Someone hit the jackpot at Art in the Park with an unsigned Ben Cab artwork

There's a dizzying array of amazing works at Art in the Park and this year, we're reminded that it truly should be on every collector's calendar.

The art available is diverse, with the fair offering room for both emerging artists and...National Artists.

Gigo Alampay, executive director at the Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development (CANVAS), shared the result of a little social experiment that involved withholding from potential buyers the fact that they're holding an artwork by Benedicto "Ben Cab" Cabrera.

 

Art in the Park Treasure Hunt Story #2: If you liked my previous story, you’re going to love this one. Again, di na namin sasabihin presyo. Basta sobrang mura. We sold this artwork at Art in the Park today. It was unsigned and we told people who asked that we didn’t know who the artist was because it was consigned to us and we didn’t realize we didn’t know by whom. So we told those interested that we would inform them later once we found out the name. One person liked it enough to buy it even if he didn’t know who did the piece. Just before leaving he said, with a smile, that he hoped our mystery artist would grow up to be someone important. Well, nagdilang anghel ka Sir! Your artist is all grown up and now goes by the name of BenCab! :-) #artintheparkph #artph #canvasph #walalang #treasurehunt

A post shared by Gigo Alampay (@diegomaya_ph) on

Apr 15, 2018 at 5:32am PDT

"It was unsigned and we told people who asked that we didn’t know who the artist was because it was consigned to us and we didn’t realize we didn’t know by whom," Alampay declared, adding that they told those who were interested that they'd let them know whose work it was as soon as they found out.

The price cap for Art in the Park is P50,000 — half the price of the starting bid for some of the BenCab pieces on view via the Salcedo Auctions website!

"One person liked it enough to buy it even if he didn’t know who did the piece. Just before leaving he said, with a smile, that he hoped our mystery artist would grow up to be someone important," Alampay continued.

Well, in 2006, he was conferred the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts. So, yes, he did grow up to be someone rather important.

Alampay shared that another lucky buyer unknowingly bought a Manny Garibay original. Some of Garibay's pieces also sell for way, way more than the Art in the Park price cap.

 

Art in the Park Treasure Hunt story #1. Di na namin sasabihin ang presyo. Basta sobrang mura. “Kuya, kanino to? Ang cute.” “Di ko alam eh. Estudyante ata. Dinala lang dito. Di iniwan pangalan.” “Gusto ko siya. Naiintriga ako. Kunin ko na. Pakitext na lang pangalan pagnalaman mo na. Puede naman SIP di ba?” Just texted him: “Hoy. Secret ha. Wag ka magpopost hanggang iannounce ko. Ang artist nung work mo si Manny Garibay. You found a treasure! Tapos hayop ininstallment mo pa!” :-) #artintheparkph #artph #canvasph #walalang #treasurehunt

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Apr 15, 2018 at 4:39am PDT

Town and Country reports that Alampay did the experiment to find out “if people would buy just for the art itself and not for the name."

Congratulations to the lucky owners of these works of art! — Aya Tantiangco/LA, GMA News