SNEAK PEEK: The Traveling Michelangelo Exhibit Brings the Sistine Chapel to Manila

(SPOT.ph) It wasn't long ago when we first heard Manila would be playing host to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibit. This traveling art experience takes the Renaissance-era master artist's greatest works and puts them on display on a never before seen scale, allowing you to view great art right in your own city. If you're waiting on the edge of your seat for more details about this first-of-its-kind exhibit, we got the chance to visit before the official opening to get you first-hand info.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibit opens its doors to the public on July 1 at the 2/F of the Estancia Mall in Pasig. For P650, guests from all over the country can finally see the magnificent frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, along with other works of the master artist, up close sans the trip to Vatican City.

Also read:
This Traveling Exhibit of Michelangelo's Greatest Works Is Coming to Manila
Step Into Van Gogh's Greatest Works Through This Immersive Display in Singapore

Check out this traveling exhibit of Michelangelo's greatest works in Manila:

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibit will run from July 1 until September 30, 2023. This multi-sensory exhibit—which has been all around the world from New York to Shanghai, London to Melbourne, Vienna to Los Angeles, and more—allows visitors the rare opportunity to witness some of the art world’s finest creations in a never-before-seen perspective, up-close and life-sized. 

Tickets and entrance to the Michelangelo Exhibit

Tickets to the exhibit can be bought on-site at Estancia Mall or online. We recommend buying online for a more seamless experience. Check out the rates below: 

• Adult (Weekday) - P650
• Adult (Weekend) - P750
• Senior/Student/PWD (only available over the counter) - P500
• Group Ticket (6 heads) - P3,300
• VIP Priority (which allows you to skip the queue)- P950

Allow yourself at least an hour to view the entire thing. You can stay for as long as you want to bask in Michelangelo's works.

Here are more photos of what to expect at the Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition:

The exhibit is pretty simple—no fancy light projections or virtual reality experience here. The space in Estancia's North Wing features actual-sized, eye-level, post-restoration reproductions of Michelangelo's many frescoes featuring biblical events and characters. This means that visitors to the exhibit get to view the paintings in their actual size at the Sistine Chapel, minus the need to crane their necks and look up—most of the original works are on the ceilings, unfortunately with some warping due to the chapel's curvature.

Thanks to the straightforward layout and relatively offline experience, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition is an affair meant to be enjoyed by practically all, from art aficionados, historians, students, travel enthusiasts, and more. There's a unique pleasure in being able to surround yourself with beautiful art and significant markers of history without burning a hole in your pocket.

To add to the overall experience, guests are also treated to Philippine-exclusive ambient Renaissance music curated by Manila Symphony Orchestra conductor Marlon Chan. So do listen to the ambient sounds around you as you tour; if you close your eyes and imagine really hard, you might believe you're in the Sistine Chapel itself.

Download the Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibit app

In the actual Sistine Chapel, guests are not allowed to take photos inside the chapel or any of Michelangelo’s works. Additionally, due to the sheer volume of guests in the Vatican, tours to the chapel are often time-bound and rushed. Fortunately for us, in this exhibit, visitors will be allowed to take photos and videos to their heart’s content. You can also take your time admiring the exhibit—no grumpy Vatican guards to usher you out here. 

Guests are encouraged to download the accompanying iOS or Google Play app to get an audio guide that will take them through the artwork and exhibit while providing fun tidbits and facts about the display. Just make sure to bring your own headsets or earphones to listen to the audio.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition runs from July 1 to September 30 at 2/F Estancia Mall, 1605 Capitol Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Tickets start at P650. For more information, visit Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition Philippines' website.

Photos by Jilson Tiu

Also read: Heads Up: New teamLab Exhibit Is Coming to Hong Kong

Hey, Spotters! Check us out on Viber to join our Community and subscribe to our Chatbot.