First Look At Sensory Odyssey: ArtScience Museum’s New Exhibit With Hyperrealistic 360° Naturescapes

Sensory Odyssey at ArtScience Museum

Some people just love being in nature, but it may not be that easy since we’re living in a concrete jungle like Singapore. Well, good news, ArtScience Museum’s latest exhibition, Sensory Odyssey: Into the Heart of Our Living World is here to immerse you in the nitty gritty of the natural world from 27th May to 29th October 2023. 

You’ll get to envision what it’s like to burrow through the ground with insects, swim with a family of giant sperm whales, or fly with a bunch of bats. All this in 7 different ecosystems including the African Savannah, French Guiana, Mauritius, and Greenland. We headed down to check it out for ourselves and here’s how it went.

An exhibit you can see, hear & smell

Before entering the exhibit, your senses will be “cleansed”. I wasn’t prepared for this, but the walkway leading to the first installation is pitch dark. Did my photographer and I cling to each other for dear life? The answer is yes. On the plus side, would this make a great “first move” if you’re bringing a date? Probably!

Did we mention that this exhibition is rather Insta-worthy too? 

Inside, I was pleasantly surprised to find that stepping into each installation was a different experience. You’ll feel as though you’re really inside each habitat and moving through it, with ambient sounds coming from different corners of the room.

Here’s where it became unique from other exhibits I’ve attended: one of the first few things I noticed when moving from each installation was  the different smells. I didn’t expect to catch whiffs of that distinct smell of wet soil at the “Going Underground” exhibition, or the fragrance of flowers at the “Prairie and Insects” installation. 

Your eyes are in for a magnificent treat as well and we’re really not exaggerating here. Expect hyper-realistic floor-to-ceiling projections of wildlife that is shot in 8K resolution from all over the world. 

From a praying mantis feeding on its prey to a bunch of giant sperm whales swimming around, every little thing can be seen up-close in intricate detail. Would I admit that I was a tad bit intimidated in the beginning? Perhaps. But did I regret the experience? Definitely not.  

Local stories that uncover more about the exhibit

The Discover: Our Nature, Our Stories gallery concludes the entire exhibition. Here’s where you get a recap of the 7 installations which is pretty helpful if you’re a reader-learner kinda person like me. This gallery will definitely hit closer to home as it shares local stories right here  from Singapore as well so that you can find more relatability in what was shared as well. 

This gallery also features local advocates who are experts in their fields to share more about what they think through videos. 

There’s also a mangrove display where you can write down what you can do to help save our environment on a paper leaf provided. Then, hang it up alongside others on the mangrove display. In collaboration with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Singapore), ArtScience Museum will be planting a mangrove tree  in Southeast Asia for every leaf that’s pasted on the wall – so don’t hold back.

Head down to Sensory Odyssey at ArtScience Museum

The Sensory Odyssey exhibit happens to be a part of Marina Bay Sands’ upcoming festival “Where Mind and Body Connect” that will be taking place over 4 weekends from 17th June. So, take this opportunity to free your mind, rejuvenate your senses, and feel a little closer to nature. 

Visitors are encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets on the Marina Bay Sands website early as the exhibition has limited capacity and entry is according to timeslots. 

For your actual dose of nature, check out:

• Jurong Eco Garden
• Mandai Wildlife West
• Bird Paradise

Photography by Emilyn Cheng.
Originally published on 29th April 2023. Last updated on 26th May 2023.