Gajah Gallery, founded in 1996 and already operating in Singapore, Jakarta, and Yogyakarta, opened a new space in Mandaluyong, Manila, in November. Its inaugural exhibition, "Confabulations, A Fantasy of the Real," curated by Joyce Toh, features Filipino artists such as BenCab, Leslie de Chavez, and Kiri Dalena alongside peers from Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, including a bronze sculpture by Marina Cruz produced at the gallery's Yogya Art Lab. Separately, Ames Yavuz, with spaces in London, Singapore, and Sydney, presented a pop-up group show, "Hold Everything Dear," in Makati, displaying over 50 Filipino artists and collectives. Both openings signal a surge in international gallery interest in Manila ahead of the Manila Art Fair in February 2026.
This wave of new gallery outposts matters because it positions Manila as a rising hub for Southeast Asian contemporary art, fostering cross-regional dialogue and collector networks. Gajah Gallery's founder Jasdeep Sandhu emphasizes long-term, context-sensitive projects that bridge generations and geographies, while the concentration of international galleries in the city suggests growing market confidence and cultural investment in the Philippines. The developments could shift attention from established centers like Singapore and Jakarta, offering Filipino artists greater visibility and local audiences access to global art-world conversations.