Culture
Galleries, museums and art spaces worth a dedicated visit, the rooms that hold Manila's cultural life.
Makati
Photo: Altro Mondo
Altro Mondo Creative Space
Five rooms in a converted Chino Roces workshop
- Get in
- Free
Via primer.com.ph
Artinformal
Strong curator-led group shows
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- Free
Via Finale Art File (official website)
Finale Art File
Institutional history and deep artist roster
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- Free
Via Leon Gallery (official site/blog)
Leon Gallery
Filipino masters and historical works on preview
- Get in
- Free
Photo: Modeka Art
Modeka Art
Double-height warehouse room with a glass box upstairs
- Get in
- Free
Via Philippine Primer
Silverlens
Best window into Filipino artists with global standing
- Get in
- Free
Via Philippine Primer
The Drawing Room
Long-running gallery with a regional footprint
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- Free
Photo: Yuchengco Museum
Yuchengco Museum
Luna, Amorsolo and Botong Francisco in one gallery
- Get in
- ₱
Endo Lighting
Samsung Performing Arts Theater
Built for unamplified sound, so orchestras and choirs are heard as intended
Google Maps
Vinyl on Vinyl
Pop, lowbrow and street art focus
- Get in
- Free
BGC
Photo: Laro Ceramics
Laro Ceramics
Eleven wheels, Erika Austria's largest studio yet
- Get in
- ₱₱₱
Via The Urban Roamer (theurbanroamer.com), Met Museum tamaraw sculptures at MK Tan Centre, BGC entrance
Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M)
Ambitious rotating contemporary art shows, both Filipino and international
- Get in
- ₱
Via MO_Space (official website mo-space.net)
MO_Space
Experimental work you will not find in commercial rooms
- Get in
- Free
Elsewhere in the city
Photo: Kaida Contemporary / BluPrint (OneMega)
Kaida Contemporary
Early platform for now-prominent artists
- Get in
- Free
Via mcadmanila.org.ph
MCAD Manila
Free entry to genuinely current contemporary art and design
- Get in
- Free
Via PhiliptheNumber1 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0), National Museum of Fine Arts facade at golden hour
National Museum of Fine Arts
Stand in front of Luna's Spoliarium in the dedicated hall
- Get in
- Free
Via Judgefloro via Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Kaisa Angelo King Heritage Center / Bahay Tsinoy building, Intramuros
Bahay Tsinoy
One of the few museums in Southeast Asia devoted to Chinese-Filipino heritage
- Get in
- ₱
Via Wikimedia Commons / mark pedron (CC BY-SA 3.0), Museo Pambata building (historic Elks Club Building), Roxas Boulevard, Manila
Museo Pambata
Hands-on, child-led exhibits across several themed rooms
- Get in
- ₱