If your social media feed is in need of a pop of colour, you'll find plenty of material at i Light Singapore. The annual sustainable light festival rolls into town from June 1 to 25, dotting Marina Bay with 14 glowing installations.
We did say 'sustainable' light festival, and there's a serious message behind the pretty artworks. Inspired by the theme of A New Wave, many of these dazzling pieces practice sustainability by using eco-friendly materials and approaches. They also incorporate fun, interactive elements – inviting us all to engage with the pieces and think about our relationship with oceans, rivers, and nature at large.
i Light Singapore can be easily explored on foot. We visited most of the installations on a route that starts at Bayfront Event Space, passes Clifford Square, on to Merlion Park, and ends at ArtScience Museum. Three other artworks can be found at Millenia Walk and South Beach. All the installations are worth checking out, but if you want the highlights then these are our absolute favourites from this year's festival.
i Light Singapore is open from 7.30pm to 11pm daily, with extended hours to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Watch our video for the best photo opportunities at i Light Singapore:
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By ENESS
In front of Bayfront Event Space, a man embraces a sapling...That's Tree Man for you, a whimsical light installation by award-winning Australian art and technology studio ENESS. You're invited to walk into the arms of these towering artworks to best experience the immersive forest sounds and gently switching coloured lights. It's a nourishing and inviting space to contemplate the balance between connecting with nature and the digital realm.
By DP Design
Can construction materials be turned into art? Apparently, yes. The towering waves of Blumiwave are made from everyday materials like safety nets and scaffolding from construction sites. The waves are a reference to blue energy, a form of renewable energy that harnesses 'blue' sources like the ocean. It's not all blue though – walk under Blumiwave and see it twinkle red, green, purple all around you.
By XD49
Head to Bayfront Event Space (where GastroBeats is happening) to participate in Moooooootion, a fun interactive piece by Bangkok-based multimedia design studio XD49. Head to the motion sensors in front of the stage to strike a pose or bust out a dance move – and see yourself projected in full technicolour on the screen above. This artwork was created as a lively counterpoint to the isolation of Covid-19 lockdowns.
By Jeremy Lin, Jedy Chen, Dexter Hong, Plug & Play
Another interactive piece, Block Party is a playful commentary on our power to influence our surroundings. Break out more of those dance moves and see the public housing blocks onscreen move in unison – they twist, bend, and sprout with flowers and lush greenery. Find Block Party near the entrance to Marina Bay Link Mall.
By Louis-Philippe Rondeau in collaboration with ELEKTRA
The Open Plaza at OUE Bayfront is where you'll find Rèsonances, a fun and fascinating interactive piece meant to embody the unrelenting march of time. It consists of an arch of light that represents a temporal portal. Jump through and watch your image projected onto the wall through a slit-scan technique – producing smeared and twisted images that seem to freeze your actions in time.
By Amigo & Amigo
Create a musical symphony at Trumpet Flowers. Situated at Clifford Square, the installation is a riot of light, colour, and sound. Each stalk of 'flower' is a musical instrument controlled by interactive buttons. Hit one and the flower comes to life with a trill of sound composed and played by Otis Studio and jazz musicians from Sydney.
By Refik Anadol, Refik Anadol Studio and Julius Baer
Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol is known for being a pioneer in artificial intelligence data paintings – his work was even featured as part of the 65th Grammy Awards' set design. Now, see his incredible art projected onto the massive canvas that is the facade of the ArtScience Museum. The artist engaged in a long-term research project to study glaciers from around the world, collecting a massive dataset of images to produce the beautiful and haunting Glacier Dreams.
You can enjoy the artwork from multiple vantage points along the Helix Bridge or underneath ArtScience Museum itself – speakers have been set up all along this route so you can fully immerse in the audiovisual artwork.
Refer to this festival map to get around i Light Singapore:
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