ArtScience Museum programmes

15 years since ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands opened, it’s been known for many things, not least its iconic blossoming lotus-like structure, and every parent’s favourite exhibit: teamLab Future World.

Did you know, though, that besides the blockbuster exhibitions that everyone goes for, the museum also has a bevy of other programmes that run quietly in the background? Equal parts intriguing and photo-worthy, this is us un-gatekeeping these massively underrated gems for your next tourist-in-Singapore adventure:

1. ArtScience Cinema

It’s not only the traditional cinemas that we need to support; there’s also ArtScience Cinema – a purpose-built screening room on Level 4 that showcases specially curated films you ain’t gonna find elsewhere.

Contours of Being, shown in this image, is screening in ArtScience Cinema until 28th June.

The diverse line-up here, which changes seasonally: feature films ranging from arthouse indies to Hollywood blockbusters, alongside artist retrospectives, experimental video works, compelling documentaries, and more.

If all that sounds too cheem for the little ones, this is our shout out to parents that you’ll also find kid-friendly films here too. In fact, the films that have been handpicked for juniors are specifically chosen for the way in which complex topics have been presented in an accessible way for younger audiences.

Robot Dreams, an animated film set in 1980s New York City where a lonely dog builds a robot to become his companion.
Image credit: elleDriver 

Take for example Robot Dreams and The Iron Giant – both of which are currently screening, which explore themes of companionship and empathy across differences in species and size.  Tip: Swing by on weekdays for free admission to many of their family-friendly programmes.

ArtScience Cinema holds both free and ticketed screenings, which you’ll have to refer to their cinema schedule to find out more about. The best part? The plush, cushy seats that are ult premium, and wireless headphones that provide an intimate audio experience.

2. VR Gallery

For an even cooler experience you ought to check out, there’s the VR Gallery – another permanent space that’s also on Level 4, that’s one of the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Unlike traditional cinema, VR does not just place the audience in front of a story, but inside one. The viewer is no longer passive, becoming spatially aware and emotionally implicated in a way never before possible.

Now running till 16th August 2026 is Evolver: An Immersive Journey of Life and Breath by art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, which runs complementary to one of the current headlining exhibits at ArtScience Museum, Flesh and Bones: The Art of Anatomy. This VR experience, narrated by award-winning actress Cate Blanchett, takes you into the human body, all the way to a singular cell – one of the trillions of building blocks that makes us, us.

P.S. It doesn’t matter if you’re bespectacled, because the headset comfortably fits over any eyewear you might be wearing.

Do note that this experience is not recommended for children under the age of 13.

3. ArtScience Laboratory, with free walk-in activities

Then, there’s something for the tinkerers, the inner child within us at ArtScience Laboratory, found in Basement 2 of the Museum, right beside the entrance to teamLab Future World.

This learning space was created as a convergence point for art, science, and technology, that embraces and celebrates interdisciplinary collaboration through hands-on activities and inventive programmes.

All of its walk-in activities and programmes are centred around 5 themes: Inspired By, Scientific Sparks, Creative Constructs, Environmental Empathy, and Art of Being Calm. The multitude of programmes are suitable for visitors of all ages, because learning, as the wise ones tell us, is a lifelong journey.

Here are some of the activities that are available on a walk-in basis, free for visitors to explore at any time of the day:

Deep Field, an immersive art experience where you get to design your own plant and watch it bloom in AR, Inspired By: Olafur Eliasson – Colour and Light, where you experiment with shadows, colour, and light, as well as Inspired By: Patricia Piccinini –, where you can learn about genetic modification through creating your own paper puppet friend.

During the June hols, there will also be workshops and kids’ tours that focus on ocean life and imparting sustainable practices, which you can sign the little ones up for at just $5/pax.

4. ArtScience Interlude

ArtScience Interlude, on the other hand, is something you might have glimpsed, but never paid attention to. It is, after all, found in the Level 1 Lobby of ArtScience Museum, playing each hour on the hour from 11am daily.

ArtScience Interlude: Leaving and Arriving by Lynn Loo

This moving image encounter, where a video artwork plays on the LED screen in the L1 lobby, was designed to invite visitors to pause and contemplate the art against the backdrop of the MBS skyline. A visual palate cleanser, if you will.

If you’ve always breezed through the lobby in the goal-driven way that most of us charge through life, take a breather and stop for a mo’ the next time you pass by. This is quite the reminder that art is all around us, should we take a moment to stop and appreciate it.

5. ArtScience Encounters

Searching Blue by T.H.E Dance Company, an outdoor contemporary dance performance.
Image credit: Bernie Ng for ArtScience Museum

Finally, we get to ArtScience Encounters, another interdisciplinary programme that transforms the museum itself into part of the artwork. It capitalises on the Museum’s one-of-a-kind giant outdoor water feature, the B2 Oculus, turning it into a living canvas showcasing various experimental installations, site-specific performances, and contemplative soundscapes.

In case you haven’t noticed, immersion is the name of the game at most of these alternative programmes at ArtScience Museum. ArtScience Encounters is one of the best-kept secrets at ASM, inviting visitors to step beyond the gallery walls and experience the building in an entirely new way.

The results are often intimate and unexpected. And with regularly refreshed presentations by local and international artists, it’s safe to say that no 2 visits will be quite the same.

Bonus: Seasonal micro festivals

Beyond exhibitions, ArtScience Museum also hosts a dynamic line-up of festivals throughout the year, from annual highlights to smaller seasonal programmes that dive deep into timely ideas shaping art, science, culture, and technology.

Image credit: ArtScience Museum

Landmark festivals, such as In The Ether, bring together artists and thinkers for large-scale interdisciplinary experiences. Sustainable Futures, on the other hand, offers focused explorations of themes connected to the museum’s curatorial direction.

Image credit: ArtScience Museum

Each festival offers a different way to engage with the museum, whether through learning, making, listening or simply wandering through something unexpected. Since these programmes rotate across the year, there’s always something new on the horizon worth returning for.

Discover the rest of the ArtScience Museum

Explore a new side of ArtScience Museum, be it for your next solo day out, as a holiday thing-to-do with the kids, or date day activity with your sweetheart. The immersive exhibits make learning and exploration fun and impactful for all.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “involve me, and I learn,” and that’s exactly what makes ArtScience Museum experience so memorable – it invites you to step beyond simply observing, and become part of the story.

Find out more about ArtScience Museum

This post was brought to you by ArtScience Museum.
Cover image adapted from: ArtScience Museum
Photography by: Wani Khan