13 July 2026
Olafur Eliasson’s Your curious journey opened at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila on July 9, 2026. The exhibition is the last stop of a global tour that began in Berlin and traveled through Singapore, Auckland, Taipei, and Jakarta. Manila now hosts three decades of Eliasson’s practice, where art meets perception and climate awareness.
Entering the exhibition hall feels like stepping into another landscape. A mural almost eight meters high made of reindeer moss greets visitors. This is Moss wall (1994). The scent is earthy, cool, and forest‑like, as if you were in Iceland. The moss shrinks and dries when left alone, then revives when watered. It sets the tone for the show, revealing nature not as something fixed, but as something that responds to care and changing conditions.
Gradual change can be hard to notice. We get used to it, only to realize later how much has shifted over time. That sense of progression is captured in The last seven days of glacial ice (2024). Bronze blocks shrink in size as if melting away, while glass spheres beside them grow larger, showing the water released. The pairing creates a direct visual of transformation. For Nordic countries, it speaks of glaciers retreating. For tropical places like Manila, it connects to rising floods and stronger typhoons. The choice of seven pieces feels poetic, echoing the rhythm of creation and time. It reminds us that change accumulates until its scale becomes undeniable.
Sometimes changes grow so slowly that we fail to see how big they become across a stretch of time. That is the experience inside Yellow corridor (1997). The installation stretches 39 meters, lit entirely by sodium lamps. Only a fraction of the energy becomes light, the rest turns into heat. As you walk through, everything turns monochromatic yellow. The altered vision dulls perception, a metaphor for how people adapt to gradual shifts until the consequences become dramatic. It circles back to the idea that slow changes can reshape the world in ways we only grasp when it is already too late.
Perception often depends on where you stand. Beauty (1993) is a mist waterfall in a dark room, lit by a single spotlight. The rainbow only appears if you position yourself at the right angle. Life is Lived along lines (2018) suspends metallic sculptures beside a projection screen. Their shadows look flat at first, but as the sculptures rotate, the shadows shift, revealing depth. These works remind us that seeing differently can change what we understand, a thought that also applies to climate change.
We often think of art as complete once it leaves the studio, but Eliasson reminds us that it only comes alive when it meets its audience. He writes, “The artworks I am showing in Your curious journey have covered great distances to arrive in Manila… They become complete when you, the viewer, engage with them, with your curiosity.” Each visitor brings their own associations, and the works respond to those encounters.
Art also connects to responsibility as Benilde President Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC points out that Your curious journey “directs our attention to the climate crisis” and opens a space where art and environmental consciousness intersect. Quoting environmental scientist Jane Lubchenco, he adds that responding to a changing world requires not only science and technology but also imagination and collective responsibility. Eliasson’s art becomes part of that response, showing how perception can shift awareness.
Hosting Your curious journey at MCAD shows how art can shape public dialogue and how creative industries can carry social impact. For Benilde’s Bachelor of Arts in Creative Industries Management program, the exhibition also speaks to education, where it becomes a living example of what students learn to do. Managing immersive works, curating global projects, and leading creative ecosystems are at the heart of the curriculum. Eliasson’s collaborative practice mirrors the program’s focus on co‑creation and ethical responsibility.
As part of Your curious journey, MCAD is also presenting a series of public programs that invite audiences to engage with the exhibition’s themes beyond the gallery. Conversations on climate stories, sound walks, photography meet-ups, and hands-on workshops offer different ways of exploring perception, environmental awareness, and creative practice, with activities taking place across the Design + Arts Campus and selected sites in Manila.
Your Curious Journey runs at MCAD Manila until November 15, 2026. For guided tours or group visits, contact MCAD at mcad@benilde.edu.ph or reach out via Facebook and Instagram.
