The first-ever hybrid edition of the festival invites the public to create shared memories through art experiences by local artists within the Civic District and beyond!
A marquee event of Singapore Art Week, Light to Night Festival marks its return in 2021 with a host of innovative art experiences.
Spearheaded by National Gallery Singapore with Civic District partners The Arts House, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, Asian Civilisations Museum, and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, the district-wide festival looks to inspire audiences to forge deeper connections with art in new and engaging ways, and start the new year with hope and positivity under the festival theme of “____-in-Progress.”
Through the festival’s various art programmes and experiences, “____-in-Progress” invites its participants—audiences and artists alike—to reflect on their own personal journey over the past year, and fill in the blanks with new possibilities and hopes for the future.
Here are 5 family-friendly programs you can explore during the Festival!
1. Art Skins on Monuments
Venue: Civic District
Date: 22 Jan – 31 Jan 2021
Time: 7.30 pm – midnight
Bring your little ones on a walking tour around the Civic District and immerse yourself in a world of colour and light as iconic cultural institutions come to life in bursts of colour!
A long-time favourite, Art Skins on Monuments has returned this year with greater participation from local art talents. These include open call selection Joanne Ho, whose work (Re)rooting—which was designed using machine learning frameworks—will adorn the entire façade of the Gallery. A mentorship programme held in partnership with three local tertiary institutes will see the works of art and design students projected onto the facades of the Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, and the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.
2. National Gallery Singapore Rotunda Library & Archive Light-up
Venue: Rotunda Library and Archive
Date: 22 Jan – 31 Jan 2021
Time: 7.30 pm onwards
For the first time this year, you can also enjoy immersive light projections inside the National Gallery Singapore at the Rotunda Library and Archive. This light projection is inspired by the hands and eyes; body parts that are most involved while visiting a library space. Now, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hands and eyes have become more necessary than ever as instrumental tools of communication. Performed by Faye Lim and Shahrin Johry, this projection is by artists Randy Chan, Fiona Tan, Finbarr Fallon (Zarch Collaboratives), Faye Lim, and Stanley Yong.
3. There in the Middleness by Nathan Yong
Venue: Padang
Date: 22 Jan – 31 Jan 2021
Time: 10 am – midnight
There in the Middleness by Nathan Yong is an art installation inspired by the Ouroboros, an ancient Greek symbol. It signifies all things cyclical: rebirth, completion, unification, regeneration, and eternity.
The circle in the installation symbolises hope and healing, as well as the infinite, timeless cycle of development, improvement, and progression. It also brings to mind the concept of new beginnings and the start of a new season. The I-beam represents our strength and progression as a nation and symbolises the advancement of technology in our hyper-urbanised metropolis.
4. Decoding Civic District
Venue: Civic District
Date: 22 – 23 & 29 – 30 Jan 2021
Time: 5.30 pm – 10.00 pm
Fee: $25 - $100
Decoding Civic District is a precinct-wide Escape Game held within the heart of the Civic District as part of the Light to Night Festival 2021. Players will investigate hidden secrets across five iconic cultural institutions and examine notable artworks and artefacts from the National Collection to solve a mystery. Discover hidden spots in the Civic District while engaging with arts and culture in a completely new way while bonding with your kids.
Do note that tickets have sold out for some of the dates while others are running out fast.
5. Instagram AR Filters Inspired by the National Collection
Tech artist Eugene Soh has specially created Instagram filters inspired by Singaporean photographer Tan Lip Seng and woodblock prints from the National Collection for the Festival. This filter will enable audiences to see the world through Tan’s eyes while giving them creative control to get the feeling that they want. Playing around with these Instagram filters is sure to be an engaging way to foster your children’s interest in art while bonding with them.
To find out more about the happenings, please visit Light To Night 2021.
Image credits Light to Night Festival
