MANILA, Philippines—De La Salle College of Saint Benilde marks its 35th year with the Benilde Open Design and Art 2024, an open invitation to a wide spectrum of creatives, from artists and architects to chefs and filmmakers. The call is to submit proposals that bring to life projects yet to be unveiled to the world.
Benilde Open Call
Image Courtesy of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.
Introducing the Benilde Open Call, centered around the theme of a curious mindset. Proposals should explore curiosities related to movement and its ties to sustainability, the intersection of craft and technology, and the fusion of the virtual and the real. The call invites design and art projects characterized by a spirit of investigation and experimentation, fostering innovation through tinkering.
Image Courtesy of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde.
Submission of proposals opens on December 1, 2023, and closes on January 31, 2024, with the announcement of selected proposals scheduled for March 2024. A distinguished jury, comprising local and international advocates from the creative industries, will review and select entries. Ten projects will each receive a grant of up to Php 300,000 (net of taxes) to support the realization of their ideas.
Get Ready for the Best of Benilde
As part of the Benilde Open Design and Art 2024, we present the Best of Benilde—a juried exhibition showcasing student works. An open call for proposals is extended to all De La Salle College of Saint Benilde students across various schools, including Environment & Design, Arts, Culture & Performance, New Media, Diplomacy & Governance, Hotel, Restaurant & Institution Management, Management & Information Technology, Multidisciplinary Studies, and Deaf Education & Applied Deaf Studies.
Students are invited to submit proposals for school projects that resonate with the theme of curiosities, spanning sustainability and movement, the intersection of craft and technology, and exploration of digital or virtual domains.
The Best of Benilde explores essential questions: Does such a world exist? Can it go beyond imagination? Can we lay the foundation for designs and proposals to transform these fanciful ideas into reality?
Envisioning the Future of Design and Art
The Benilde Design and Art Open 2024 is dedicated to shaping artistic and design sensibilities by fostering innovative and collaborative projects across diverse creative disciplines, both within and beyond the school. The project is led by a team of convenors, including faculty members, associates, and consultants such as Ayi Magpayo, Rita Nazareno, Gabby Lichauco, Joselina Cruz, and Dindin Araneta. Additionally, Br. Dodo Fernandez, the president of Benilde and a visual artist, contributes to the project.
The convenors emphasize the importance of a creative democracy that transcends geographical boundaries, social status, privilege, gender, power, disciplines, and education levels. They express, “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 affirm that it welcomes all proposals across disciplines and inspirations.”
To learn more about the Benilde Design and Art Open 2024 and the call for proposals in two categories—Benilde Open and Best of Benilde—visit the official website: open.benilde.edu.ph.
Stay connected on social media platforms: @benildeopen on IG and TikTok and BenildeOpen on FB. For additional inquiries, reach out via email to benildeopen@benilde.edu.ph.