Metropolitan Museum of Manila

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, branded as the M, is a non-profit art museum in the Philippines that presents itself as the country's premier institution for modern and contemporary visual arts. Located since 2022 in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, it exhibits works by both local and international artists. Founded in 1976, the museum has undergone significant shifts in location, governance, and curatorial focus during its nearly five-decade history, transitioning from a government-subsidized showcase for international contemporary art to an independent non-government organization with a pronounced emphasis on Philippine artistic identity.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila was established on October 3, 1976. Its original location was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Complex along Roxas Boulevard in the Malate district of Manila. In its early years, the museum primarily exhibited international artists, aiming to expose Filipino audiences to contemporary visual works from other cultures. By 1986, the institution shifted its focus toward local works and broadened its public engagement through bilingual exhibition texts and outreach programs including workshops and symposia. This same year, seven months after the EDSA Revolution, the museum acquired a new board of trustees and became a non-government organization. The Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation, Inc. had been established in 1979 by former First Lady Imelda Marcos and businessman Bienvenido Tantoco, Sr. to support the museum. In 2022, the M relocated to dedicated premises at the MK Tan Centre in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, and management shifted from BSP subsidy to the Foundation. The museum previously offered complimentary entry on Tuesdays, later extending free admission to all operating days from Tuesday through Saturday. In April 2024, the museum announced Banksy Universe, an immersive exhibition of Banksy's works that opened on May 14, 2024 and ran until November 20. The exhibition was not authorized or endorsed by Banksy or his managing agency, Pest Control, but was created in partnership with an international art production collective, a model the museum noted was common for Banksy exhibitions worldwide. The announcement drew criticism regarding contrasts between Banksy's street art practice and restrictions on street art and graffiti in Bonifacio Global City, as well as concerns about exhibiting anti-capitalist work in a commercial business district.

The museum's collection and exhibition program has evolved considerably since its founding. Initially oriented toward international contemporary art, the collection scope shifted by 1986 to emphasize local works and promote Philippine pride and identity. The Bangko Sentral collection of art and historical objects formed the core of the museum's holdings during its years at the BSP Complex, displayed across five permanent exhibitions. In its current iteration, the M maintains a focus on modern and contemporary visual arts by both local and international artists, consistent with its self-identification as the Philippines' premier museum in this field.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is located in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, having moved there in 2022 from its former site in the Malate district of Manila. The museum operates from Tuesdays through Saturdays. Free admission, previously limited to Tuesdays, was extended to all operating days as of the sources' most recent information. The museum is managed by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation, Inc., and can be accessed through its website at https://metmuseum.ph/. Its current role as an independent non-profit institution continues its mission as a presenter of modern and contemporary visual arts by local and international artists, now situated within one of Metro Manila's most prominent commercial and residential districts rather than under government subsidy at the central bank complex.