Every year, our IG feeds light up with whimsical photos from the Light To Night Festival. If you’re among the many Singaporeans who always look forward to this annual event, you’ll be relieved to know that you can get your fix of all things art and culture yet again.
Expect both online and in-person programmes to enjoy, making the festival more accessible than ever. As Singapore Art Week also kicks into full gear this weekend, here are some must-see highlights from now till 31st January 2021 from the marquee event of the week, including outdoor exhibitions and light projections.
When you think of escape games, you’ll probably imagine dark, confined rooms with clues littered in obscure corners. But cast what you’re familiar with aside, because this year’s Light To Night Festival is debuting Decoding the Civic District – a precinct-wide escape game across different buildings in the central area.
If you love a good mystery, this will require you to put on your thinking cap. Gather a team of five or work together with fellow festival-goers to solve clues hidden among artefacts.
Decoding the Civic District
Date: 22nd – 23rd Jan and 29th – 30th Jan 2021
Location: Various locations in the Civic District
Price: $25 per pax. $100 for a group of five.
Get your tickets for Decoding the Civic District.
Head to the Padang to watch National Gallery Singapore in its full illuminated glory
Light To Night Festival wouldn’t be complete without the iconic light projections on the buildings’ facades. With stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes, Art Skins on Monuments 2021 is a feast for your senses and will make for an aesthetic Instagram story.
The projections will be shown on four different buildings this year – National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Asian Civilisations Museum, and Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall. Take this chance to enjoy a cooling stroll after hours while soaking in the sights and sounds.
If you need the comfort of being in air-condition after your walk, check out I’m All Hands All Eyes – a 3-minute animation on the ceiling of the Rotunda Library within National Gallery Singapore.
It’ll be an opportunity to witness psychedelic animations taking over the usually-silent library for a change.
Art Skins on Monuments 2021
Date: 22nd – 31st Jan 2021
Time: 7.30PM-12AM
Location: Various locations in the Civic District
Find out more about Art Skins on Monuments
Image credit: Music For A Cause
Calling all ex-concert-goers, live music is finally back. With performances from local talents such as Shye, Cravism, Jean Seizure and Tim De Cotta, Gallery Gigs Goes Live! lets you discover a range of genres from acoustic to electronic, all set within the Auditorium at National Gallery Singapore itself. Here’s a rundown of the live performances:
23rd Jan 2021
Jean Seizure: 7.30PM-8.15PM
Tim De Cotta: 9.15PM-10PM
30th Jan 2021
Cravism: 7.30PM-8.15PM
Shye: 9.15PM-10PM
Note: There’ll be limited capacity due to Safe Management Measures. Seating will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Yung Raja
Gif adapted from National Gallery Singapore.
You can also tune in to Gallery Gigs on the Light To Night Festival website to watch other artists like lewloh and Yung Raja create unique music performances inspired by the artworks in the National Collection of National Gallery Singapore.
Gallery Gigs Goes Live!
Date: 23rd & 30th Jan 2021
Time: 7.30PM-10PM
Location: National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level B1, Auditorium and online
The entire festival space is also sprawled across the Padang area, so for a place to rest your tired feet, look no further than the There in the Middleness installation.
The words inscribed on the circular seating surfaces were contributed by Singaporeans to represent the values they wish to possess in a post-pandemic world. At night, it even lights up with a warm glow, complementing the city skyline in the background.
There in the Middleness by Nathan Yong
Date: 22nd – 31st Jan 2021
Time: 10AM-12AM
Location: Padang
As you wander around National Gallery Singapore, do also keep an eye out for Arrive, Arrive at the Padang Atrium. Made to resemble canvases, this installation is suspended in the air and catches the natural light streaming in from the glass ceiling.
When natural light from outdoors begins to fade by sundown, the coloured lights from within the “canvases” produce a subtle glow that illuminates the space – a sight that will delight shutterbugs and architecture enthusiasts alike.
Arrive, Arrive by Guo-Liang Tan
Date: 22nd – 31st Jan 2021
Time: Mon – Thur 10AM-7PM | Fri – Sun 10AM-10PM
Location: National Gallery Singapore, Padang Atrium
If you can’t make your way down to the festival, you don’t have to miss out. This year, the festival can be enjoyed even from the comfort of your own bed.
One such way to do so is through the augmented reality (AR) filters found on both the Light To Night Festival website and Instagram, which include animations from the National Collection, the fan-favourite exhibit at National Gallery Singapore.
Watch as tigers move and “roar” on your screen, while wayang kulit puppets appear to share historical stories.
The fun isn’t restricted to the Civic District either – it could even start on your journey to the festival itself. If you’re aboard the North-South and East-West MRT lines during this period, you may just find yourself in a train cabin with artwork splashed all around you.
To mark Singapore’s return to ‘normality’ after the 2020 Circuit Breaker, National Gallery Singapore has partnered with SMRT to create a pop-up art installation celebrating our freedom of movement in Phase 3.
Keep your eyes peeled for these special trains, with five cabins within each of them plastered with different designs that sport bold colours and patterns.
Art in Motion
Date: 18th Jan – 14th Feb 2021
Location: Available on five cabins aboard one SMRT train travelling along the North-South and East-West lines
If you were planning a weekend hangout session with your SO or your friends, Light To Night Festival 2021 will be your excuse to meet up this month. National Gallery Singapore will have free admission during the festival weekend from 22nd – 24th and 29th – 31st January 2021, with extended opening hours from 10AM-10PM.
Singaporeans and PRs can even redeem a free one-year Gallery Insider Membership with unlimited access to exhibitions, discounts, and unique museum merchandise. This offer is valid until 31st January 2021, so make sure to sign up to fill up the rest of your year with more trips to the museums!
This post was brought to you by National Gallery Singapore.
Photography by Huy Pham.
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