Tops ArtFest champions human creativity as AI challenges traditional notions of art

Festival director Enzo Dino pushes to make art accessible while defending authentic human expression.

Art should not be limited to galleries or private collections. For Tops ArtFest 2026, the goal is to make creativity more accessible, spark conversations, and challenge perceptions of who gets to experience and appreciate art.

Festival director Enzo Dino said the event aims to bring art closer to communities and make it part of everyday life.

“We want people to define what art means to them,” Dino said, emphasizing that appreciation should be a personal experience rather than something imposed on audiences.

Held from October 22 to 25 at TOPS in Cebu, the festival carried the theme “Building and Breaking Norms,” encouraging audiences to rethink conventional ideas about art and its place in society.

“There’s a notion that collecting art is only for the rich and for those who have money,” Dino said. “But in reality, we want art to be more accessible and open more doors for people.”

The nonprofit festival featured more than 300 artworks by artists from different parts of the Philippines. Proceeds go to the organizing foundation, supporting its mission to highlight art’s transformative power.

One of the featured activities was PERSPECTIVE PLAY, a plein-air painting competition held on October 23. Student and professional artists interpreted the landscape of TOPS through their own creative perspectives, transforming a shared environment into distinct artistic expressions.

The festival also explored the impact of artificial intelligence on originality and creative expression, raising questions about the role of human creativity in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Dino described the event as a platform for examining these issues while emphasizing the value of art created by people.

“This is all the more reason we want to champion the humanness of what we can create outside of AI,” he said.

Presented by the Cristina Lee Dino Foundation Inc. and the Sacred Heart School for Boys Batch ’85 Foundation, Tops ArtFest 2026 sought to make art more inclusive and encourage audiences to question established norms.

For Dino, the goal goes beyond showcasing artworks. It is about opening doors for more people to discover what art means to them and making creativity a more accessible part of everyday life.