Hyundai marks 75 years of PHL-Korea ties
By Joyce Reyes-Aguila
ART, FASHION, and music will be at the center of the Hyundai Motor Philippines, Inc. (HMPH) celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between our country and the Republic of Korea (or South Korea). The company’s Hyundai Mobility Experience (HME) tour will mark the occasion with a series of activities to reach more Filipinos with the message.
“To give honor to this milestone, we will be highlighting our nations’ common interests and passions,” HMPH President Dong Wook Lee told guests at the opening of the brand’s “Partnership Beyond Borders” last April 24 at the SM Megamall. “Hyundai hopes to strengthen its connection with the Filipino community. We look forward to continuously being an instrument in fortifying the bond between Korea and the Philippines.”
HMPC partnered with four Filipino artists for its kickoff activity where mallgoers were able to view a collection of upcycled pieces, along with the latest vehicle offerings from Hyundai. At the center of the display was the Ioniq 5, aligned with the campaign’s focus on innovation.
Installed above the electric vehicle was a ceiling installation entitled “Bioniq 1.0” by Filipino sculptor Leeroy New. The multi-awarded artist’s upside-down interpretation of the Ioniq 5 utilized biodegradable and renewable materials like sawdust, bamboo, rattan, and copper. “It was a fun challenge to reinterpret Hyundai’s new all-electric vehicle into a biosynthetic sculpture,” the multi-awarded artist said on his Instagram page. “In line with the brand’s use of renewable and natural materials, we created the “Bioniq 1.0” sculpture which attempts to mimic the principles of nature and plant growth — evident in its intertwining and intermingling root-life forms.”
Aside from “Bioniq 1.0,” Mr. New also created a wearable piece of art — made from sawdust and silicone — that was exhibited as part of the mall display. His work was featured along with creations from three other designers: Glyn Alley Magtibay, a Mindoro-based artist who reinterpreted the Filipino baro’t saya (dress ensemble) with a Korean Hanbok twist using discarded X-ray films; Amor Albano who hails from Ilocos and paid homage to the colors of the sampaguita flower of the Philippines and cherry blossoms of Korea in her piece named “East Meets Amore: A Fusion of Korean and Filipino;” and Zamboanga City’s Gladys Rose Pantua, who sourced local materials from the indigenous people of Basilan, Sulu for her artwork named “Strange Beauty” that made a Filipiniana-Hanbok melding through pearl beads. The artworks will be moved to the Artist Village at Camp Mariano in Jala-jala, Rizal, a sustainable farm with glamping sights and artist-owned properties.
HMPH Deputy General Manager for Marketing Mark Parulan said the commemoration illustrates “how (the) brand connects with different industries,” such as sports, entertainment, music, fashion, and art.
He continued: “Of course, with this being the Hyundai Mobility Experience, we will still have the latest lineup of cars and special promos that will be available to everyone.” Also on display at SM Megamall until April 28 were the Hyundai Creta, Custin, Stargazer X, Staria, and all-new Santa Fe. The April 24 event also featured a performance from the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) and Pilipino Etniko Ritmo Kanta sa Sayaw (PERKS).
