Art from the Philippines has long been a strong sub-market in the Hong Kong sales and throughout Southeast Asia. But now the art market is coming to the Philippines instead of Filipino artists having to go to the art market, as we discover from this report in Singapore’s Business Times:

The fourth edition of AFP – in its quirky location on the top floors of a parking garage in upscale Makati – is an invitation-only fair which is described as “bigger and better” with 40 galleries taking part this year. Seven new galleries are taking part, while foreign galleries have grown to make up about 20 per cent of the fair participants.

“There’s now a buying frenzy among art collectors,” declares art dealer Rocky David. “The shift is towards the art market now in the Philippines, unlike in Indonesia which is down, or Singapore and Hong Kong which is getting more selective.” […]

Local Filipino galleries provide the bulk of the content of the fair as it’s dominated by local collectors. But the presence of foreign galleries is a good sign as they see it as a lower-pressure environment to take part in, get to know the market and also expand their collectors’ base.

“This is a place where you can buy quality art for under US$5,000, so it means more sales and more fun as well,” quips Mr Janssen, comparing it to Art Stage Singapore earlier in the year where “people were not enquiring” about works and there was no energy to buy. “It’s also about the size of the fair – as this is a very nice size with under 100 galleries,” he adds.