MILAGRO | PAYAPA

TIMES SQUARE

MILAGRO meaning ‘miracle’ in Filipino and Spanish is a vision of a world where nature and the urban coexist in harmony.  It is an idyllic reverie of lush biodiversity, pockets of flowering plants, wild creatures, and towering skyscrapers that blend in peace.  It is a fantastical world of accelerated growth and motion. Similar to nature's metabolic process, the city lives and transforms alongside nature as standalone structures interconnect and grow. 

PAYAPA, meaning ‘peaceful’ in Filipino, is an immersive experience of a surreal world where nature’s elements sustain living creatures that bring a village to life.  Created with forms echoing an archipelago, PAYAPA is inspired by memories and impressions of the Artist’s childhood. It is a sheltered world for reflection. The piece invites you into a sanctuary of wooden kubos (huts), prodigious arowana fish, and lush vegetation and springs enclosed in a mosaic of planetary corals. 

Fragments from both MILAGRO and PAYAPA use generative processes and digital simulations to form their unique and sublime ecosystems inspired by Persian ornamentation. The artist hopes these worlds inspire us to celebrate the wonders of nature and remind us of our role as stewards to care for our home, the earth, with gratitude. When we protect and preserve our world there is opportunity for growth, renewal and endless possibilities.

Midnight Moment is made possible by the Times Square Advertising Coalition, ABC SuperSign, American Eagle, Branded Cities, Clear Channel, Disney Store, Express, Levi's, LG, Luxottica Group S.p.A., Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, New Tradition, Sensory Interactive, Sephora, Sherwood Equities, Show + Tell, Silvercast, Swatch, T-Mobile, and JCDecaux.

Major support of Times Square Arts is provided by Morgan Stanley. Additional program support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support for Midnight Moment is provided by Meta and the Times Square Advertising Coalition.

Courtesy of Times Square Arts