“I’D like to acknowledge Art Fair Philippines, who just ended their event recently. Art Fair Philippines has been a big influence on all of us. We have been part of Art Fair Philippines, and before that, we also had Manila Art. We’re grateful that we are all banding together. And we’d also like to thank the artists, and the curators, and museums that all gathered together in order for the general public to experience this Arts Month.”
Jun Villalon and Tina Fernandez (Photo by Alya B. Honasan)
That was Tina Fernandez of Artinformal speaking last Monday, February 9, at the very first press conference (ever!) of the ALT Collective, as they announced their fourth contemporary art showcase. ALT ART 2026 is ongoing until February 15 at the SMX Manila Halls 1 and 2 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, 11 am to 7 pm.
Thus, although the collective was established because the owners of some of the most prestigious galleries in the country—Fernandez, Jay Amante of Blanc, Evita Sarenas of Finale Art File, Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz of Galleria Duemila, Mawen Ong of Mo_Space, Cesar “Jun” Villalon Jr. of The Drawing Room, Manny de Castro of Underground, Gaby dela Merced and Pia Reyes of Vinyl on Vinyl, and Soler Santos of West Gallery—wanted to do their own thing, Fernandez’s words reveal that it was less about acrimony than focusing more on the artist above anyone else. After all, the gallerists have been around for decades; Diaz’s gallery just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Fernandez says with a laugh, “Among all of us, we have about two centuries of experience!”
Exhibition designer Baby Imperial of AAO (Photo by Alya B. Honasan)
ALT, which simply means “alternative,” was established “as a deliberate act of authorship,” Villalon read in a statement during the afternoon affair held at WHYNoT, the creative hub at Karrivin Plaza of designer Baby Imperial. “In 2020, nine galleries came together with a clear understanding that existing formats no longer reflected how we worked, how we thought, or what we wanted to place at the center of contemporary art practice. ALT emerged from that alignment, not as a reaction, but as a considered decision to shape a space on our own terms…Its intent was broader—to allow nine galleries to present their programs with clarity and depth, to focus on their artists without compromise, and to engage a community that includes artists, patrons, students, and the wider public…It was never about scale or spectacle, but about coherence.”
ALT ART 2026 is touted as the collective’s most ambitious adventure so far, featuring over 300 artists displayed in a generous 5,000-sqm playground of exhibition space. The set-up, envisioned by Imperial’s design firm, All At Once (AAO), allows these spaces to flow organically into each other, while including specific areas for interaction and engagement. Imperial paid attention to “the evolving nature of artistic practice, and how, in this end of the first quarter of this century, there are many shifts and ruptures. And so the space, we hope, in collaboration with the galleries, can serve the artists in what they want to share.”
Since she has more than double the latitude of last year’s 2,000 sqm, Imperial also went bigger, “so the design does not create bottlenecks where you can’t see…Art is visible in many ways, in an expansive way. We have also created a convergence area where people are able to exchange energies and thoughts, and share, because art is meant for sharing and engaging. So everybody has an opportunity to sit down and speak to others.” A conversations program will actually be held daily at the BDO Conversations Lounge (BDO Private Banking is the exhibit partner), and is scheduled at 2 and 4 pm daily during the exhibit.
ALT ART 2026 poster
ALT ART’s regular Project Spaces will feature works by Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Buen Calubayan, Julie Lluch, Kiri Dalena and Ben Brixx, Raffy Napay, MM Yu, Kolown and Christina Lopez, Mauro Malang Santos, Lesley-Ann Cao, and Iwan Effendi. Co-presentor Nagaraya also has a dedicated space for multimedia artist Miguel Lorenzo Uy. The brand new Discoveries Section, meanwhile, offers fresh perspectives, a platform to be launched with the works of JC Mariategue, Jomari T’leon, Joar Songcuya, Allyza Tresvalles, Eric Bico, Gelo Cinco, Joanolasco, Rhaz Oriente, and Marco Ortiga.
Mawen Ong
“We want to keep things tight, close, and very engaging,” says Ong. “Of course, there’s a commercial aspect to it. But in return, we also put the artists high up on the platform; we want them to shine, and we really want to have art appreciation at the forefront.” The galleries marketed the show by “bombarding our social media feeds with the artists’ works,” Ong adds with a laugh. “But this presscon is the first time we are all here as the faces of the event.”
And no, this is not being built up as one of two different art events being backed by competing corporate giants (Art Fair Philippines is held in Ayala venues, while ALT PH runs at SM spaces). “We’re all working from the inside, and focused on content,” says Ong, whose Mo_Space turns 20 years old next year. “It’s not like we’re two teams fighting against each other! We’re all promoting Filipino art. And we’ve all survived an era where there was no market. Amazing, no? We were just doing it for the love of it, and we had to survive on other things to take care of our galleries. So I think that’s still intrinsic within us—content, the sincerity of putting up a show, and really believing in the artist are basically the backbone of every gallery.”
“I think the common vision we had was to present art the way we wanted it, on our terms, and not being limited to spaces that were assigned to us,” Fernandez says. “So, we wanted it to be dynamic, we wanted it to be based on our artists’ vision, more like a curatorial presentation rather than a selling event. I love showing people different ways of looking at art.”
The good news is that the market has grown and gotten more sophisticated, she adds. “It’s great for the art ecosystem. And for the artists, to keep on making art, so they’re encouraged to work some more.”
“I’m really proud to be part of this group of galleries that are kind of like-minded, and we like quality presentations and represent very good artists,” adds Villalon. “Who doesn’t want to be?”
Pia Reyes, Gaby dela Merced, and Isabel Santos (Photo by Alya B. Honasan)
Gaby dela Merced, who, with Pia Reyes, runs Vinyl on Vinyl, a gallery that began some 16 years ago showcasing records before moving on to the likes of street art and pop surrealism, speaks as the “baby,” the youngest member of the group (although artist Isabel Santos represented her father, artist Soler of West Gallery, during the presscon). “Obviously, when they spoke to us, we were flattered. And it’s an honor to be with such distinguished galleries. It’s a big thing to have our young artists showcase their works alongside very well-established artists and gallerists. That means they saw something in our program and believed in it, which is something that we’ve been really passionate about from the get-go.”
Dela Merced says they started out with an “unassuming” space where artists could come and sit on the floor. As for their collectors, they have remained the same, she believes. “I think that we have a mutual appreciation for how we see art. I’d like to think that the people who come and collect our artists want to see the artists grow, too. That’s one thing we all have in common, the nine galleries in the ALT Collective—we like to nurture our artists.”
ALT ART 2026 is presented in partnership with BDO Private Banking, co-presented by Nagaraya and supported by The Friends of ALT, Boysen, Samsung, The Moment Group, Terry’s Bistro, Arc Gin, Savea Bay City Manila, Lifestyle Asia, Bluprint, and Lifestyle Inquirer. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticket2me.net/event/22773 and are priced at P250 for students and P500 for regular visitors. For more information, visit www.altphilippines.com and follow @altphilippines on Instagram and Facebook.
