Benilde Open: 10 make the cut (2)

Benilde Open Design + Art 2024 selected 10 proposals out of 324, each to receive a grant of P300,000 for the visions to be realized. A pioneering, noble and visionary initiative of the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde in synergy with the Embassy of Switzerland and in time with its 35-year anniversary celebration.

Exhibitions of the selected proposals are open to the public until 30 June at several spaces in De La Salle College of Saint Benilde — Design + Arts Campus, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila and Hub for Innovation.

Here are the rest of the 10 grantees:

Unraveling Baguio’s Inner Tapestry: A Psychogeographical Exploration Through Sensory Encounters by Gabe Mercado employs creative interventions and collaborative practices to deconstruct dominant tourist narratives and engage participants in a critical and embodied understanding of the city’s multifaceted identity.

Through unscripted walks — a team of artists and explorers with experience in psychogeography, sound art, photography, performance, knitting, design, architecture and poetry will guide the exploration. 


Maria, Maria by Lala Monserrat in collaboration with Russ Ligtas, Geric Cruz and Jazel Kristin is 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 by creating a safe space within the intersections of art, community engagement, and cultural mapping through performance, photography, film and sculpture. 


Cosmic Garden by Issay Rodriguez 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. The project asks: How can the synergy of art and agriculture 4.0 technologies drive innovation towards positive outcomes rather than instilling fear?

Inspired by the phrase, “as above, so below,” the artist aims to evoke the intricate relationship between the universe and earthly gardens, exploring it through the unique perspective of bees.

Developing Puppetry in the Philippines by Mikayla Teodoro aims to introduce new puppetry arts 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. By studying the anatomy of a hyena — which appear similar to dogs, but are more closely related to cats — prototypes for the head, tail and leg joints will be made. These will be tested by puppeteers so they can be refined until they are 
up to standard, before a fully realized puppet is realized.

CURIOUS: Spotlight on Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Literature by Michael Vea focuses 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. It seeks to intricately blend craftsmanship with technology, manifesting through the creation of innovative literary works in FSL designed to enrich the experience of the Filipino Deaf community.

Special mention is an unrealized project that has received full funding from a private donor. 
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 is about a visual artist’s advocacy for the rights of corn gleaners as Indigenous Peoples. 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 it be made functional and livable for the Umayamnon? Can it be replicated among other communities of gleaners in Bukidnon?