LAF2026: The things we loved
It’s been two weeks since the 2026 edition of the Luneta Art Fair, and we’re still feeling mighty good about the whole event. The LAF has come a long way from its humble beginning two years ago, and we’re getting closer to the level we feel the event is capable of. As the saying goes, malayo pa pero malayo na.
We are still so ecstatic over the last staging because, simply put, there was so much good stuff going on. So good, in fact, that we want to remind people about them before they fade into memory. Without further ado, here we go.
The LAF doubled in size this year
The first two Luneta Art Fairs occupied just a small section of the Noli Me Tangere Garden. This year, the number of participating artists doubled, requiring us to occupy more of the Garden. We also had a wonderful roster of participating artists coming from literally all over the Philippines. No, seriously, the Balaraw Art Collective came all the way from Nueva Ecija, and abstract artist Mikhail Ermac flew all the way from Bacolod to join the LAF. The old reliables of the Luneta Art Fair were all there, such as Odangputik, Art Show Philippines, and Glenn Martinez for example, and they were joined by the likes of Lakimata, Olimba, Jikka Defiño, Fritzie Amar, Kami To Kami Gallery, and the Avellana Art Gallery. Speaking of newcomers…
The presence of soooooo many schools
For this edition of the Luneta Art Fair, we officially had four colleges and universities join the festivities. The Benilde Fine Arts in Culture-Based Arts was our first ever featured institution (under Focus2026), and they totally ran with it, staging two simultaneous exhibits and an activation. We’ve also hosted the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts, Philippine Women’s University School of Fine Arts and Design, and the Adventist University of the Philippines Department of Tradigital Fine Arts. Aside from these schools, the Avellana Art Gallery brought a selection of artworks from students of EARIST and TUP, CIIT student works made up Day 1 of the AudioVisual Lounge, and the presence of the Likhayag art group meant FEU was also represented as well. More of this, please.
The Spotlight 2026 artists were amazing
For the first time, the Luneta Art fair showcased a selection of young, promising artists we felt was on the cusp of breaking out. The Spotlight 2026 Artists, composed of Gelo Andres, Jirah Millano-Perea, Joveneil De Guzman, Kulas Jalea, Patrick Kent Oaferina, Lino Jamisola (aka Pipesman), and G Bangsail (aka Ululay), did not disappoint, collectively producing an exhibition of exciting artworks showcasing their diverse influences and styles. We’re so going to do this again.
The Open Gallery was wildly popular
Simply put, the Open Gallery has surprised us every step of the way, from the clamor of artists to join the event to the response of people to the actual exhibit. We’ve always been bothered by the number of artists who aren’t able to join our events simply because they don’t have the inventory to justify it. To address that, we’ve come up with the Open Gallery, where artists can join with one or two artworks. During its conception, we just thought the activation would be cool, but we had no idea people would flock to it as they have. We even had artists who were part of group exhibits in other LAF booths also take part in the Open Gallery. Like the Spotlight and the Focus activation, this one’s a keeper. We might change the name though.
The first AudioVisual Lounge
The Luneta Art Fair wouldn’t be the Luneta Art Fair if not for the spate of activities offered by the various partners and organizations. Free art workshops, talks, free merch, a lot of artists offering on the spot portraits, sketchwalks, and so much more have always been de rigueur for the LAF. For this edition of the Luneta Art Fair, however, we are very proud to have staged The AudioVisual Lounge. For the duration of the Luneta Art Fair, Papakape Luneta was transformed into a film hub, showcasing films from CIIT on Saturday and some selected shorts from James Mayo and Thop Nazareno on Sunday. We wrapped up the AudioVisual lounge with a short talk from assemblage artist Glenn Martinez who talked about his artist journey.
The LAF, recognized as an artist centric space
From the get-go, the Luneta Art Fair has always been and will always be an artist centric event. How could it not be, when we have always talked directly to the artists, and any success we have enjoyed were due to the collective efforts of the artists who have joined our events? Honestly, this has always been Puesto’s DNA, from all the bazaars and art markets we’ve staged since 2019 until now.
The big shift in this year’s event is that everybody else seems to have realized that fact for themselves, posting and talking about it. Frankly, it feels good to be seen. And while we’re thankful for the galleries, the schools, and the brands that have joined our event, you can all be assured that the LAF will remain predominantly artist-driven for years to come.
How about you? What did you like about the Luneta Art Fair this year?
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