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Between Crests and Troughs: ALON
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The Solaire Resort North is home to over 2,000 Filipino artworks. The expansive collection of contemporary art pieces was curated with a clear vision: to create a sense of place for the viewer. Through the distinctly Filipino visual narratives that surround the space, the story of the archipelago’s past, present, and future are told. At the VIP entrance of the leisure property, an 11-meter long floating sculpture welcomes guests. ALON, a collaborative installation art piece by Valdes Designs and Mike Aguas of Vulcan Design, is an introspection into the ebb, flow, fragility, fluidity, and boundlessness of the ocean. It is a visual narrative of various contradictions forged through metal.
Creative Freedom
When Marga and Bea Valdes were approached to create an art piece for the space, they were given carte blanche. “This allowed for us to have creative freedom to express the artwork in any language we chose,” Marga remembers. Scale, proportion, and exposure to the elements outdoors were the only key factors to consider. “ALON was a piece we had been envisioning for some time, but it had to be executed in a scale worthy of its complexities.” The commission from Solaire North presented itself as an opportunity to bring the vision to life.
“We wanted to create a piece which spoke of elemental ideas in relation to the Philippines,” explains Marga. “Waves, water, and their relationship to our archipelago. The idea of things in flux. Things that are in constant evolution were the foundational concepts to the work.” Steel was the chosen medium, lending a sense of permanence and imperishability to the outdoor piece. The designer observes, “Though the piece is fabricated in metal, it has a lightness to it that is uncommon to metal sculptures.”
ALON is testament to the magic that unfolds when art and engineering come together. Metal specialist Mike Aguas of Vulcan brought technical prowess to the project. Marga emphasizes, “They have not just been collaborators, but also inspiring partners to be able to push the boundaries of the medium.” Close collaboration with a team of highly skilled artisans also breathed life force to ALON. Work of the hands created a sense of movement, depth, pulse, and rhythm for the sculpture. She ends. “We strive to marry high craft with our artistic vision–in a scale that can only be executed by the hands of many devoted artisans.”
This article has been abridged for digital publication. Read the full story behind ALON by ordering your copy of BluPrint’s “Design Conversations” at Sari Sari Shopping, Shopee, and Lazada. E-magazines are also available for download here or through Readly, Press Reader, and Magzter.
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Photographed by Ed Simon.
Frequently Asked Questions
ALON is a visual narrative that explores the “ebb, flow, fragility, and fluidity” of the ocean, specifically reflecting the Philippine archipelago’s relationship with water. The 11-meter-long floating sculpture was designed to represent things in constant flux and evolution, translating the organic, rhythmic movement of waves into a permanent structure of metal.
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The sculpture achieves its uncommon lightness through the collaborative melding of artistic vision and technical engineering. By utilizing a “work of the hands” approach with skilled artisans, the team forged metal into intricate layers that suggest pulse and movement, allowing the heavy steel medium to appear as if it is weightlessly suspended in mid-air.
Metal specialist Mike Aguas of Vulcan Design provided the technical prowess necessary to push the boundaries of the medium, ensuring the 11-meter installation remained structurally sound while maintaining its complex, airy form. This partnership allowed Valdes Designs to scale their creative vision to a monumental size capable of withstanding outdoor exposure and the elements.
Situated at the VIP entrance, ALON serves as a landmark piece among the resort’s collection of 2,000 Filipino artworks, helping to create a distinct “sense of place.” It tells a visual story of the archipelago’s identity, using contemporary design to greet guests with a narrative that bridges the country’s natural heritage with modern engineering.
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While the designers were given “carte blanche” or creative freedom regarding the artistic language, they had to strictly consider scale, proportion, and durability. Because the sculpture is an outdoor piece, the materials and engineering had to be “imperishable” to ensure the intricate, hand-crafted details would endure against the environmental conditions of the property.
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