Olafur Eliasson – MCAD, Philippines

On Thursday, 9 July 2026, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila will open Your curious journey, a significant traveling exhibition by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur
Eliasson (b. 1967). Marking the final leg of an extensive international tour—following presentations at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Taipei
Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), and Museum MACAN in Jakarta—the exhibition marks the end of a multi-year regional dialogue.

Your curious journey offers a comprehensive survey of Eliasson’s three-decade practice, centering on themes of perception, embodiment, and the climate emergency. The exhibition
features pivotal works such as Beauty (1993), where water and light create a rainbow that shifts based on the viewer’s position, and Yellow corridor (1997), an immersive space utilizing
monofrequency lights to challenge physiological perception.

By working with scientific phenomena and natural elements—light, wind, water, and moss—not merely as subjects, but as active materials, Eliasson examines how we engage with our
surroundings. After the landmark exhibition concludes its journey in Manila, the works will return to the artist’s studio in Berlin. The MCAD show serves as a final invitation for the public to
explore how art can address global challenges and the constant state of flux in our environment.

Exhibition Highlights

The exhibition features works that explore climate, sustainability, and perception:

• Beauty (1993), a shifting and shimmering rainbow created by a spotlight and water nozzles
• Moss wall (1994), a sprawling vertical expanse of reindeer moss
• Yellow corridor (1997), an immersive space using monofrequency lights to challenge physiological perception
• The glacier melt series (1999/2019), a series of thirty C-prints documenting environmental change

The exhibition Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey is supported by the Embassy of Denmark in the Philippines, Mercedes Zobel, and Goethe-Institut Philippinen.

Special Programs

Public Lecture by Olafur Eliasson
Thursday, 9 July 2026, 2–3:30 PM
DAC Theater, 5F De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Design + Arts Campus
Free | RSVP required
https://bit.ly/YCJ-PublicLecture

Exhibition Opening
Thursday, 9 July 2026, 6–8 PM
Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila
950 P. Ocampo St, Malate, Manila
Free
RSVP: https://bit.ly/YCJ-ExhibitionOpening

Climate Symposium: “Transient Landscapes”
15–16 October 2026, 9 AM–5 PM
Screening Room, 12/F De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Design + Arts Campus
With registration fee

MCAD will host the climate symposium “Transient Landscapes: Art and Climate Narratives.” The title reflects the constant state of flux in human activity and the environment. The symposium will
feature conservationists, development workers, and artists.It will cover three vital subcategories:

1. Anthropogenic Activity
2. Ecosystems
3. Sustainability Practices

Public Programs

July–November 2026

• Climate Stories Circle
  Friday, 31 July 2026, 1:30 PM
  Learning Commons, 8F De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Design + Arts Campus
  Free
  A facilitated conversation where participants share personal experiences of
  environmental change to shape future perspectives.
• MCAD Field Day: Sounds in Nature
  Saturday, 15 August 2026
  Free
  An exploration of vibration and resonance, emphasizing perception as something
  relational and continuously unfolding.
• Golden Hour Photo Meet-up
  Saturday, 29 August 2026, 5 PM
  Free
  A session at Manila Bay engaging with the fleeting qualities of light, inspired by
  Eliasson’s exploration of light as a medium.
• Terrarium Workshop
  Monday, 7 November 2026, 3PM
  The Loop, 8F De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Design + Arts Campus
  With registration fee
  A hands-on workshop reflecting on the delicate balance between living and non-living
  elements. Please note that a small materials fee will be collected to cover the cost of
  supplies provided to participants.

ABOUT MCAD
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila is a non-collecting art
institution under the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde that considers the larger ecosystem
of the Philippine art scene by presenting exhibitions, learning, and publications programs.
MCAD collaborates with local and international artists and institutions to amplify engagement
with contemporary art, in particular, and art and culture, in general. Since its establishment in
2008, MCAD has created interest in the practice, production, presentation, and interpretation of
contemporary art, contributing to the cultural vitality of Asia and the Philippines.

MUSEUM HOURS
Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday 10 AM–2 PM

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND DESIGN
GF De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde,
Design + Arts Campus, Dominga Street, Malate, Manila, Philippines 1006
www.mcadmanila.org.ph
Follow @mcadmanila on Facebook, and Instagram

De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde is a learning environment that nurtures students to develop their interests and passions, and trains them to become professionally competent in established industries and emerging fields of specialization.

At Benilde, learning in its many forms is encouraged. Spiritual creative pursuits, artistic endeavors, service to the community, awareness of environmental issues, and concern for the
common good are all part of the Benildean education. The College’s learner-centered philosophy is founded on the belief that each student is endowed by God with talents and gifts
that should be understood, appreciated and nurtured.