Arianna Mercado on Manila's Market-Driven Art Scene and Emerging Filipino Artists

Curator and critic Arianna Mercado describes Manila's art scene as heavily market-oriented, with collectors buying art as investment rather than passion, leading to hoarded works. In response, artist-run spaces and collectives have emerged to foster non-commercial dialogue. The Thirteen Artists Award, which she coordinates, is a triennial prize for emerging Filipino artists. A new generation avoids traditional galleries, opting for online and self-organized projects. Key non-profit supporters include Green Papaya Art Projects (closing in 2021), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Sampaguita Projects, Nomina Nuda, Pineapple Lab, Tin-Aw Art Gallery, Limbo, Mono8, and Underground. Private museums are less accessible, while CCP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts provide grants. Mercado highlights artists Judy Freya Sibayan (conceptual, created MoMO – Museum of Mental Objects), Martha Atienza (immersive video on ocean life), Lesley-Anne Cao (first solo show at CCP), and Ray Albano (1970s conceptual, presented 'Step on the Sand and Make a Footprints' at the 1974 Tokyo Biennale of Printmaking).