From May 23 to June 30, the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) invites guests to explore the curious mindset of today’s creatives as they visit and engage with the first edition of the Benilde Open Design + Art exhibition. Presented in three categories—The Benilde Open, Best of Benilde, and Heidi Bucher: And Pull Yesterday Into Today—the public exhibit features pieces that tackle various topics and themes, including but not limited to, indigenous groups, Filipinos in diaspora, LGBTQIA+, PWDs, and other sectors from different cities and regions.
In cooperation with De La Salle University and the Embassy of Switzerland, the exhibit showcases the works of artists, architects, technologists, engineers, industrial designers, craftsmen, illustrators, textile designers, animators, playwrights, composers, poets, filmmakers, cinematographers, lighting designers, fashion designers, chefs, and all creative practitioners whose proposals were selected by a jury. Out of 324 submissions received from creative industry practitioners and Benilde students, only 27 proposals were accepted.
For the Benilde Open category, 10 proposals were selected, each receiving a grant of P300,000. Additionally, there is one special mention that received full funding from a private donor in the amount of P300,000.
The Benilde Open includes works by Nice Buenaventura and Costantino Zicarelli, RJ Fernandez, Lyra Garcellano, Aaron Kaiser Garcia, Rambie Lim, Gabe Mercado, Lala Monserrat in collaboration with Russ Ligtas, Geric Cruz and Jazel Kristin, Issay Rodriguez, Mikayla Teodoro, Michael Vea, and Errol Balcos.
For the Best of Benilde category, 17 student proposals have been selected and received full curatorial support.
The grantees are Louisa Ray Cagaligen, Xandrix Antaso Corpuz Jr, Danielle Cusi, Asia Entico, Gela Mae C. Gamil, Veronica Landig, Pia Maghirang, Earl John Marquez, Rexcel Cariaga and Dars Juson, Camille Jay Pinton, Brian Ilustrisimo Razon, Jonas Roque, Shane Mariel Figuerra, Charles Cedric Quianzon, John Patrick Pascua, Maria Abigail Uson, Akira Watanabe, Liezel Ann Nierves, Glaeor Magne Dominguez, Mariana Julian Bernal with faculty mentor Alejandro Hector Reyes, Jasmine Fiona Tan, and Jamila Clarisse San.
The "Heidi Bucher: And Pull Yesterday Into Today" into today exhibit features the oeuvre of renowned Swiss artist Heidi Bucher (1926-1993) that recently graced the exhibition spaces in Art Sonje Center in Seoul, Korea, and the Red Brick Museum in Beijing, China.
Swiss artist Heidi Bucher (1926-1993).
As one of the most important and groundbreaking artists of the international neo-avant-garde, Bucher’s practice resists the categorization of artistic disciplines, encouraging the capacity of art to speak across disciplines and challenge our preconceived ideas of what we know as art. She tested materials: textiles for architecture, architecture in the air, collages on silk, and sculptures as performances, seeking to bring nature into her art.
Bucher’s initial fascination with the interplay between art and fashion was highlighted in her genderless body sculptures "Bodyshells" and "Bodywrappings", which emerged in California in the early 1970s. The Production Design students from DLS-CSB and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) will reproduce these wearable sculptures in collaboration with the estate of Heidi Bucher. A series of performances by the Bachelor in Performing Arts, Major in Dance program students wearing the sculpture will occur throughout the show.
During the exhibition, the Benilde Open grantees and Best of Benilde students will conduct a series of talks and activities on puppetry, psychogeography, performance, fashion, and board games. Fireside chats are scheduled on creative courage, grant proposal writing, women in design and architecture, and creative industry unicorns.
Benilde faculty and have a lineup of workshops on printmaking, prosthetics, intellectual property, and lesson plan design with exhibitions. These are open to students, faculty, and non-Benildeans.
Weekly guided tours are offered for free to the public. The schedule of public programs will be announced through the social media platforms of Benilde Open Design + Art. The exhibition is mounted at the DLS-CSB - Design + Arts Campus, MCAD Manila, and Hub for Innovation.