The Philippines isn’t yet a must-hit destination on the global art map, but visitors should acknowledge the impressive development of its capital, Manila, and the vibrancy of the local art scene, which has been active for decades. There’s a solid cultural infrastructure, with more than a few galleries that have been open for decades, two leading auction houses (Salcedo and Leon auctions) and world-class private museums and university museums. In fact, it’s collectors and donors who are largely compensating for the total lack of government support and funding for the arts that has led to Manila not having a national gallery or public contemporary art museum. Art collectors have stepped in to fill that gap with displays of art in their own galleries and Kunsthalle spaces.
SEE ALSO: How Manila’s Silverlens Is Bringing the Philippines to the Global Art Stage
One local collector who has been active in growing and improving the local art scene is Timothy Tan, who helped organize “Wild: Women Abstractionists on Nature” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, a group show of some of the most talented female abstract painters curated by Kathy Yuang, director at Jeffrey Deitch. The show, which closed in June, included works from Tan’s art collection as well as other pieces and presented a solid overview of women’s contemporary global abstraction. It was the second exhibition of a series aiming to bring prominent names in global contemporary art to the Philippines with the help of international curators and art players. The first was “Sounds of Blackness,” curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah and anchored again by works lent by Tan, who regularly presents art from his collection in his business’ showrooms. Soon, he will dedicate an entire floor of one of those spaces to showcase art.
Observer caught up with Tan to discuss how he has grown his collection, his perspective on the evolution of the local art scene and the circulation of Filipino art in the world’s major cultural hubs.
There is always a first art acquisition that releases “the block,” and from there, art collecting becomes a passion. What was the first work you acquired and how?
I started collecting the way many people first buy art: I had an empty wall in my apartment that needed to be filled. I knew nothing about art then, so I asked friends for advice. One was a prolific artist, and the other was an art adviser who gave me a list of galleries around Manila to check out. In 2010, I began buying small paintings, and in the process, I got to know gallerists and artists.
In terms of becoming a collector, however, I would say I got hooked when I was in Singapore for work in 2012 or 2013 and saw a Murakami print that I just had to have. I carried it by hand back to Manila, and from then on, I began to find so much joy and inspiration in art, both from seeing and collecting, and I started visiting galleries worldwide and going to art fairs and auctions.
You began by collecting Filipino art, but now you collect primarily from the global contemporary. How would you say a Filipino artist’s career trajectory and dynamics differ from their international colleagues?
My collection focus has become more streamlined now to be on contemporary Black art and art from the Asian Diaspora. Filipino artists are just as strong as many international artists; they would benefit from greater exposure overseas to attract a more global audience. Philippines-based galleries have begun to understand that, and that’s why their participation in art fairs in Asia and beyond is so meaningful. Silverlens has also opened a New York gallery, which has been excellent for raising Filipino artists’ profiles in a very competitive and demanding art world.
You’re a globe trotter, and you go to almost all the art fairs. What’s your favorite fair and your favorite art city destination?
The Art Basel fairs—all of them, from Hong Kong and Miami to the original one in Switzerland—are among my favorites, as are all the Frieze shows. I would say London and Paris are my top art city destinations; they always have the best museum exhibits and gallery openings, especially at the beginning of the spring and fall seasons.
Your collecting taste has evolved from global to local and back then from broad to focused. How would you describe your trajectory as a collector, and where do you see it developing further?
My collecting journey has always been about learning more and discovering new artists. Some of them may no longer be living, but they could be new to me, which is part of the process. I also stay open to new media. While paintings dominate my collection, I have recently been leaning toward sculpture, digital art and installation art.
Name some artists on your wish list.
The Dominican-American artist Firelei Báez is definitely at the top of my wishlist at the moment. Her current show in the South London Gallery is colorful, mythological, fantastical, and powerful—a must-see. Among the towering figures of modern art, I would love to own a piece by Lucio Fontana or Louise Bourgeois.
Looking at the broader picture, your primary business involves high-end design, which has an audience that overlaps with contemporary art lovers. How do you feel the aesthetic taste in the Philippines has evolved, and how is this reflected in the recent but rapid development of Manila’s best neighborhoods, Makati and BSG?
I have heard people talk about the Philippines as “the wild east,” a place so far away and vaguely Asian, which is such a misconception, as we are a very cosmopolitan society that is plugged into what is happening in fashion, design, art and culture all over the world. How we dress, furnish our homes and choose our art reflects all this. Our clients are exceptionally well-traveled, too, so they know what is happening worldwide, and their travels shape their aesthetic.
What do you think is the role of collectors in a scene like the Philippines, where there’s an audience for art but no public support to provide the necessary institutional infrastructure for artists?
Collectors and institutions should be cultural partners and work together. I have personally worked closely with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M) to anchor two landmark exhibitions. In a country like the Philippines, where income inequality is a serious issue, many vital collections are found in private homes or the executive offices of blue-chip corporations and are therefore only open to view by invitation. It’s important to make collections accessible to the broader public, including children, students and artists. There’s so much for everyone to learn and absorb from and respond to these kinds of cultural partnerships.
