Location: Various Venues at the Civic District
Date: 10 - 19 Jan 2019
Opening Hours: 10 am - 12 am
Admission: Free, unless otherwise stated
The marquee event of the Singapore Art Festival is back for 2 weeks in January 2020! The fourth edition of the festival is themed Invisible Cities, and will be celebrated across the Civic District's most iconic cultural institutes: National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall and Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay.
Let's take a look at what awaits young families at the festival!
Light Projects: City States of Mind
Witness the monuments at the Civic District light up with spectacular light projections every night! The popular Art Skins on Monument is back, and here are a couple of prominent spots not to be missed!
Metapolis: Wayfarer's Dream
10 - 19 Jan
Sun - Thu: 8 pm - 10 pm | Fri - Sun: 8 pm - 12 am
National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level 1
This work is inspired by the festival’s theme of "invisible cities", delving further into the idea of “city states of mind”. It explores the workings of the metapolis. The labyrinthine landscape here finds order in chaos, and a cartographical painting fulfils a wayfarer’s dream. Losing our way can often open up opportunities for discoveries.
Metapolis: City As A Canvas
10 - 19 Jan
Sun - Thu: 8 pm - 10 pm | Fri - Sun: 8 pm - 12 am
City Hall & Former Supreme Court
This visual journey imagines the monuments’ states of mind beyond physical structures, social order and practical solutions. Unravelling the hidden stacks of the physical, social and informational priming to unveil the secret desires of metropolitan living.
Metapolis: Concrete Collage
10 - 19 Jan
Sun - Thu: 8 pm - 10 pm | Fri - Sun: 8 pm - 12 am
National Gallery Singapore, Supreme Court Wing
Here, the Metapolis canvas stretches into the realm of signs and symbols. This city is a montage of surfaces filled with ideograms, authored and arranged by the invisible hands of its inhabitants
Mythopolis: Knots of Knowing
Photo Credits: Asian Civilisation Muesum
10 - 19 Jan
Sun - Thu: 8 pm - 10 pm | Fri - Sun: 8 pm - 12 am
Asian Civilisation Museum
Cities have their own kind of mythology, a hidden system of ciphers inscribed in objects and rituals. A visual manifestation of the cultural and spiritual human experience, the knotty unknowns will be untangled to reveal our common thread.
Light Installations
Floating Cities
National Gallery Singapore, Padang Atrium
Be awed by the sublime cityscape within the Padang Atrium. Ethereal towers made of string and suspended at different heights resemble skyscrapers. They are lit from within, creating a glowing city while illuminating this grand space. Performances will be taking place during the festival too!
As you move around the installation, the towers seem to morph and even appear see-through from certain angles. During the Light to Night Festival, the lights will respond to the music from the performances taking place in the Padang Atrium, varying in colour and intensity. Floating City is the first suspended installation in the Gallery’s Padang Atrium.
Optical Maze
The Padang
This colourful pavilion comes to life when the sun sets, with lights that respond to the visitors within it. The structure, composed of steel triangles, appears to change shape as you navigate the labyrinth. This installation restores the Padang to its original use as a recreational civic space, and provides an open space for the kids to run around too!
Light Lane
Esplanade Park Sidewalk
An interactive light installation that uses shadow light projection to bring to life bustling activities, sounds and sights beyond Singapore, transporting you into an invisible city. Simply hop on the stationary bike (kids bikes will be available too), and start riding!
Between Two Worlds
Esplanade Park
The use of mirrors for this installation will interest the kids as they make their way through the passageway of mirrored memory pools. While there is a deeper meaning to this installation (about confronting Singapore multi-faceted reality), we believe this will be popular with young families for a different reason.
*while tempting, the artists of the installation have informed us that the "glass puddles" on the ground are not for standing on.
Activities
Drop-in UV Body Marbling
10 - 11 & 17 - 18 Jan | 7 - 10 pm
Asian Civilisation Museum, Porch
Dip your arm into a swirl of vibrant colours resembling the buzzing vibe of Singapore's civic district in the day – and watch as the effect comes to life under black light at night!
Future Cities - Printmaking for Kids
10 & 18 Jan | 7.30 - 9.30 pm
The Arts House, Living Room
Embark on an imaginative journey into the future with sea-painter and arts educator Ly Yeow and design your very own urban landscape filled with floating and towering cities in this drop-in printmaking workshop for kids. Come explore and be young architects, we will create cities yet to come!
Art x Social
10 - 11 & 17 - 18 Jan | 6 - 11 pm
Empress Lawn & St. Andrew's Road
The roads in the Civic District will be closed to create a pedestrian street with Art, Music, Food and Drinks! Expect live music performances and games that will keep the family entertained from light till night!
For more details of the festival, click here.
So, what do you think? Will you be visiting the Civic District over the 2 weekends from 10th of Jan 2019 for the Night to Light Festival 2020?
