Leeroy New and The Art House underscore a profound advocacy in this crossover of art and sustainability.

by Patricia Lanzagarita
Photos from The Art House and Ayala Triangle Gardens
December 5, 2023

Christmas is coming in just a few days. It has become our tradition to bring our families to the newest attraction in town to commemorate the longest celebration of the year within the hustle and bustle of the Metro. Makati, being the business district of the city, has made a Christmas tradition with Ayala Land and Ayala Malls’ annual Festival of Lights. This year, Filipino visual artist Leeroy New and 36 more artists made it much more special following the launch of new art installations along with an indoor exhibit named Elemento: Art, Light, + Flow last December 2 at Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City. Nautilus of Dreams and Elemental

Featured artist Leeroy New introduced his artworks titled Elemental and Nautilus of Dreams, which were intricately made up of recycled materials and plastic waste such as plastic bottles, containers, boards, bamboo, cable ties, steel, and solar-powered LED lights.

These installations are crafted by New and powered by the Liter of Light, an organization committed to giving solar light to communities that are limited and have no access to electricity. According to New, the Philippines is heavily reliant on plastics, such as plastic drinking containers. Thus, when he found out about the possible usage of surplus and plastic waste products in art, it encouraged him to engage the creative industry to explore the said area. “I wanted to explore sculptures that have practical options as well, you know, community engagement and, why not, architectural applications. So this is kind of like a prototype,” he described the installations.

The artist also wanted to remind people about the anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda. He highlighted that Filipinos should consider the small steps that they can take to lessen these waste products. Thus, he manifested this consideration in his art. “Instead of buying new materials, I end up finding myself in junk shops, collecting plastic bottles. I guess almost 85 to 90 percent of the materials that you see are sourced from junk shops or from discarded plastic suppliers," he added.

Indoor art exhibition

Along with these installations, people can also enter and appreciate the artworks of 36 more artists in an indoor art gallery on the 2nd floor of The Shops, Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Various visual arts can be seen in the exhibit. All of them are made up of recycled materials such as cardboard, paper, canvas cloth, steel, and others. This exhibition was presented by the Art House and Search Mindscape Foundation to amplify the power of art to inspire change, bridge communities, and echo the calls for sustainability.

Sustainable World

With these recycled materials, Leeroy New and the other artists who were present during the launch amplified the efforts and calls for environmental awareness, human connection, and societal growth.

Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo said that they appreciate this kind of project. She reiterated that the local government is ready to help and cooperate in any capacity through sustainability. These installations were inspired by the typhoons that hit the Philippines, including Typhoon Yolanda and Ondoy. The structures opened the discussion of Filipinos being “active participants in the current dialogue of nature, culture, and the self.”

Makati’s Festival of Lights along with Elemental, Nautilus of Dreams, and the indoor art gallery will be open from December 2 until 23 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Visual arts can really be striking for the eyes. This initiative proves that beauty can be transformed into a much more significant movement. This signifies that art is, indeed, universal and can be used as a crossover for various concepts and causes. Like how Elemento and Leeroy provided beauty in innovation and sustainability.