Metro Manila is continuing to grow as a grassroots art hub, and this April, several galleries are showcasing fresh exhibitions across various genres and mediums. Looking for something new to explore? Here’s your April 2025 guide to the best art shows in the city — or at least some great openings to hit up. Read on for the key details and how to find each of these galleries.
In the buzzing halls of Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, one installation stopped people in their tracks. Radiating color and rhythm, Pacita Abad’s Through the Looking Glass (1996) towered in the Encounters sector like a portal to another dimension—alive with stitched textures, cultural memory, and the fearless vibrancy that defined her work. Presented by Silverlens and Tina Kim Gallery, the piece didn’t just command attention—it sold to a major Southeast Asian museum for USD 500,000, a quiet but seismic moment in the global recognition of Filipino art.
Read MoreWords and Pictures by Veronica Cosio and JC Carandang
Art Basel Hong Kong isn’t just an event — it’s a gravitational pull. Every year, artists, curators, collectors, and curious onlookers descend upon the city to witness what feels like the Super Bowl of contemporary art. For one long weekend, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre becomes a sprawling cathedral of creativity, where global perspectives are distilled into paint, sculpture, film, fabric, sound, and performance. With hundreds of artworks from across the globe, spanning decades and disciplines, the fair becomes less an event and more a living, shifting encounter with human creativity.
HK Walls is Hong Kong Art Week’s staple mural festival. Each year, HK Walls operates from some sort of headquarters that acts as a staging ground for street artists, hosting sub-events such as workshops, alongside the much-anticipated annual opening and closing soirées. Previous havens have included the chic SOHO House in Sai Ying Pun and even a hauntingly beautiful abandoned building in Wan Chai.
Read MoreDesigned by Filipina visual artists Aila Torre, Lari Gazmen and TITAN’s Alessah Papa, the Nike Sabrina 2 X TITAN the basketball lifestyle brand’s latest collaboration sneaker in a now long history of collaborating with Nike Basketball and Jordan Brand.
Legendary graffiti artist Stash makes a remarkable comeback with Nike, reimagining his iconic 2006 Air Max design. This refreshed retro style commemorates over two decades of collaboration between Nike and Stash, who was the first artist to ever place his unique touch on a Nike silhouette. The modern iteration incorporates upgraded materials, blending genuine and synthetic leather with durable textiles.
Read MoreIs the Nike Winflo 11 the perfect sneaker? It’s a review… and it’s also a cafe vlog!
Let’s do a little vlogging and wear test the newest in Nike’s Winflo line. The sneaker features Cushlon 3.0, a bottom loaded air unit, and a price tag of around and under $100. In our field report, we check out a new spot in Bridgetowne, “Spatio” and our alumni, Joe’s new cafe there: We The People!
Join Kayo and Nica on their journey to the Art Central preview. The day kicks off with coffee and wonton noodles, accompanied by a splash of street art murals (shout out to our fam, Rabi Towing!). Then, we swiftly transition to the Art Central tent. This year marks a comeback for the spacious tent, which has been greatly missed. Kayo and Nica share their firsthand experience of the art fair, featuring a special discussion on Sunayama Norico’s “A Sultry World.”
Read MoreHeaded to Hong Kong for HK Art Week? Don’t miss M+’s pop-up of Zaha Hadid Design at The M+ Shop inside the museum from Tuesday, 19 March 2024.
M+ x Zaha Hadid Design Special Collection marks the first ever collaboration of Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD) with a Hong Kong cultural institution, and will be available at the pop-up, featuring twelve limited-edition lifestyle pieces inspired by the iconic architectural projects designed for Hong Kong by legendary British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid (1950–2016).
Read MoreBGC’s The Palace has been home to many nightlife concepts over the last decade and has consistently been on the pulse of the party scene in Manila. It’s no different for their youngest concept, Club House, which opened in late 2022 on the tail end of a pandemic to a Gen Z that was ready to punch in to a new millenium’s roaring 20s
Walls are adorned with murals from recognizable local top talents Jade Suayan, Distort Monsters, and Egg Fiasco as street art takes a front seat in this club. To top it all off, all guests enter through replica of a subway train car, a tribute to the roots of street art: graffiti. However, the train car’s pristine walls did not tell a complete story. Until now.
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