Culture in design does not always announce itself through a recognizable motif, material, or symbol. It can also be embedded in the relationships designers build, the knowledge they listen to, the materials they choose, and the decisions they make in response to communities and their environments. This distinction emerged throughout the 2026 International Design Conference […]
ICA Art Fair: Funding Philanthropic Efforts Through Artistry
The ICA Art Fair happened from November 21 to 23 at W High Street in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). This inaugural art fair was organized as a charity event for the benefit of the ICA Alumni Association Scholarship Foundation.
“This one-of-a-kind charity event will feature a curated selection of leading contemporary artists, displaying works across diverse genres and styles. Proceeds from the ICA Art Fair will benefit the ICA Alumni Association Scholarship Foundation, helping to provide valuable support to the community,” the fair said in a press release.
The ICA Alumni Association Scholarship Foundation funds educational initiatives for the Immaculate Conception Academy, where the art fair gets its name. Their advocacy works towards funding financial aid programs to students, as well as various infrastructure needs for the school and its community.
Prominent Traditional and Contemporary Art
The art collection presented in the ICA Art Fair was curated by Glenn Cuevo. It showcases a mix of traditional and contemporary art, bringing together a variety of artists from a variety of movements to take in the breadth of Philippine art history.
The fair dedicated whole sections of their space to venerated artists like Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, and Malang Santos. “The Collector’s Vault” section, specifically, works as a summary of our country’s artistic heritage. But the spotlight still comes to newer, more experimental artists like James Clar. Clar’s light and aluminium sculptures, “Space Folding” and “Magwheel Night,” were shown at the fair.
Of interest for many was “Magwheel Night,” which exists as a collaboration with Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz. The multiangular geometric shape, meant to look like the rims of a semi-truck, sits on an aluminium sheet deformed by weights dropped by Diaz.
More sculptures were shown during the event, including a whole section dedicated to unique sculpture work called “Bold Forms: Unfolding Infinite Space and Depth.” There, works sculpted from metal, glass, aluminium, and other assortment of materials were given space to be shown around in all their glory.
A Venue for Charity and Change
Other contemporary artists featured in the event include Micaela Benedicto, who utilizes mirrored steel to create fragmented, dimensional structures that play with form and life’s impermanence. Works by Annie Cabigting, Maria Angelica Tan, and others also get their own spaces to shine within the fair’s space.
Multiple esteemed artists also graced the scene at the days that ICA Art Fair ran. Featured artists for the fair included artists Winna Go, Luis Antonio Santos, and Marina Cruz. Lianben himself included a showing of eleven new artworks to be sold at the fair. During the second day of the event, architect Anthony Nazareno discussed the intersection of design and art.
Much of the art showcased in the exhibit ended up being sold. There was an especially popular backroom area where many benefactors found unique artworks to buy for themselves. The organizers hope that the fair’s ability to connect artworks to prospective buyers will help support the educational initiatives of the ICA Alumni Association Scholarship Foundation.
“By attending the fair, guests will help fund initiatives that support education, health, and innovation at the Immaculate Conception Academy. This event underscores the fair’s commitment to building a better future through the power of creativity and collective action,” the fair said.
Photos by Ed Simon.
Related reading: Art Fair Philippines 2024 Opens To The Public This Weekend
The DBP Building as a Landmark of the International Style At the corner of Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue and Makati Avenue stands a landmark of the Makati Central Business District. It is one of the last still standing that were built in the first wave of construction in district fifty years ago. The Development Bank […]
“Buildings only become architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to createGo to Architecture Glossary when they are shared,” said William Ti Jr., founder of the Anthology Festival and WTA Architecture and Design Studio, […]
A Filipino Interpretation of Modernist Architecture Unlike the rest of Makati today, the northern end of Paseo de Roxas in Makati is anchored by a low complex rather than a tall skyscraper. This is the elegant Asian Institute of Management, designed by architect Gabriel Formoso and completed in 1971. In my opinion, the building is […]
“Thailand has claimed urban creativity and livability. Singapore has institutional design leadership. Indonesia is emerging as a design hub. Vietnam is moving into design innovation. And the Philippines? Its position is not weak. It is simply unclaimed.” For IDr. Cecil Ravelas, National President of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), the challenge is not […]
The Ramon Magsaysay Center as a Modernist Landmark Driving down Roxas boulevard from Rizal Park, what will catch your eye is the most elegant modernist structure in the country, the Ramon Magsaysay Center. Most established Filipino architects put it in their top ten lists of favorite buildings. It was designed by Alfredo J. Luz, who […]
Read the issues.
Collect the volumes.
Recommended Video
Tap to Unmute
Unmute
0:00
0:00