Light to Night 2024 is finally upon us! For three straight weeks, we had the privilege of viewing, participating in, and interacting with art from some of Southeast Asia’s biggest artists. Over these three weeks, we can soak in incredible artistic talent draped against the backdrop of Singapore’s gorgeous city line.
We were recently given the chance to peer behind the curtains of Light to Night, and I have just four words for you: You can’t miss this. It’s as simple as that. This year’s Light to Night houses an incredible artistic lineup — showcasing pieces that defy mediums, explore various eclectic art styles, and challenge the boundaries of art itself.
Whether you expect to see magnificent displays of light or larger-than-life installations, I guarantee you, Light to Night will satisfy your hunger for art. Have I piqued your interest? Are you itching to know more? If that‘s the case, let me introduce Light to Night 2024 to you!
Wishful Thinking
This immersive ASMR experience is like one you’ve never heard before. Wishful Thinking by Whisperlodge is set against the backdrop of a stressed mother working from home with her child. She then turns to ASMR as a means to escape the chaos of her home. As viewers, we’re sucked into her world and given the opportunity to live in said ASMR video.
The installation is separated into three different rooms, each acting as a gateway to the other. Each room promises to bring you on a sensory journey like no other. If you’re the kind of person to fall into the deep rabbit hole of ASMR videos on YouTube, Wishful Thinking is a piece you won’t want to miss! Admittedly, it was very foreign to me. I enjoy an ASMR video now and then, but to actually be in one was a whole other thing.
Although it was a fun installation, it’s important to note that the point is to engage all your senses, which might leave some visitors feeling very overwhelmed. So, if you are sensitive to flashing lights or loud sounds, I suggest admiring the exhibit from the outside!
🗓️Date: Till 8 February 2024
📍Location: National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium Foyer
💲Price: S$5
⏰Time:
- 10am to 7pm (Monday to Thursday)
- 10am to 11pm (Friday to Sunday)
Rapture
This was one of my absolute favourites! Unlike other installations, this art piece is hung over visitors — which is rather unconventional, but interesting and integral to the overall piece. Rapture is made up of eight wire human figures suspended in the air — slowly ascending to the top, almost as if they were being levitated by beams. Rapture is meant to be representative of our surrender to the divine and our transcendence into the spiritual realm.
There is also one lone, wired figure sitting on the steps of the exhibit. At first glance, the man seems just to be sitting there, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find he is holding his own face in his hand. This is meant to symbolise the idea of self-reflection, seen in the way the man scrutinises his face as if staring into a handheld mirror.
While the exhibit is open from morning till night, I personally suggest going to see Rapture when it’s dark outside. The purple lights that shine on the piece make the whole affair more majestic and otherworldly, setting the tone for your own self-reflection.
🗓️Date: Till 30 June 2024
📍Location: National Gallery Singapore, Level 1, Padang Atrium
Ping Pong Go-Round
Ping Pong Go-Round is not your average piece of art. Instead of insisting on visitors admiring it from afar, it invites you to participate in it. It features a circular ping-pong table, an abundance of paddles, and a seemingly never-ending supply of balls.
The piece is meant to be a commentary on a world with no boundaries. Unlike a conventional Ping Pong table that restricts the number of players at any one time and controls how the game is played — Ping Pong Go-Round allows visitors to choose how they wish to play.
It allows visitors to disregard boundaries and control how they wish to play the game. Although the idea of pushing past boundaries seems to be easy, I invite you to think about how far beyond the boundary you can go — it’s time to let your creativity run wild!
🗓️Date: Till 30 June 2024
📍Location: National Gallery Singapore, City Hall Wing, Level 2, Outside DBS Singapore Gallery 2
Wings of Change
We’re venturing outdoors now for Light to Night 2024 with Wings of Change. As a casual enjoyer of art, my first look at Wings of Change was marred with confusion. But after we got the down-low from Kumari Nahappan, the artist herself, this piece of work flew to the top of my “must-see” lists.
Wings of Change features what looks like giant saga seeds. All nine of them are coloured red but come in varying sizes. In the centre, we see the biggest seed — and if you look closely, you can notice that it illuminates as if it’s breathing.
The saga seeds represent the nine planets — the biggest seed being planet Earth. Earth is the only one to eliminate periodically as a sign of its need to be heard.
The reason this flew to the top of my list was because of how allegorical it all is — nothing is what meets the eye; we learn more about the installation with every look! So, take your time with this one and make sure to take everything in.
🗓️Date: Till 8 February 2024
📍Location: Padang
⏰Time: 10am to 12am
8-bit Word Cloud
If you’re like me and thoroughly enjoy passing the time with a game of crossword, the 8-Bit Word Cloud is right up your alley! Visitors are tasked to participate to piece together a poem and complete the artwork — it’s almost like a collaborative piece between the artist and the audience!
Visitors are to collect clues as they venture around the event. These clues will lead to the solving of the crossword puzzle and reveal a hidden message — how cool is that?
Whoever said art had to be one-dimensional and one-sided needs to check out this piece by Justin Loke. I find this genre of art to be very refreshing — it’s easy to forget that art is more than just a pretty painting waiting to be admired. Interactive art like this one makes art a bit more unserious, and a lot more fun!
🗓️Date: Till 8 February 2024
📍Location: The Arts House, Front Lawn
⏰Time: 10am to 12am
The Gachapartment Complex
Think of The Gachapartment Complex as Toy Story meets Night at the Museum. The piece showcases the hidden lives of toys who all live in Gachapon machines! With every apartment you walk past, you will be introduced to a new character.
The installation even has an augmented reality feature! On the side of the machines, you can scan a QR code to reveal an Instagram filter. The filter will give the installation an added element that you can share with your friends on social media.
I enjoyed this installation. It was the first of the many we saw, setting the bar high for the entire Light to Night event. The art style suited the installation’s playfulness, and the lives of each of the toys were tailored to fit them perfectly!
🗓️Date: Till 3 March 2024
📍Location: Funan, B2 Underground Pedestrian Link
⏰Time: 5.30am to 12.30am
Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata
While we’re on the topic of hidden lives, Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata follows the adventure of a superhero cat fighting intergalactic threats! The animation is projected onto the wall of The Art House, which is the perfect stage for an adventure as grand as this.
The installation, made by Knuckles & Notch, was inspired by their cat, Summer. What initially started as a zine was rebirthed into an animation for the Light to Night event. The colourful animation commands your attention with its bright neon lights — it’ll be hard to pull your eyes away from this one!
I also want to draw your attention to just how intricate the process had to be for the animation to fit perfectly on the wall of The Art House. Although it had to be a rather meticulous process, I must admit that the wall it’s projected on makes this installation stand out even more!
🗓️Date: Till 8 February 2024
📍Location: The Arts House, Façade
⏰Time: 7.30pm to 12am
Passage
Passage is another installation at Light to Night 2024 that harbours more meaning than what is shown at first glance. It reimagines Singapore’s history of being a port city through an unlikely medium: ceramic bowls.
Each bowl features a unique design dating back to specific decades in Singapore’s history. At the end of the installation, we see the bowls coming together at a dinner table — symbolising the different eras of our history coming together to make the Singapore we know today.
According to the artists — a talented group of SOTA students — the inspiration for Passage came from the art and history being made all around us. The print of the bowls perfectly embodies what was considered fashionable back in the day, which made it the best instrument to showcase these themes.
The story is told in such a compelling and creative way — I would have never thought to use bowls as a way to signal different eras of our past, but after seeing Passage, I can’t think of a better way to have done it!
🗓️Date: Till 8 February 2024
📍Location: Asian Civilisations Museum, Extension Wing Façade
⏰Time: 7.30pm to 12am
And with that, we’re done exploring some of the highlights from Light to Night 2024! I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of this year’s offerings, but rest assured, there’s much more where that came from.
The world of art awaits your arrival. See you there!
Light to Night 2024
🗓️Date: 19 January to 8 February 2024
📍Location: Civic District
💲Price: Free Admission, with ticketed programs
⏰Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm (Monday – Friday), 10am to 11pm (Weekends)
For a full list of happenings and to buy tickets, head over to the official National Gallery website!
Photos by Leo Chia of the DANAMIC Team.
