Benilde Open announces selected proposals, lines up exhibit
AN initiative of the De La Salle-college of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) that grants creatives and students the opportunity to bring their unfinished concepts to life, the Benilde Open Design + Art unveiled last week its set of selected proposals. The Benilde Open garnered 324 proposals from creative industry practitioners and Benilde students. Out of the hundreds, 10 were selected for the “Benilde Open” category, each receiving a grant of P300,000. In addition, one special entry received full funding from a private donor in the same amount. Meanwhile, 17 student proposals have been chosen for the “Best of Benilde” category. The students receive full curatorial support.
All shortlisted and selected proposals for both categories were made by a committee of distinguished practitioners from various local and international creative industries sectors. The group includes Dr. Jonathan Gander, head of the School of Creative Industries, LASALLE College of the Arts, Unnivedrsity of Arts Singapore; Alexie Glass-kantor, curator and executive director of Artspace, Sydney; Mara Hermano, vice president for Institutional Research and Planning in Boston College; Paul Pfeiffer, internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist; Erwin Romulo, multi-awarded writer, editor, music producer and composer, and creative consultant; and Pauline Suaco-juan, former executive director of CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions) Philippines.
Here are the 10 selected proposals for the “Benilde Open” category:
■ ‘Tropikalye’ by Nice Buenaventura and Costantino Zicarelli. An online index of photographs and text, this project highlights the accidental intersections of contemporary Philippine aesthetics and the everyday from the vantage point of the street.
■ ‘Nightingales’ by RJ Fernandez. The filmmaker engages and collaborates with three Filipino nurses from East Sussex through an observational documentary video that shows their daily life, as well their horticultural activities as they learn to grow food in a community garden. The nurses will be given technical training in video documentation and given 10 to 12 days to document their daily life.
■ ‘Stakeholding: Chapter 1, A Developing Tabletop Game’ by Lyra Garcellano. The game explores the various features of the contemporary art and culture world, taking off from philosophical queries such as: How do we design a new art world? How can we chart our journey? How can we be mobile in that path? What do we do when we collide with other worlds/communities? Do we occupy and conquer or do we cooperate and collaborate?
■ ‘RE-MOVE: Unraveling truths behind the spectacle of indigenous exposition through the contemporary performance lens’ by Aaron Kaiser Garcia. The project aims to highlight how colonial infrastructures remove cultural artifacts from our indigenous communities; and in response to this removal, hopes to recreate, reimagine and “remove” our bodies to shine a light on this spectacle of indigenous exposition and exploitation.
■ ‘Exploring the Use of Philippine Silk in Tausug Pisyabit Weaving’ by Rambie Lim.
Through research and experimentation on how to adapt traditional weaving and dying techniques, the designer proposes to bridge the gap between suppliers, dyers and weavers to bring about the renaissance of traditional Tausug textiles by working with weavers from Padirna Sanaani of Parang, Sulu,
and Ruhina Muhaimer of Maimbung, Sulu.
n ‘Unraveling Baguio’s Inner Tapestry: A Psychogeographical Exploration Through Sensory Encounters’ by Gabe Mercado. Through unscripted walks, a team of artists and explorers with experience in psychogeography, sound art, photography, performance, knitting, design, architecture and poetry will deconstruct dominant tourist narratives and engage participants in a critical and embodied understanding of the Baguio’s multifaceted identity.
n ‘Maria, Maria’ by Lala Monserrat in collaboration with Russ Ligtas, Geric Cruz and Jazel Kristin. A conversation between resident artists of Casa San Miguel Center for the Arts in the coastal town of San Antonio, Zambales and a spirited group of young locals of the LGBTQ community residing in Barangay San Miguel, the project lends itself to the fostering of collaborative work and collective care for artists and the public. The project creates a safe space within the intersections of art, community engagement and cultural mapping through performance, photography, film and sculpture.
n ‘Cosmic Garden’ by Issay Rodriguez. The project establishes an empathic connection between human perception and the creative interpretation of data. By merging art and technology, the artist seeks to inspire curiosity and explore innovative solutions that foster positive impacts.
n ‘Developing Puppetry in the Philippines’ by Mikayla Teodoro. Aiming to introduce new puppetry arts, the project aspires to turn the country into a puppetry hub in Southeast Asia. Advanced mechanisms in puppetry are explored and local puppet makers trained to create complex puppet joints.
n ‘CURIOUS: Spotlight on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Literature’ by Michael Vea. The project focus on integrating FSL Literature within the landscape of Philippine literary arts through a pioneering creative signing workshop and an exhibition featuring works from five Deaf literary fellows.
Special mention was given to Baluy Manghagdaway: A Functional Installation Art Created in Collaboration with the Umayamnon Community of Barangay Mandahican, Lambagan and Mandaing Municipality of Cabanglasan by Errol P. Balcos. The visual artist advocates for the rights of corn gleaners through functional public art. Must public art such as installations be situated in parks in urban areas? If indeed installations can be exhibited in remote areas such as corn farms, can they be made functional and livable for the Umayamnon? Can it be replicated among other communities of gleaners in Bukidnon?
The Benilde Open was launched in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the DLS-CSB, and in synergy with De La Salle University and the Embassy of Switzerland. The pioneering initiative called on students and creatives— from artists to architects, from textile designers to fashion designers, and everyone in between—to submit proposals that would help bring their dream projects into reality.
The selected proposals will be exhibited at several spaces in De La Salle College of Saint Benildedesign + Arts Campus, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila and Hub for Innovation from May 23 to June 30.