Step through a vine-covered entrance and into the realm of Wonders of Nature. This is New Art Museum Singapore’s first immersive exhibition made just for kids and the young at heart. Curated by local creative Warren Wee, this showcase brings together works from eight international and local artists: Yayoi Kusama, Go Yayanagi, Go Ogawa, Yuji Kanamaru, Masato Inagaki, Osamu Watanabe, Jackson Tan and Jesse Franklin. Expect bold colours, textured art, and plenty of interactive moments to get stuck into.
First stop: the Animal Kingdom. Whimsical sculptures of animals such as gorillas, tigers and even unicorns, are assembled from candy-coloured pieces. It’s a feast for the eyes and the fingers, with tactile textures inviting guests to reach out and explore. Don’t be shy to get up close with each sculpture – spot the various pieces embedded into the animals.
Bounce your way over to the Canyon of Cuddles by Art-Zoo – a playground-style zone filled with giant inflatable cacti you can perch on, plus a small ball pit to dive into. Hidden somewhere inside is a single cactus-branded ball. Find it, and you’ll earn yourself a gachapon token to redeem for mini collectables inspired by the artwork here – like a tiny cactus toy.
Then, ‘swim’ deep into a digital ocean filled with larger-than-life fish. These marine creatures are projected across the space, with each image generated uniquely so no two fish are the same. By the way, these fish aren’t just randomly blown up – they are made to scale according to each species.
You’ll find Yayoi Kusama’s signature polka-dotted pieces in the Garden of Senses. There’s also a fun AR game that’s been exclusively designed for the exhibition, where players roam a fantasy world collecting scrolls.
Yayoi Kusama’s influence carries on into the Obliteration Room, an all-white space fitted with minimal furnishings. It’s essentially a blank canvas – until you come along. Guests are given colourful stickers to place wherever they wish to, slowly transforming the room into a riot of dots. It’s almost like a creative collaborative masterpiece, made by strangers who’ve shared a similar experience at the exhibition.
Before you leave, swing by the pop-up by Waga Waga Labs for a matcha-making experience. The drinks aren’t just tasty – they’re purposefully infused with seasonal fruits like coconut and blueberry to mirror the colours and themes of the exhibition.
The Wonders of Nature exhibition is located at 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #05-03/06, Singapore 089065 and will run from now till July 26, 2025. The museum is open from 11am to 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and is closed on Mondays and public holidays. Admission is priced at $18, with free entry for children under seven and seniors over 60. More information can be found here.
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