3 Filipino Artists are Participating at Florence Biennale 2025

Art lovers can get the chance to see the works of three talented homegrown artists before they fly to Italy to join this year's edition of one of Europe’s most prestigious art events, the Florence Biennale. 

The works of Marco Polo Cabrera (aka MarPolo), Marjowyn Vito, and Angelie Banaag will be exhibited at the Gallery Bar at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria this month thanks to the efforts of IHG Hotels & Resorts Group and ARTablado.

Since 1997, the Florence Biennale (Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea) has taken over the historic Fortezza da Basso in Florence every two years, curating a dynamic space where contemporary innovation collides with classical heritage in art and design. Endorsed by UNESCO's Italian commission, the Italian Ministry of Culture, the European Parliament, Tuscany Region, and the Municipality of Florence, its credibility is steeped in international patronage. 

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The theme of the 2025 edition, running from October 18 to 26, is The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness: Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design. 

Past editions garnered participation from more than 600 artists representing over 80 countries, including many prominent artists including Marina Abramovi?, David Hockney, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Anish Kapoor, El Anatsui, just to name a few. 

In 2021, Michael Garcia Villagante became the first Filipino to snag the top Lorenzo il Magnifico International Award for Art at the XIIIth Florence Biennale. 

Other platforms like the Venice Biennale, where Filipinos have long been lauded, have paved the way for a new generation of talents. Jose Joya inaugurated the Philippines Pavilion in 1964, while Manuel Ocampo and Lani Maestro (2017), Mark Justiniani (2019), among others, have followed suit. Maestro, in particular, is a celebrated international artist also known for exhibiting in the Singapore Biennale, Busan Biennale, and Sydney Biennale, bringing Filipino artists to the world stage. 

ARTablado, which is a portmanteau of “art” + “entablado,” (meaning stage in Tagalog), is the brainchild of Robinson Land Corporation’s  and has nurtured over 800 Filipino artists since its launch in 2020, offering them public platforms within RLC’s real estate spaces nationwide. Through ARTablado, Filipino inventiveness converges with community and commercial space, bridging emerging talent to broader audiences.

Sec. Frederick D. Go, RLC’s former President and CEO spearheaded the ARTablado project. In January 2024, he stepped down to embrace a cabinet-rank appointment as Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs under President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. but his legacy at RLC includes fortifying platforms like ARTablado, extending far beyond commercial development into cultural advocacy. 

Get to know the three Filipino artists participating at Florence Biennale 2025:

Marco Polo Coria Cabrera (MarPolo)

Hailing from Nagcarlan, Laguna, the 1988-born multidisciplinary artist paints with threads of Philippine mythology, music, and nature, all tinted with hopeful cultural pride. A broadcasting graduate turned LaSalle College of the Arts alum (2018), he held his 4th solo exhibit in March 2025 at NCCA and recently represented the Philippines at Art Expo Hong Kong in May–June 2025. 

Angelie Banaag

A self-taught creative from Dingras, Ilocos Norte, Banaag fuses faith, femininity, and Ilocano tradition into vivid, textured canvases—many woven with inabel cloth and gilded with gold leaf, evoking Klimt’s opulence. In 2016, she founded Art on the Gogh and later Artritos to promote wearable art. Her journey—marked by spirituality and cultural pride—is a testament to resilient independence.

Marjowyn Vito

Inventor of “Contrasegmentism,” Vito’s art juxtaposes flat surfaces and textured volumes, exploring themes of climate, peace, and womanhood. She’s exhibited globally (New York, London, Mexico City) and was the first Filipino to join Arte Capital. 

The exhibit at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn & Suites Manila Galleria will run through September 2025 at The Gallery Bar, showcasing the cultural intersection of hospitality and art. Guests can support these artists by purchasing their works while dining on a curated Filipino-Italian fusion menu by Executive Chef Luca.