Fire damages Manila's Green Papaya art space archives, gallery was already planning closure

On June 3 at 10 am, a fire partially ravaged the archives of Green Papaya, an artist-run venue in Manila. The fire started due to an electrical issue in a nearby furniture store and rapidly spread through a shared wall. Significant damage was inflicted on the first floor, where records of the space's 19-year legacy were kept, resulting in a partial collapse of the ground floor ceiling. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Investigators from the local fire department confirmed the cause of the blaze. The coordinators of Green Papaya expressed their regrets on social media to those affected by the loss of works and archives, noting that evaluations would take several days. The gallery, known as a community gathering place for artists, was already set to close this year. In 2017, cofounder Norberto Roldan emphasized the importance of archiving during his presentation at Hong Kong's Asia Art Archive, advocating for the space to conclude rather than become a self-sustaining entity.