Sculpture city

Sculptures have an emotional way of occupying space. Such is the case at the Bonifacio Global City, where seven artworks by seven Filipino sculptors are juxtaposed with condominiums and business establishments.

The thrust of Ayala Land and the Bonifacio Art Foundation Inc. (BAFI) for this bustling piece of real estate is to create the impression on people’s minds that art could in fact become a part of everyday life. This is in living up to the credo "Bonifacio Global City: Home of Passionate Minds."

Last November, the BAFI organized a free art tour, as part of its Passion Fest event and BAFI’s 10th anniversary, which featured music and dance programs.

The seven sculptures are: "Transformation" by Lor Calma, "The Trees" by Rey Paz Contreras, "Pasasalamat" by Ferdie Cacnio, "Ang Supremo" by Ben-Hur Villanueva, "Kasaysayan Bawat Oras" by Juan Sajid de Leon Imao, "Balanghai" by Gerry Leonardo, and "Kasalikasan" by Jerry Araos.

According to Bonifacio Art Foundation executive director Marilou Velez, the title of Araos’ sculpture means "kasali ka sa kalikasan (being one with nature)." She says, "Each individual is a part of nature, and it is our duty to preserve and enhance our natural surroundings."

"Kasalikasan" is a 3,000-plus-square-meter garden, which "serves as an admonition to value nature amid an urban setting. In the sprawling space, Araos has created an amphitheater of sorts where different events can be held. "The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performed here before," Velez says. "Somebody even proposed to his girlfriend here," she adds.

Ferdie Cacnio’s welded-brass sculpture feature two fishermen with a net full of fish. Their heads are upturned as a symbol of their gratitude to the Divine for a rich harvest.

Ben-Hur Villanueva’s "Ang Supremo" features Andres Bonifacio in a defiant mode. The three-meter statue immortalizes the moment when Bonifacio and the rest of the members of the KKK tore up their cedulas.

Juan Sajid Imao’s "Kasaysayan Bawat Oras" was designed to be a sundial cum educational playground, which could actually tell time. The 16-meter work of reinforced brass sheet and cement features seven paper-like dolls representing the 7,100 islands of the country. "It serves as a metaphor for Philippine history and is a veritable guide for the youth."

Lor Calma’s "Transformation" is a celebration of form, with its three stacked laminated glass structures – the Trinity, perhaps – poised in a graceful angle. It is lit and it incorporates a system of cascading water set in a fountain pool.

Rey Pas Contreras’ "The Trees" also features three objects, but in this case the leaves and branches of the trees are dramatically intertwined, creating a dome-like structure at the top, "representing the circle of life." It also serves as a "constant reminder of progressive development and the preservation of Mother Earth."

Gerry Leonardo’s "Balanghai" is probably symbolic of how we Filipinos have journeyed as a nation. The piece was inspired by the balanghay, the boat that carried the first wave of Malays. The three sails of the monolithic boat moves with the wind, as if to symbolize that the country’s journey is still ongoing.

Velez says more sculptures are expected to be erected on Bonifacio High Street (the stretch from the restaurant area to Serendra), such as works by Reg Yuson and Conrado Velasco. This is in keeping with Ayala Land’s vision of creating an area much like High Street in Sydney, Australia with its creative fusion of fashion, cuisine, and culture.