Art goes digital: Multimedia category debuts in 2014 Shell NSAC

MANILA, Philippines - The longest-running nationwide art competition for students, which began in 1951 as a simple search for calendar subject, enters an exciting era this year. The 47th Shell National Students Art Competition (NSAC) is now accepting digital short film entries under the Multimedia Arts category.

The newest addition to the traditional categories of Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, and Sculpture is in recognition of the growing interest in digital technology as a medium and tool in visual arts. It offers students, especially those enrolled in multimedia programs, a valuable venue to showcase their talents.

Shell seeks to keep NSAC on the pulse of emerging talent and potential in the local art scene by recognizing such new forms and innovative methods of creative and visual expression.

One of this year’s jurors, respected painter and film director Pabs Biglang-Awa, shares his thoughts on this development. “Digital Print was the lone technology-dependent media offered by the Shell NSAC for the longest time,” he explains. “Digital technology has developed by leaps and bounds in recent years, and has empowered everyone, especially the artists and filmmakers, to create content using mobile devices like cell phones, DSLRs, and tablets, and then share these instantaneously through more accessible and affordable platforms. People consume these myriad of content through networking sites, personal blogs, and the like.”

The next generation’s masters are digital natives at home with the latest technologies. “Digital video has become one of the most convenient and preferred medium to document aspects of our daily lives,” says Biglang-Awa, noting the popularity of video blogs that generate millions of views in networking sites like YouTube. “And most importantly, it offers the artist a powerful arsenal in expressing dreams, reinforcing advocacies, and sharing insights about the world he lives in.”

Biglang-Awa himself is a prolific artist who is comfortable moving across various media, including painting, video production, and TV commercial and film directing. He says he did not have a chance to join the Shell NSAC in his college years, but he earned his share of wins in competitions for art and short films during that time. Among the distinctions he received was a grand prize in painting from the Art Association of the Philippines when he was in sophomore college. Shortly after, he won awards for his experimental short films. He continues to amass honors, such as for the film “Inang Yaya,” which he co-directed and for which his team won the Silver Elephant Award in the 15th International Children’s Film Festival India.

“Joining competitions can generate a sense of accomplishment,” affirms Biglang-Awa. “For some, the trajectory of a win can last a lifetime.”

Submission of entries to the 2014 NSAC runs until today at the Shell House, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City.