Bellas Artes Projects announces nine-day design residency in Bagac, Bataan

Bellas Artes Projects (BAP) is pleased to announce DOOR to ASIA: Bataan, a design residency taking place at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac from January 23 through January 31, 2019. Seven designers from Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines will participate and work with two local businesses and a program in the province of Bataan. DOOR to ASIA: Bataan is a spin-off program modeled after DOOR to ASIA in Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan.
Design is a tool to imagine the way forward. DOOR to ASIA: Bataan hopes to support business owners in the region to imagine possibilities via this learning exchange and design platform. It also aims to have participants gain a deeper understanding and better appreciation of Bataan’s economic ecology.

The exchange intends to bring out a meaningful interaction and learning from one another. With business owners assessing their mission, or what they truly value, designers will gain better insights and produce designs more connected to the heart and soul of the venture. Other possibilities are also explored: for foreign designers, how may these products be introduced in their own countries? As for Filipino designers, how may these products be presented beyond locality and into other markets in the country? For designers in general, this is an opportunity to learn through each others’ various practices.

Within the 9-day program, designers are challenged to create solutions to obstacles specific to each business. They will first visit Bataan landmarks such as Mt. Samat and the Philippine Refugee Processing Center among others to immerse and familiarise themselves with local tourism agencies and cultural context. Talks by noted Filipino designers Russ Vergara and Roxy Navarro will also be included to supplement participants’ research.

Participants will develop marketing tools and promotional strategies in the hopes that the proprietors will execute at their own agency. The residency will culminate wherein participants will present their design proposals at BAP Outpost, 7:30 PM, on January 31 which will be open to the public.

Coji Katsuyama (Japan), Joreen Navarro (Philippines), Mika Bacani (Philippines), Motoki Koitabashi (Japan), Johanna Velasco-Deutsch and Mark Joseph Deutsch (Philippines), and Vinny Asrita Rahma (Indonesia) will be the designers participating in this nine day residency program.

This is supported by the Japan Foundation Asia Center and the Design Center of the Philippines.

For inquiries and more information, please contact press@bellasartesprojects.org or (02) 817-2205.

About DOOR to Asia
DOOR to ASIA (DTA) is a Designers-in-Residence program where designers from Asian countries gather in a community for a period of time to create “communication design” for the local companies, co-organized by the Japan Foundation and Tumugiya.

From 2015-2018, a total of 32 designers from 10 Asian countries have participated in the DOOR to ASIA program in Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan. DTA in Tohoku explored the roles and responsibilities of designers, as well as their contribution to regional revitalization and disaster risk reduction.

The general goals of the DOOR to ASIA program is to connect and create meaningful relationships among local businesses, communities, and designers through this platform of culture and learning exchange.