Here's everything you need to know about this year's Art in the Park

It’s about time Art in the Park is back in the actual park!

After four years, the affordable and fundraising art fair is headed back to its home in Makati.

Art in the Park is best known for welcoming artists who work with various media, and showcase experimental and personal work.

“What's nice about Art in the Park is even established artists or even big-named artists like Mr. Manny Garibay, think of it as a venue where you can experiment and in fact, that's exactly what he's doing,” organizer Trickie Lopa told the media at a press event.

“It's such an honor also right that [he sees] Art in the Park is a venue to show work like this,” she added. “Artists can think that it's a venue where you can bear something so personal and it's okay to do it in an event like ours.”

If you're hyped enough, here’s all you need to know about Art in the Park’s 2023 comeback.

When and where

Art in the Park is happening on March 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Jaime Velasquez Park, more known as Salcedo Park in Makati City.

And as in previous years, entrance is free.

Exhibitors and featured artists

There will be 60 exhibitors representing galleries, art collectives, independent art spaces, and student groups.

Featured artists who will hold special exhibits at the fair include social realist painter Manny Garibay, interdisciplinary contemporary artist Bjorn Calleja, and mosaic artist Kabunyan de Guia.

Manny Garibay is debuting a series of small oil paintings on aluminum.

“He wants to see how much of a master he is over oil and if he can make it do what he wants it to do on a ground like aluminum,” Trickie said.

Meanwhile, Bjorn Calleja has a series of charcoal and graphite drawings as well as some ceramic sculptures.
 
“Figurative yung drawings and yung sculptures, but I look at the process as something na parang gumagawa ako ng abstraction,” Bjorn told the media.

“Nagiging figurative lang siya kasi 'yung form niya and features nung portraits are very human-like. Hinahanap ko lang din 'yung humanity dun sa paggawa,” he added.

Additionally, Kabunyan de Guia pays tribute to his brother, photographer Kidlat de Guia, who passed away almost exactly one year ago in Madrid, Spain.

His installation, “Kidlat Ngayon!!!! Isang taon na paglalakbay as soul,” creates a lightning bolt-inspired shrine where visitors can light candles to honor his brother’s memory.

Aside from these, digital art, motion graphics, and other media will also be displayed.

Interactive art

Here's another exciting experience to look forward to — some artists will immerse themselves in the audience.

Titik Poetry, a non-government organization and art collective based in Cavite, will be performing flash mob poetry.

Founder and CEO Verlin Santos shared that they will be performing a piece titled “Sigya” or inspiration in deep Tagalog. He teased that they will blend in with the audience first, share some inspirational verses and words of encouragement, and then come together as a group.

Aside from that, members will also be performing solo pieces.

According to Trickie, a group of sketchers will also be walking around the park.

Music will be provided by Soulful Mood and Pundaquit Virtuosi from Casa San Miguel in Zambales.

Booths

After walking around the park and appreciating all the art, guests can grab some food and drinks.

Some of the booths are 8Cuts, Odd Café, Tattooed Baker, Rafik Shawarma, Authentic House of Curry. —JCB, GMA Integrated News