Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said the “Elemental Majica” that opened at the Bacolod Art District in Barangay Mandalagain on Saturday, October 15, shows how alive the arts are in Bacolod and Negros Occidental and he hopes everyone goes to see it.
“Elemental Majica” is a collaborative exhibition of over 60 artists who worked ceaselessly for months to transport art lovers to a world of magic through art installations, sculptures, paintings, music, dance and an interactive AI installation from foreign artists, among others.
“The art community’s giving this exhibition as an offering for MassKara and their commentary on the contemporary experience shows how alive the arts are in Bacolod and Negros in general. The creative industries, and the newly passed Creative Industries Development Act, are crucial to our sense of self and our awareness of what it means to be human, “Benitez said on Sunday.
Scenes from the “Elemental Majica” opening on Saturday.* Aeson Baldevia photos
“To have a community come together to collaborate as they do in the Orange Project makes the arts a communal inheritance that we all should treasure,” he said.
Benitez said the districts in other parts of the country are trying to emulate the Bacolod Art District and the Orange Project.
“The artists’ contribution to our patrimony are clear in the exhibition. I really hope more people experience the art district and the exhibition, “he said.
This year’s art offering for the 43rd MassKara Festival from the artists’ community in the Orange Project is a mix of the unknown and the reality.
At the helm of “Elemental Majica” are artist Charlie Co and Bong Lopue, the men behind the Orange Project that has nurtured and provided space for local artists for almost two decades now.
“Elemental Majica” includes Rafael Paderna’s towering sculpture entitled “Rock on”.*