Join Alice in her journey into a land of peculiar characters and magical adventures at ArtScience Museum’s new exhibition, Wonderland. Held from Saturday, 13 April to Sunday, 22 September 2019, the exhibition celebrates the titular heroine of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s – better known by his moniker ‘Lewis Carroll’ – timeless tales and presents the first ever survey of Alice on screen and in popular culture. The exhibition’s opening in Singapore marks the first stop of the award-winning exhibition’s global tour.
Wonderland invites visitors to take a trip through the looking glass into an immersive, enchanted world, where a remarkable selection of over 300 artefacts and objects shows how Carroll’s story has compelled artists and filmmakers to experiment with new techniques to bring Alice and her adventures to life for over a century. These include first edition books, drawings, original costumes, films, magic lantern projectors, animation, puppetry, and original multimedia works by digital creative studios, Sandpit, Grumpy Sailor and Mosster Studio.
In Wonderland, visitors will get the chance to go through a journey akin to Alice’s as the exhibition is presented in 10 sections inspired by the chapters of the book and its sequel. These stories have been adapted for the screen over the last 100 years, allowing the history of moving images to be traced by following the chronicles of Alice in Wonderland on screen.
The exhibition also charts the cultural, technological and social shifts that have compelled filmmakers to create their own visual interpretation of Alice and her adventures. From exploring a Hallway of Doors to seeking Advice from a Caterpillar and stomping on The Queen’s Croquet Ground, Wonderland spectacularly conjures up the surprising and magical world of Alice. Furthermore, bespoke digital activities at the exhibition will draw upon the wonder and curiosity of Lewis Carroll’s stories.
Visitors begin their Wonderland experience from home. Prior to their visit, visitors are encouraged to take a short Wonderland character quiz via ArtScience Museum’s Facebook Messenger Chatbot to determine which character they are.
At the exhibition, visitors will pick up their individual copy of Lost Map of Wonderland, which will correspond to one of four archetypal characters at Wonderland – The Queen, Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit.
On top of the maps’ customized letters and designs, the Lost Map of Wonderland also serves as a physical interactive tool that offers visitors a unique exhibition experience – triggering different video, audio and interactive content at Wonderland.
Here is a sneak peek of what you can expect at Wonderland:
Drawing Room
The Drawing Room is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s own drawing room from his time at Christchurch, Oxford. This reimagined Victorian-era space introduces Dodgson’s early life and interests through a series of photographs, objects and ephemera.
Looking Glass House
The Looking Glass House highlights a series of major Alice In Wonderland moments from film and television of the 1930s to the 1980s, reflecting the craft and techniques of live-action filmmaking; including production and character designs, set drawings, script pages, masks, props, posters and – most prominently – original costumes from NBC’s Alice Through the Looking Glass House (1966).
The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
Unravel the genius of stop-motion techniques at The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill. This section features puppet creatures, set pieces, character sketches, posters and more from Lou Bunin’s 1949 production, Jan Svankmajer’s Alice (1988) and the Quay Brothers’ Alice in Not So Wonderland (2007).
This section also features props that lets you experience the feeling of having grown too big or being shrunk – just like Alice!
A Mad Tea Party
Take a seat at the famous Mad Hatter’s Tea Party! Developed by digital creative Grumpy Sailor, audiences can witness their favourite tea party come to life, through VFX-techniques with projection mapping.
The Queen’s Croquet Ground
Help to paint the roses red in the Queen’s Croquet Ground – or will you end up painting them white instead? Use your Lost Map of Wonderland to create your card soldier and watch it come to live in this fun and participatory interactive installation.
Alice’s Evidence
Wonderland concludes with Alice’s Evidence – an 18-screen audio-visual composition which highlights various representations of Alice from different times, cultures and media platforms.
Wonderland Shake
Complete your Wonderland experience with a delectable Wonderland Shake at Black Tap! Inspired by the Wonderland exhibition, this sinful strawberry shake is adorned with blue and white chocolate gems, and topped with whipped cream, red heart sprinkles, rock candy, a butter cookie and a “mushroom” vanilla cupcake. The Wonderland Shake is only available till the end of the exhibition, so grab it while it lasts!
Wonderland
Date: Saturday, 13 April 2019 to Sunday, 22 September 2019
Venue: ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974
Ticket prices start at $11. For more information, visit https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/wonderland.html
Photos by Goh Jing Wen of the DANAMIC team.
