In celebration of its 35th year, the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde launches the Benilde Open Design and Art 2024 (Benilde Open), an initiative that welcomes 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 – to heed the call to submit proposals to realize projects that have not seen the light of day. Proposals should revolve around curiosities on movement and its relationship to sustainability; the shuttling of thinking across craft and technology; and the culturing of the virtual with the real.
The call further seeks design and art projects marked by an appetite for investigation and experimentation, for tinkering that fuels renovation and innovation.
Submissions of proposals begin December 1, 2023 and end January 31, 2024. All selected proposals will be announced by March 2024.
The entries will be reviewed and selected by a noteworthy jury – local and international advocates representing the creative industries. Ten projects will each be awarded a grant of up to Php 300,000 net of taxes, to assist in bringing the projects to fruition.
Get Ready for the Best of Benilde!
The Benilde Open Design and Art 2024 also features the Best of Benilde, a juried degree exhibition of student works. An open call for proposals is extended to all students of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde: School of Environment & Design, School of Arts, Culture & Performance, School of New Media, School of Diplomacy & Governance, School of Hotel, Restaurant & Institution Management, School of Management & Information Technology, School of Multidisciplinary Studies, and the School of Deaf Education & Applied Deaf Studies.
Students are encouraged to submit proposals of school projects resonating with the idea of curiosities – spanning sustainability and movement, the intersection of craft and technology, and the exploration of digital or virtual domains.
The Best of Benilde delves into these queries: Is there such a world? Can such a world be more than imagined? Can we create foundational designs and proposals for such worlds to become more than just fanciful ideas?
Envisioning the Future of Design and Art
The Benilde Design and Art Open 2024 is dedicated to shaping art and design sensibilities by championing innovative and collaborative projects across diverse creative disciplines within and outside the school. The project is facilitated by a working team of convenors who are faculty, associates or consultants in service of the school – Ayi Magpayo, Rita Nazareno, Gabby Lichauco, Joselina Cruz, and Dindin Araneta together with Benilde president, Br. Dodo Fernandez, a visual artist.
The convenors share, “It’s the kind of creative democracy that should be encouraged, one that cuts across geography, social status, privilege, gender, power, disciplines, and even education. The inquisitiveness of a curious mind could well be the impetus in the articulation of a multiplicity of creativities. In a similar way that knowledge is different, creativity is fleshed out through the most surprising of modes. As in the spirit of any Open we would like to affirm that it welcomes all proposals across disciplines and inspirations.”
For more information on the Benilde Design and Art Open 2024 and the call for proposals in two categories – Benilde Open and Best of Benilde, please visit the official website: open.benilde.edu.ph and follow the social media platforms: @benildeopen on IG and Tiktok and BenildeOpen on FB. For further inquiries, send an email to benildeopen@benilde.edu.ph.
