The return of onsite art events and exhibitions across the Philippine islands finally happened in 2023, with a renewed focus on specific localities beyond Metro Manila. The country had suffered through the longest community quarantine in the world during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and art institutions were among the last the government allowed to reopen. While partial re-openings had occurred in early 2022, with Art Fair Philippines leading a hybrid event alongside many institutions trying to seek balance, most smaller-scale and independent art institutions only found the confidence to launch their events and projects in 2023, once they could fully expect onsite participants from
