i Light Singapore is returning to illuminate Marina Bay from 1 to 25 June 2023. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and presented by DBS, Asia’s leading sustainable light festival will transform the Bay into a visual playground replete with new immersive light art installations and programmes that promise to delight the senses. The Festival will also expand to two new locations – South Beach and Millenia Walk –  to offer festival goers fresh experiences and bring the artworks closer to more people. i Light Singapore2023 is curated to the theme of A New Wave and anchored on the colour blue – a wavelength on the visible light spectrum[1] that is omnipresent in nature’s blue spaces such as oceans and rivers, and often associated with emotions such as calmness and serenity. Visitors are invited to reflect on our natural environment by immersing themselves in creative light art installations and interactive programmes, and be inspired to contribute to a more sustainable future. Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer, URA said, “We look forward to enlivening Marina Bay once again with the return of i Light Singapore. This year, visitors can immerse themselves in a brand-new line-up of creative artworks. At the same time, I encourage everyone to take a pause to contemplate our relationship with the environment. Through their experiences with the delightful artworks and programmes, we hope that visitors can be inspired to embrace sustainability as part and parcel of our everyday lives.” Getting in touch with our natural environment through innovative and multi-sensory experiences Behind this year’s line-up of artworks is a diverse group of artists – from talented local creatives, acclaimed international names to budding student designers – who had drawn inspiration from the colour blue and leveraged innovative technology to develop enthralling pieces that evoke immersive experiences. One example is Glacier Dreams, a large-scale projection on the façade of ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands by renowned Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol. This intriguing artwork transforms visual data on the world’s glaciers into Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based multi-sensory narratives to raise awareness of rising sea levels and climate change. Trumpet Flowers by Sydney-based art collective, Amigo & Amigo, is a whimsical artwork that celebrates the beauty of nature by surrounding visitors with towering flower sculptures ranging from two to six metres tall, and inviting them to play with interactive keys to compose a unique sound and light show inspired by their emotions. Next, Singaporean collective Plug & Play invites visitors to dance and let loose in front of Block Party, an interactive installation where gardens bloom spontaneously over the facades of Singapore’ familiar public housing blocks in response to movement. Through light-hearted interactions, the artwork aims to remind us of the power we wield to shape our surroundings and make a difference to the environment. Complementing the artworks is Lightwave: Turning the Tide, presented by Alibaba Cloud, a new immersive light experience at The Promontory. Here, visitors will be invited to embark on a journey to a future where rising sea levels have submerged humans in an underwater world. Through compelling and thought-provoking light displays across three chapters, visitors can contemplate the repercussions of human actions on the environment, and reflect on how they can make a change to turn the tide. New artwork locations to offer fresh experiences and inspirations This year, the Festival will also host artworks at South Beach and Millenia Walk, in partnership with South Beach Consortium and Pontiac Land. South Beach will play host to two student artworks. Bleached by students from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media invites visitors to wander across a simulated ocean floor adorned with “seaweed” and “corals” that are either upcycled from single-use plastics or made from seaweed bioplastics developed by the artists themselves. These ’reefs’ turn white when they sense movement, connoting the fate of marine ecosystems under threat from degradation. On the other hand, Show III by students from James Cook University and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts makes use of audio-visual effects to simulate a shower experience and provide a space for self-contemplation, including reflections on our water usage habits. Over at Millenia Walk, visitors can look forward to Prism by Malaysian artist Jun Ong, an installation that transforms from a natural light shaft in the day to a glowing beacon of artificial lighting at night, creating an ever-changing interplay of colours that evoke a calming experience for visitors. Pledging commitments for a greener future In addition to the light art installations, visitors can participate in meaningful initiatives to learn more about green practices and do their part to build a sustainable future. i Light Singapore will continue its partnership with susGain, a local social enterprise championing sustainability, on i Light i Pledge, presented by Alibaba Cloud. This year, the public can pledge their commitment to eco-conscious practices through two initiatives. Firstly, the Switch Off, Turn Up (SOTU) pledge calls for all to switch off non-essential lightings and turn up air-conditioning temperatures. Extended to the public and schools for the first time this year, SOTU has been a key component of i Light Singapore since its inception in 2010, having most recently galvanised over 100 building owners, corporations and businesses to reduce energy consumption in the 2022 edition. The second pledge, Be a Zero Hero, encourages all to adopt zero waste habits such as reducing usage of single-use items. For each pledge submitted by participants up to the first 5,000 pledges, All Clear – a sustainability enterprise providing offshore and ocean clean-ups – will remove 100g of waste from Singapore waterways. As such, up to 500kg of waste will be removed as an outcome of the pledge. The public can stand to win attractive prizes by taking part in i Light i Pledge, presented by Alibaba Cloud here. DBS partners i Light Singapore as presenting sponsor for second year running For the second year, i Light Singapore will be presented by DBS, which shares the vision to inspire sustainability conversations and...

The post i LIGHT SINGAPORE RETURNS THIS JUNE appeared first on Asian Itinerary.

i Light Singapore, Asia’s leading sustainable light festival, will be back to light up Marina Bay from 3 to 26 June 2022 with 20 captivating light art installations that aim to spark fresh perspectives on the environment and world around us. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and presented by DBS, the Festival will also offer an exciting line-up of programmes that will add to the vibrancy of the precinct while encouraging conversations on sustainability. Artworks exploring environmental and sustainability issues  Curated to the theme Spark of Light, the 20 artworks by artists from 14 countries took inspiration from the colour violet, which has the shortest wavelength and most powerful electromagnetic energy in the visible light spectrum, and signifies the awakening of senses akin to the spark of an idea in one’s mind. One highlight is MOTHEREARTH ClimateChange Data Sculpture by Turkish new media studio Ouchhh. Presented in partnership with Marina Bay Sands, a video projection on the façade of ArtScience Museum will transform publicly available environmental data, such as those obtained from local weather recordings, into a stunning visual treat comprising moving lights, colours and sounds. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, the artwork turns data into an enjoyable sensory experience, while drawing attention to climate change issues. The Festival will also spotlight artworks that explore environmental challenges the world is facing. For instance, Plastic Whale by Craig Neo from Singapore, and Feng Qiao, Liao Qingshuang and Li Jianwen from China, features an inflatable whale filled with recyclable plastic bottles and scraps, breathing in distress. The artwork highlights the plight of marine creatures that are struggling to survive in their increasingly polluted homes. Meanwhile, Underworld by Aleksandra Stratimirovic from Sweden and Leonel Kaplan from Argentina depicts an imaginary undersea settlement with giant lanterns made of discarded fishing nets. Against the backdrop of a soundscape featuring haunting echoes of the sea, the artwork calls attention to the fragility of our marine ecosystem. Besides spotlighting environmental issues, the artworks will transform familiar public spaces at Marina Bay and Esplanade Park into dazzling landscapes. Visitors can look forward to Firefly Field by Studio Toer from the Netherlands, featuring a mesmerising display of 500 flying and blinking lights that will illuminate The Promontory at Marina Bay. These lights mimic humble fireflies, known for their ever-changing bioluminescence and movement at night. Taking its spot in front of the Red Dot Design Museum, Light Canvas by local artist group Trial & Error invites visitors to experience an exchange of energy by temporarily “painting” their own artworks on a digital canvas using flashlights from their mobile phones. The installation aims to raise a series of contemplative questions: “Is the short-lived nature of what we do worth the energy expended? What is the cost of our actions on the environment and what are we willing to give up for a more sustainable future?” The installation will also host a series of performances featuring dancers, calligraphers, illustrators and florists, who will interact with the installation creatively and leave their mark on the canvas.   The Festival will also showcase four student artworks, including Re-Act by Isabella Meo and Liang TaiLin from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture, which was one of the artworks selected from the i Light Student Closed Call held last year. The installation will feature a series of lights simulating water pollutants such as toxic dyes and untreated sewage trickling down the Queen Elizabeth Walk waterfront steps, to prompt visitors to reflect on the ways humans are polluting water systems. Additionally, the lighting design symbolises cracks of collapsing icebergs caused by climate change, and seeks to instil in visitors a sense of urgency in battling global water pollution and rising sea levels. i Light Singapore 2022 will also feature Waste Not Want Not, presented by the Festival’s presenting sponsor DBS. This eye-catching installation by local art collective, Tell Your Children, will feature four larger-than-life inflatable sculptures of fruits and vegetables commonly found in our homes, but with a stylised twist. Depicting “ugly” food – which is in no way lacking in nutrition or taste, yet often ends up discarded as waste in the bins – this artwork challenges these stereotypes and prompts the question: “What makes food beautiful?” It implores visitors to look beyond the surface, rethink their choices, and consume more consciously in a world where food waste is a perennial and worsening problem. The artwork installation is in line with DBS’ Towards Zero Food Waste initiative, which aims to galvanise multiple stakeholders into action towards zero food waste. Its efforts have generated more than 800,000 kg of food impact[2] across Asia since the initiative was launched in 2020. Alongside the light art installations, i Light Singapore will feature an exciting line-up of programmes and activities that promise a fun-filled and enriching experience for families and friends. The Festival will be held from 3 to 26 June 2022, from 7.30pm to 11pm daily with extended hours to 12am on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free, while charges apply for certain programmes. Visit https://www.ilightsingapore.gov.sg for more information.  

The post i LIGHT SINGAPORE RETURNS TO MARINA BAY appeared first on Asian Itinerary.