ARTFAIRPH/TALKS

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This collector conversation brings together two collectors from Manila whose journeys into art are shaped by very different starting points.

Dr. George Soo began as a young doctor with a long-held desire to collect. Living abroad, frequent visits to museums sharpened his eye over time. In the early stages, resources were modest, he learned to trust his instincts and to decide quickly. He often decided based on the visual and how the work resonated with him. Today, his collection includes around a thousand works, predominately from Philippine artists. In the end, his guiding question remains simple: Can this hang in my house?

JV began collecting nearly a decade ago at a personal turning point. Starting with local
galleries, his path evolved from Philippine art toward a more international collection. Over time, seeing more led to slowing down, becoming more selective, and approaching
collecting as a planned process — while holding onto the ambition of one day creating a
private space for the collection. For JV, collecting evokes what he calls “an emotion I never thought I had.”

The conversation will explore how their experiences, emotions, and evolving tastes have shaped their collections. It will also discuss their current interests, future plans for their collection, and what they are most excited about in the art world in 2026.

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About the Speaker/s

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Christoph Noe

Previously a management consultant, Christoph Noe decided to switch industries and work in the contemporary art scene. Initially focusing on Chinese contemporary art, later he co-founded LARRY'S LIST, the leading art market knowledge company providing data, research and access to contemporary art collectors. In his role, he has edited and published a number of books and reports including a catalogue raisonné for the painter Liu Ye; the first publication of this kind for a Chinese contemporary artist, the "Private Museum Report (2016 and 2023)", a global overview on the landscape of privately founded contemporary art museums, and “The Next Gen Art Collectors Report (2021)”, a survey on art collectors below the age of 40 and the best-selling guidebooks “How to Not Fuck Up Your Art-World Happiness Vol. 1 and 2” (2022 and 2024).

Christoph Noe is also advising a number of corporates, brands and private museums including Porsche, Rolls-Royce and Hugo Boss on their art engagements and collection. For Hugo Boss, he helped setting up the biennial HUGO BOSS ASIA ART AWARD in cooperation with the Shanghai-based private art museum Rockbund Art Museum. The award has been recognized as one of most acclaimed awards for emerging artists in Asia contributing to the art ecology in China and beyond.

Christoph Noe has lectured extensively on the art market, among others for academic institutions including Angewandte University, Vienna, Ewha University, Seoul, and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. Leading global news media and art press, from Financial Times to China Daily, have been quoting Noe on his expertise on the global art market.


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

George Soo

All around serious but fun guy, Dr George Soo, born in Manila in 1959, studied in Jesuit Xavier School and went to University of the Philippines. He finished medicine in the UERMMMC in 1984 and went to Taiwan where he trained in Microvascular Hand Surgery. Back to Manila in 1992, he trained at the UP Philippine General Hospital in Psychiatry, the field he now concentrates on. He is in a limited private boutique practice based out of Makati.

In contact bridge, he is a veteran internationalist, playing for the national teams on many occasions. He is one of the top players from the Philippines. He has won the Far East Asian Championship, the only player from the Philippines to have won in the last 50 years, he has won gold and silvers in the SEA games and has played in two Asian Games. He also has the ASEAN bridge championships twice.
In art, collecting voraciously since the 1980s, he has a wide collection of art including conceptual and figurative. He also collects sculpture and video.

His other important interests include travel and food.



JV Cobankiat

Jan Vincent Cobankiat, born in 1980, is a Manila-based businessman and art collector. He studied at Xavier School and later earned a degree in Management of Financial Institutions from De La Salle University Manila.

He is part of the family enterprise, Cobankiat Hardware, where he manages the business while also helping grow new ventures in fast-food franchising, farming, and real estate. This hands-on, long-term approach to building businesses also shapes how he collects—he looks for quality, consistency, and pieces that grow in meaning over time.
JV started collecting art in 2016. What began as curiosity quickly developed into a serious interest, with a focus on local contemporary artists and a growing exploration into foreign works. His collecting is intuitive and personal, driven by what resonates with him rather than trends.

Outside of art, he is an enthusiastic collector of fine wines, watches, sneakers, and well-designed home furniture, reflecting a broader appreciation for craftsmanship, design, and everyday objects that tell a story.