What do you make of revered Italian artist Michelangelo born in 1475 in the era of Italian renaissance?
Some 548 years after he was born, Michelangelo’s works in the hollowed Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are suddenly available in Pasig City now observing its 450th year.
It is the distance between the second and the third millennium that makes for sudden curiosity over the works of the highly revered Michelangelo.
It is common knowledge that all this fame of Michelangelo’s works came from the awe-inspiring painting from 1508 to 1512 in Sistine Chapel built in 1479.
Sistine Chapel derived its name from the name “Sixtus” after Pope Sixtus 1V who spearheaded the commissioning of Michelangelo’s paintings.
Sistine Chapel’s location is very close to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican and is the famous gathering place for cardinals of the Catholic Church when electing a new pope. It is the same venue where cardinals gathered to elect Pope Francis in 2013.
At the presscon before the opening of the exhibit, the presentors — ATIN Global Inc. and SEE Global Entertainment Inc. – gave local media a lowdown on the traveling exhibit now housed on the second floor, North Wing of the Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Global Entertainment Inc. said that viewers will have longer access to the Pasig exhibit. “Unlike in its original set-up at the Sistine Chapel where viewers are constantly reminded to ‘move, move, move’ as more viewers are waiting, Manila viewers can stay longer and take selfies with the Michelangelo paintings as backdrop. You can’t do that at the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. In the original chapel, you have to constantly look up the ceilings to view the paintings.”
The exhibit isn’t just a visual feast.
MSO conductor Marlon Chen curated the music for the exhibit. He said he had to study the subjects to come up with the appropriate music to do justice to the exhibit. “Initially, I thought that using the music of the Renaissance era would be suitable to the project.”
Biallas said the travelling exhibit brings the viewers closer to an eye level thus one can observe the figures and its dynamic compositions with clarity.
Moreover, each image is accompanied by audio guides which viewers can access by downloading the “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” app using personal headsets.
In the media preview, one saw Michelangelo’s 34 iconic frescoes such as “The Last Judgement” and “The Creation of Adam” in easily accessible formats.
The presentors said they used cutting-edge technology, meticulous research, and precise reproductions to transfer the artist’s work off the Sistine Chapel’s ceilings.
True enough, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition offers a unique experience akin to stepping inside the Sistine Chapel.
History of Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo are plastered all over the walls.
You hear music curated by the MSO conductor and the atmosphere is redolent with the strange whiff of an ancient era.
They are actually subtle scents of patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense pervading the entire exhibit venue.
Like it or not, the exhibition benefits those who can’t afford to fly to the Vatican City just to see the Michelangelo masterpieces at the Sistine Chapel.
On the opening of the exhibit on July 1, the Manila Symphony Orchestra under Marlon Chen played Albinioni’s Adagio and Corelli’s Concerto Grosso.
Concertmaster Raphael Espada said he had fun performing works from the Baroque Era surrounded by Michelangelo’s works.
Present in the exhibit opening were Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr and first lady Liza Araneta Marcos.
The exhibit was a unique cultural eye opener for one who doesn’t expect to touch the Vatican soil in his lifetime.
As Michelangelo once said, “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.”
(Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition was made possible in partnership with Globe, Philippine Airlines, Department of Tourism, Security Bank. SMDC, Globaltronics, Philippine Red Cross, The Master’s Lighthouse Foundation, and Called to Rescue Philippines. A portion of the proceeds earned from every ticket sale will benefit The Hapag Movement, a Globe-led initiative that brings together an ecosystem of partners and leverages technology to fight hunger. For group bookings, schools, and organizations, contact Sistine Chapel Philippines via landline at (02) 8631-5470, Danika Cruz via mobile at 0945-798-7612, or Andre Trinidad at 0915-306-2273. You may also email contact@sistinechapelphilippines.com. Exhibit Rates: Adult (Weekday) – PHP 650; Adult (Weekend) – PHP 750; Senior/Student/PWD (only available over the counter) – PHP 500 ;Group Ticket (6 pax) – PHP 3,300; VIP Priority (Skip the queue) PHP 950.)