A monument of Iloilo’s favorite hero, Gen.
Martin Delgado stands proud in front of Casa Emperador near the Festive Walk of
Iloilo Business Park. Megaworld commissioned award-winning Spanish sculptor Ginés
Serrán to create the statue, which will serve as the historic icon of IBP.
Serrán was recently considered by the Xinhua
News (Beijing) and EFE News (Madrid) as one of the most renowned international
contemporary artists in the world today. He is also the western artist who has
had more exhibitions in Asia.
He has had over 225 exhibitions in 20
countries, 110 of which were solo exhibitions. His paintings and sculptures are
collected by major museums including the Guggenheim Museum of New York and by
numerous institutions and private collectors. He is the recipient of important
international awards and acknowledgments. Amongst them, he has received the
Medal of the City of Kanazawa, Japan, and the Gold Keys to the City of Miami
for his artistic and humanitarian contributions to the world.
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Ginés Serrán (in white) and the general’s great
grandson and namesake, Martin Delgado.
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Although born in Spain, he lived most of
his life in New York. He has been in the Philippines the past years to research
the life of Gen. Delgado as well as his other works. He is set to create more sculptures
for several Megaworld townships.
Here are some interesting facts about the
statue:
1. Designing and preparation of the statue took three years. Initial drawings were made in December 2012 in Spain.
2. In 2016, Serran started working on the
statue which was first made in clay, then fiber glass, and eventually casted
into bronze in China. The process took six months.
3. The combination process of metals is
similar to the ones used by Greeks and Romans, guaranteeing the sculpture’s
durabilitywhich can last up to 5,000 and even beyond.
4. Shipping of the statue took almost a
month from China to the Philippines and the installation took seven days.
5. Height of the statue is approximately
8.8 meters, including the pedestal. The pedestal, still unfinished, is to be
made of granite stone that includes a metal plate bearing the biographical
synopsis of Gen. Delgado.
6. The statue weighs 3.5 tons or 3,500
kilos.
7. The statue depicts Gen. Delgado on top
of a horse, with his right hand holding the reins, while his left
hand is holding the handle of his sword.
9. A dove is perched on his left arm, which
symbolizes the general's quest for freedom, independence, and peace. It is to show that
he wants to liberate his people from the Spanish and American invasion.
10. The statue is a product of intensive
research of the artist on the life of Gen. Delgado to reflect his personal
character and physical attributes, including his uniform and his face.
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| At the presscon: Martin Delgado, Sculptor Ginés Serrán, Historian Demy Sonza, IBP VP for Sales and Marketing Jennifer Palmares Fong, and Megaworld VP and PR Head Harold Geronimo |
“The statue of Gen. Delgado is going to be a very important landmark here in Iloilo and we are very proud that it is located here in Iloilo Business Park. This monument will represent the pride, history and culture of the Ilonggos,” said Jennifer Palmares-Fong, VP for Sales and Marketing of Iloilo Business Park.
Final works on the monument is expected to be finished before the month ends.
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