showcases clothing pieces and jewelry beyond the typical art pieces showcased in the Annex and South Wing.
For those looking to involve themselves in the artistic process, the Art Fair also organizes a series of workshops that are held on the fourth floor of the same building, near the TechnoHub.
Upon entering the open display, visitors can expect to get a brief description of the three main art galleries and institutions that are featured in this area. Some of the key organizations showcased are Born in Film, a non-profit organization that gathers a community of photographers.
Displayed in visible and open spots around the mall, anyone is free to browse through the many expertly crafted pieces from these four exhibition wings. Not only are the artists’ stories and skills showcased, but the Ortigas Art Festival Fair promotes the idea that anyone can enjoy and appreciate the art these creators have to offer.
Standout photography
One of the first pieces guests will encounter is Alberto Garcia’s “Evacuees” photography series. A practice of photography journalism, the series focuses on the eruption of Mount Pinatubo that affected the nearby provinces of Pampanga, Zambales, and Tarlac.
Of the series is one of Alberto Garcia’s most popular images, entitled “Mount Pinatubo”. This image was hailed as one of the greatest images of the mountain by Huffington Post, according to a report by the Philippine Inquirer.
An untitled photograph is by Joel H. Garcia, a Manila-based professional who has worked for publications such as PULP Magazine and The Philippines Yearbook.
Garcia takes a wedding photo of a couple, and mirrors the ceilings of the St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori Parish Church to the bottom of the photo to draw attention to the subjects. With an interest in humanizing his subjects, Garcia’s visuals challenge the way we see occasions like weddings.
Other photographers featured in the Annex Wing are Edwin Loyola, a multi-award-winning professional based in California. In “A Symphony of Hustle” (2024), Loyola captures the chaotic scenes of a local market through the use of long exposure. The warm golden light that captures the photo and vibrant colors of the wet market allows the audience to take in the lively atmosphere that can exist in these communal spaces.
Compiled by Born in Film, this collection of photographs is from their “Theme of the Week” initiative, where they feature the best three photographers who best follow their weekly themes.
Several walls feature a compilation of works from previous contestants, welcoming both seasoned and rookie photographers to join the contest. This not only highlights how limitless photography can be, but also showcases more than 2,000 entries from 112 countries worldwide.
Abstracts and colors
Beside the section of the Annex Wing dedicated to art photography, other artists such as Monnar are pushing the boundaries of what art can be.
For the pieces featured in Cityrama, observers can scan the QR code beside each painting, which will direct them to download a VR app so they are able to watch the artwork move on their phones. This immersive experience drives Monnar’s purpose of displaying the city of Manila and Baguio as a pulsing, breathing city through abstract expressionism.
Some of the featured artists under the Jean & Jaz Galerie include Louie Tolentino, with his paintings such as “Radiance in Bloom” and works from his “Core Series”.
Oliver Reyes is another oil on canvas artist with works named “Gentle Garden” and “Beautiful Garden”. Manel Sinquenco’s paintings are also displayed, with two oil on canvas paintings from his series, “Old Houses”, with a sculpture in the middle by Ronald Castillo entitled “Mother and Daughter”.
Representing the Nami Art Gallery is Fitz Herrera, an artist from Nueva Vizcaya with paintings from his “Warm Hugs” series. This abstract artist is known to combine a mix of pigment and modeling paint to create the unique texture seen in his works.
Largest East Wing atrium
The largest of the four areas is the East Wing, where attendees can expect a wider collection of paintings — from traditional oil‑on‑canvas works to AI‑enhanced photographs. This section of the festival also serves as the main entrance to the entire exhibition.
“In Tension” is a series of oil and charcoal paintings by Jan Llegue that captures the internal decay of humans who willingly participate in corruption. By taking an expressionist approach, he draws portraits of powerful people as dehumanized by their desire for greed and power; much of this to the detriment of their societies and communities.
“Biomorphic Dialogue” stands out for its use of salvaged materials such as lumber, bamboo, and driftwood, memorializing the environment and history from which these materials were sourced. Artist Tyrone Espinosa treats his canvas as an active element in his storytelling, allowing the wood’s natural imperfections and scratches to guide how he carves out images and illustrations.
Hanna Sayam discusses the ugliness that comes with gendered expectations in her series called, “When I Grow Up”, which was created during her time as an Amuyan Research Fellow for the Linganan Art Residency.
The sculptures and paintings under this collection contrast the soft pastel colors with the subjects’ puffy, tired faces. This striking difference shows the conflict between needing to conform to strict gender roles, whilst buckling under the pressure of these unattainable archetypes.
In line with Ortigas Art Festival’s “Borderless” concept, the exhibit includes photographs refined through the use of computer programs and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Computer programs were used to alter the coloring of old photographs that have aged with time, while the photos processed through AI were used to create videos out of these old photographs.
A prominent artist featured in this wing of the exhibit is Raul Roco Jr. “Ponj”, the son of the late senator Roco. Some of the works placed on display are “Ride a Wave”, which takes an abstract approach to scenes found in nature.
The South Wing features more textile works, paintings, and jewelry.
Among the young fashion designers is Chyna Mawalwal Attilier, with her line of Filipiñina wear for both men and women. Her designs have a delicately feminine touch that makes her collection suited to women, emphasizing elegance and sophistication in each piece that she creates.
Other painters included in this collection are Vic Dumaguing and Paul Balan. Vic Dumaguing is a Davao-based artist who is part of the Nami Art Gallery, while Paul Balan is a sculptor and artist known for being the first Filipino artist to design a US mint coin.
Attendees who visited the exhibit during its first week were encouraged to join the workshops and talks offered by the artists whose works were on display. One such event was the Pasig Art Club workshop, “Urban Visions: A Cityscape Art,” held on July 20 at the East Wing Atrium, featuring guest speakers Jun Montifar and Ace Dimanlig.
There were also hands‑on workshops where participants could create their paintings on the 4th Floor of the Greenhills Mall Technohub. Among the notable events organized was a watercolor pop‑up fair by the Philippine Guild of Watercolorists.
Whether through interactive paintings, computer‑modified photographs, or wood carvings, the Ortigas Art Festival’s goal is clear: to make art accessible and available to everyone. With the wide range of mediums on display, countless visitors — from students and casual mall‑goers to seasoned art lovers —were able to browse and enjoy the many works exhibited. – Mika Layda/Rappler.com
Mika Layda is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in English Literature at the Ateneo de Manila University.
