Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino on Manila's Booming Art Scene

Giorgio Guglielmino, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines since 2017, discusses the rapid expansion of Manila's contemporary art scene. He highlights the high quality of galleries like Silverlens, Finale, Drawing Room, and Art Informal, which rival those in New York or Berlin, and notes strong sales driven by a growing collector base. Collectors in Manila acquire works by Asian stars like Takashi Murakami and European artists such as Tracey Emin, Urs Fischer, and Albert Oehlen. Guglielmino spotlights emerging Filipino artists Brisa Amir, Jel Suarez (winner of the Embassy of Italy Award), and Doktor Karayom, all in their twenties. Key events include Art Fair Philippines in February and gallery participation in international fairs like Art Basel Hong Kong, Artissima in Turin, and West Bund in Shanghai. In 2018, he established the Embassy of Italy Award within the Ateneo Awards for young artists and critics under 35, acquiring works for a permanent embassy collection. He also invites Italian cultural figures biannually for lectures; past guests include Danilo Eccher and Laura Chiari of Galleria Lorcan O'Neill in Rome. Future plans include a major Arte Povera exhibition and a subsequent show of younger Italian artists curated by Ludovico Pratesi.