At the heart of Bonifacio Global City now stands a new emblem of creative progress: “Curious Icons,” a metallic sculpture born from the collaboration between IQOS and Filipino-American artist Jefrë Manuel. Reflective and faceless, the figure captures a moment in Manila’s cultural landscape where technology, design, and curiosity converge. It serves as both a symbol and a question, asking what transformation looks like when curiosity becomes the driving force.
Form and Idea
The piece shows a suited figure whose head is formed by the IQOS logo, crafted in gleaming metal that reflects its urban setting. For Jefrë, the collaboration began with a simple but resonant insight. “It all started with the logo, which in my mind is the key to curiosity,” he explains. “The idea that there’s a window and a key that represents opportunity and growth.”
The sculpture builds on his established language of large-scale metallic figures, from the mirror-finished “Time” sculpture along EDSA to the towering steel “The Victor” in Bridgetowne. It extends his ongoing exploration of scale and identity, transforming a corporate symbol into an open metaphor for potential and renewal.
Collaboration and Intent
In aligning with Jefrë’s vision, IQOS activated its “Forever Curious” ethos, a brand narrative that treats curiosity as the engine of progress and invites communities into creative exchange. The partnership reflects the brand’s intention to engage beyond product, drawing on artistic frameworks and spatial experiences to bring curiosity into the conversation.
“We have a shared passion for pushing boundaries and building something iconic,” said Henry Yap, IQOS’ brand manager. “Through this collaboration with Jefrë, we want to embrace new perspectives.” By merging artistic language with brand philosophy, “Curious Icons” gives form to curiosity as a cultural proposition.
Culture in Motion
The sculpture debuted in September at a launch event in BGC, where guests were invited to interact with the installation’s reflective surfaces and shifting light. Beyond its unveiling, “Curious Icons” signals a larger movement in how art and brand collaborations occupy public space. It introduces curiosity not as a marketing motif but as an active exchange between object and observer. Through this work, Jefrë and IQOS propose that progress begins with the courage to look closer — to see the familiar through a new frame, and to imagine what might emerge from that view.
