Artists Unite Against Pax Silica (AUPAX), a newly-formed coalition of Philippine artists, writers, designers, and creatives, has taken to the streets and throughout gallery spaces across the Philippines to protest against a roughly 1,600-hectare AI manufacturing hub planned by Pax Silica, a US-led initiative. 

Pax Silica aims to secure global supply chains for AI’s critical minerals, semiconductors, and manufacturing infrastructure, as part of a US-backed effort with 35 signatory countries to ease reliance on China amid the broader AI arms race. The Philippines joined the program in April, staking out land in the developing New Clark City, spanning Bamban and Capas in Tarlac province, for AI facilities. AUPAX has stated in an open letter that the construction would result in a “devastating effect on land, environment, labor and [the] livelihoods of the Filipino people,” framing the project as a US “attempt to consolidate its economic, political, military, and now technological domination in every corner of the globe.”

On September 6, AUPAX debuted an exhibition titled “ALL CAPS: Art, Land & Labor—Creatives Against Pax Silica” at Sampaguita Projects Gallery in Quezon City. Featuring works by a variety of Philippine artists, the show highlights the Pax Silica hub’s potential toll on resources, labor, and quality of life. This was followed on September 11 by a rally staged at the proposed site, drawing hundreds of people from allied organizations and the public.

Other creative-led Philippine organizations have responded to the Pax Silica plan, including the recently formed League of Anti-Imperial Artists, which launched its public programs on September 18. On September 12, the Artist Alliance for Peasant Rights opened its exhibition “Faux Pax: No Peace Without Genuine Land Reform” at Rift Gallery in San Juan City, using art to highlight the effects of AI-related encroachment on farmers’ lands and resources. 

These campaigns coincide with growing establishment concern over AI’s pace of development: Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei has called for the industry to slow down and submit to independent oversight, while Pope Leo XIV has urged for standardized global regulation, warning against unchecked AI development.

Harison Butler is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.