Green Papaya Art Projects (GPAP) is an independent

artist-run space An artist-run space or artist-run centre (Canada) is a gallery or other facility operated or directed by artists, frequently circumventing the structures of public art centers, museums, or commercial galleries and allowing for a more experimental ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

, Philippines. Founded by artists

Norberto Roldan Norberto Roldan (born 1953 in Roxas City, Philippines) is a visual artist and curator. He is widely known for founding the artist collective Black Artists of Asia, which in turn founded the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (VI ...

and Donna Miranda in 2000, it aims to provide a platform that organizes and supports intellectual communication, creative dialogues, and collaboration in the contemporary art community, especially for young emerging artists in Asia. The name "Green Papaya" is a metaphor for freshness, which suggests that the art space is always in a state of becoming. Originally established at a condominium building near the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

in Quezon City, with its next move to a converted garage, then a two-level apartment, Green Papaya Art Projects builds an interdependent community with its various partners. Mediating between galleries, universities, and individual artists, Green Papaya Art Projects hosts exhibitions, residency projects, and artist talks in an effort to generate new conversations, while combining elements of dance,

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

, music, and film into the picture. It also published its first-and-only issue of ''Papaya'' magazine in 2008 on Philippines contemporary art. In 2010, Green Papaya Art Projects brought its programs to the ''No Soul For Sale Festival of the Independents'' at

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is ...

in London, and the ''New World: Night Festival at'' the National Museum of Singapore. In 2018, it co-curated the biennial Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference (VIVA ExCon), with the theme "Don't Even Bring Water" at Capiz. On June 3, 2020, a fire at a neighboring store destroyed the physical location of Green Papaya Art Projects. Along with artwork, historical documentation of the initiative and associated artists were destroyed. Since 2017, however, Green Papaya had been doing significant archival work alongside

Asia Art Archive Asia Art Archive (AAA) is a nonprofit organisation based in Hong Kong which focuses on documenting the recent history of contemporary art in Asia within an international context. AAA incorporates material that members of local art communities ...

. While Green Papaya had plans to officially close in 2021, the fire encouraged the organizers to continue the work. In 2022, it participated in the Istanbul Biennial, in collaboration with NPAA (United Progressive Artists and Architects) and PiST// Interdisciplinary Project Space Istanbul).

References

{{reflist Art museums and galleries established in 2000 Philippine art