Shine, Singapore: Light art takes over the Lion City

Art takes over the Civic District as it transforms into a living canvas for Light To Night Singapore 2024. You don’t want to miss the 8th edition of the largest local visual arts festival which runs from Jan 19 to Feb 8, and is organised by National Gallery Singapore as part of Singapore Art Week.

Grab your crew and soak in the art vibes with interactive art installations, mind-blowing light projections, and live performances at not just the National Gallery but also at Victoria Theatre, The Arts House, and the Padang.

The artists were inspired by our city state’s history and artworks from the National Collection to create these public art installations and art projections. Best to swing by after sunset because that's when the magic happens. Here are our top picks to see:

Wishful Thinking by Whisperlodge

National Gallery, B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium Foyer

Escape the daily grind and dive into the world of ASMR in this ticketed ($5) multi-room installation. Get ready to feel unexpected textures and listen to soothing sounds that will heighten your sensory perception. Catch live ASMR performances on Jan 20 and 27, and Feb 3 from 6pm to 7pm.

Ping-Pong Go Round by Lee Wen

National Gallery, L2, Outside DBS Singapore Gallery 2

Imagine swinging paddles with over 30 people at once! Lee Wen's installation explores the power dynamics of relationships through a chaotic game of ping-pong. Get ready for balls flying everywhere!

Rapture by Victor Tan

National Gallery, L1, Padang Atrium

These floating eight life-sized human figure wire sculptures are inspired by the “rapture”, the act of ascending beyond our realm. You may have seen his other human-like wire sculptures at Orchard Central, titled “The Stair, The Clouds and The Sky”.

Symphony Of Order by Sarah Choo Jing (artistic director) and Mathias Choo (assistant director)

National Gallery, Supreme Court Wing, Level 3, Rotunda Library & Archive

Captured using a 360-degree camera, this fictional narrative captures the interaction between of “order” and “unspoken laws” within social settings — kinda reminds us of a CNY reunion dinner.

Temple Of Love by Milosh Luczynski, Arahmaiani, and Wayang Merdeka

National Gallery, Façade

Two words: monster mayhem! Wayang Merdeka's projection tells the tale of a monster at night, wreaking havoc. Wayang Merdeka is a collection of several artists in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, who organise puppet-making workshops using recycled materials for kids – you can see some of the kids’ works projected on our national monument.

Teo Eng Seng: Living The Life by Teo Eng Seng and Milosh Luczynski

National Gallery, Façade

The second National Gallery projection celebrates the life of prolific artist Teo Eng Seng, a recipient of the Cultural Medallion in 1986 for his contributions to visual arts and services to art education. For the best view of this installation, you should venture across the Padang to the furthest point from National Gallery.

Wings Of Change by Kumari Nahappan

The Padang

This colossal saga seed draws attention to the saga tree, its population declining over the years. The work highlights preservation, conservation, and sustainability. Kumari Nahappan is also the artist behind the giant bronze nutmeg sculpture at ION Orchard, “Nutmeg & Mace”.

Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata by Knuckles & Notch

The Arts House, Façade

Love cats? You'll adore this feline's trippy journey inspired by the artist's studio cat, Summer Cute Cute. It's a short but surreal, mind-bending, and utterly delightful piece of animation.

8-Bit Word Cloud by Justin Loke

The Arts House, Front Lawn

Embark on a word hunt! Search for missing letters scattered around Civic District's 6 art benches to reconstruct this poetic masterpiece by Justin Loke.

Passage by School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA)

Asian Civilisations Museum, Extension Wing Façade

This amazing work was developed by Year 4 and 5 Visual Arts, Literary Arts and Music students from School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA). They were inspired by objects found in the Asian Civilisations Museum, including ceramic bowls from the Tang Shipwreck, as well as blue porcelain and Peranakan ceramics.

Party Pavilion by Howie Kim

Asian Civilisations Museum, ACM Green

Walk into this pavilion, and trip the light fantastic under the disco ball, where dancing lights and vibrant colours converge in this work by Howie Kim. The artist is best known for distinctive, surreal imagery that feels like something out of a fantasy world. 

Wayang Spaceship by Ming Wong

Empress Lawn

During the day, this spaceship lays dormant. At night, it lights up as a travelling Chinese theatre, inviting the public to come watch old-school Chinese opera.

Embroidered Landscapes by SISTRUM

Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, Façade

This projection draws inspiration from the costumes and music of 街戏 (jie xi), a type of Chinese Opera, by using animated visuals and electronic music.

The Gachapartment Complex by Nikkei

Funan, B2 Underground Pedestrian Link

Funan’s underground linkway has been transformed into a toy paradise, featuring an augmented reality (AR) component developed by Temasek Polytechnic students (Rachel Tan, Jochebed Chong and Celeste Ng), so you can watch the toys come to life.

Apart from these mind-blowing art pieces, check out these other activities and programmes at Light to Night 2024:

• Art x Social Festival Street on St Andrew’s Road (Jan 19-20 and 26-27, 6pm to midnight) with delicious food stalls and live music.
• Basement X at The Spine Hall of National Gallery, showcasing unique jewellery, gifts, and trinkets from talented vendors.
• A Dungeons & Dragons quest guided by skilled Dungeon Masters, while you get to learn more about the artwork at the National Gallery.

Plus, catch "live" performances, scavenger hunts, and special tours — all the deets here.

ALSO READ: Adventures at home: Rediscovering art in Circle Line MRT stations

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.