i Light Singapore 2024 makes its return this Friday, 31 May for its 10th edition, with the sustainable light festival setting Marina Bay, South Beach, Millenia Walk and Tanjong Pagar aglow with 17 mesmerising light art installations.
i Light Singapore, Asia’s leading sustainable light festival, is organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and supported by event partners, sponsors and precinct stakeholders including Marina Bay Sands, UOB, Alibaba Cloud and Discover Tanjong Pagar.
In addition to the light sculptures and installations, festival-goers can also look forward to a thought-provoking line-up of programmes to spark conversations and reflections about sustainable lifestyles.
i Light Singapore 2024: 17 Works by 25 Artists from 11 Countries; 1 Experience on Cyclical Nature
This year’s edition of i Light Singapore features the works of 25 artists from 11 countries. The theme of the artworks at this year’s festival is Cyclical Nature and based on the colour green. It explores the endless potential of everyday objects for re-design, restoration and repurposing.
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This year, i Light Singapore 2024’s light art installations can be found across four different areas.
Look out for the light installations at Marina Bay, South Beach, Millenia Walk and Tanjong Pagar.
Marina Bay i Light Singapore Installations
Here’s a map to the various installations at Marina Bay.
Dandelion
Where: Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
The work of Sydney-based artist studio Amigo & Amigo, Dandelion is inspired by the breezy dance of dandelion petals — an embodiment of free-spiritedness and playfulness. Make a wish as it bursts into a symphony of light and music every five minutes. The score is an original musical piece by Otis Studio, and is an ode to the wind as well as the intrinsic characteristics of the dandelion, revered for healing properties in certain cultures.
Dandelion is an interactive installation. When visitors put their hands on the drums located inside the structure, pulses are sent through the entire structure.
Kinetic Perspective
Where: Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
The circles within the Kinetic Perspective installation are in perpetual motion, spinning ceaselessly. This rhythmic movement is echoed and repeated as each circle completes a full rotation.
The synchronised spinning generates mesmerising visual patterns that persistently recur. By moving around the installation, visitors can discover infinite combinations of patterns and distortions. The artwork’s hypnotising fluidity invites contemplation on the eternal rhythms embedded within our existence.
Try to view it from the center at the front and watch the lights spin and dance around the sculpture and it looks just like a spinning illusion!
The Kinetic Perspective installation is created by Juan Fuentes Studio (Spain).
Pure Ring
Where: Event Square
Pure Ring is a modern twist to the concept of musical chairs. It aspires to foster unexpected connections among strangers, sparking moments of serendipity amidst the urban bustle.
When unoccupied, this interactive installation orchestrates a mesmerising interplay of light and sound. Once a module is sat on, the installation reacts with a colour change, initiating a mysterious pairing with another module chosen at random unbeknownst to its audience. The synchronised modules will simultaneously turn red for the chosen pair seated atop them.
Spin Me a Yarn
Where: Mist Walk
Spin Me a Yarn features three oversized yarn balls, each with its own long trail that loops over and around its surrounding environment. With its larger-than-life design and conspicuous scale, the artwork is an unusual addition to the surroundings that intentionally prompts a re-evaluation of the commonplace.
With yarn preparation being one of the contributors to the fashion industry’s global carbon emissions, Spin Me a Yarn examines the unsustainable practices that underpin our modern lifestyles. It serves as a reminder of the intricate threads that bind us all and the collective responsibility that we bear in shaping the future.
Fish are Jumping
Where: Waterbody near Marina Bay lower boardwalk steps
Fish are Jumping draws attention to the simple wonders of nature. Inspired by the leaping of fish above the water’s surface, the installation reveals a tapestry of light and shadow, movement and stillness, and sound and silence. Observe, and be enchanted. The work is by Studio Toer, a multidisciplinary design studio from the Netherlands, founded by Castor Bours and Wouter Widdershoven in 2011.
Arc ZERO: Nimbus
Where: Pontoon near Red Dot Design Museum
A ring of mist encircles the floating walkway that leads out into the bay, and a window framing the city is created by the ever-evolving state of the waters. As the mist diffuses around the oculus, it encourages reflection on urbanisation and our use of finite resources. Through minimal intervention, Arc ZERO: Nimbus animates the mundane and attempts to forge a new conversation with the elemental forces of water, air and light.
Liminal; Minimal
Where: Waterfront promenade in front of Red Dot Design Museum
Assembled with wooden beams, reclaimed pallets and discarded dust nettings, Liminal; Minimal exposes the hidden wastefulness of urban construction by framing the surrounding cityscape with remnants from building sites. It aims confront the transient nature of our built environment and represents an insistent call for sustainable practices in the face of rapid urban development.
Liminal; Minimal is the work of Benjamin Lim, Yeo Soon Yii (Singapore) from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
BOB the nice world
Where: Next to the entrance of Marina Bay Link Mall
BOB the nice world is a lightweight inflatable sculpture depicting a whimsical line-drawn character named BOB the nice guy who tells his story through playful moving images. BOB’s conspicuous presence at Marina Bay is intentionally disruptive. While he glows with positivity, behind his irresistibly cute charm lies a subtle but pressing sense of urgency as he calls for mindful action against the gloom of climate change.
Iwagumi Air Scape
Where: The Promontory at Marina Bay
Iwagumi Air Scape is inspired by the Japanese art form of Iwagumi, the arrangement of rocks in aquascaping, or underwater gardening, that places a heavy emphasis on the raw, humble beauty of nature.
Conjuring an illusion of immense weight, the air-filled inflatables carry the allure and mystery of mountains within them. Colours and soundscapes evolve based on the movement of city dwellers passing through. Encountering these quiet but majestic boulders which are typically found in untamed landscapes brings a sense of awe and wonderment of existence into the urban experience.
Alchemy of Atmospheres
Where: Lawn beside NTUC Building
Alchemy of Atmospheres harnesses the mysteries in our atmospheric conditions to craft a potent and auditory visual spectacle. At the installation, one is confronted with the often-overlooked natural phenomenon of lightning — a rejuvenating and transformative force hidden within a seemingly destructive impulse.
The name of the installation in itself suggests the metamorphosis of lightning, in which we play a significant role in keeping its delicate balance. By heeding the silent warnings whispered in the cracks of lightning, we can avoid the storms of a climate catastrophe.
Fountain of Happiness
Where: Clifford Square
Fountain of Happiness is an interactive installation that features seven sets of swings and light tubes designed to resemble fountains. Visitors are welcome to share moments of happiness on the swings and watch as the colours transform with each swinging motion. It invites both the young and young-at-heart to unwind, play and set off various lighting effects to infuse fun colours into the city skyline.
i Light Singapore Art Installations at South Beach
Lumi
Where: Fountain Plaza, South Beach Avenue Level 1
Paying homage to Singapore’s maritime heritage, Lumi embodies the fluidity of meandering river paths and its state of perpetual flux.
The interactive installation invites play, connection and reflection within the bustling urban landscape. Tactile and immersive, it implores visitors to engage with one another and in the process, mould and remould the artwork in a shared act of co-creation. The repurposing of ordinary objects, such as yoga balls, demonstrates the transformative potential inherent in the mundane.
This installation was made out of materials used in previous projects; and visitors are invited to sit on them as they are quite sturdy. The structure is not screwed down, so the balls are similar to bouncy balls.
The Lantern
Where: Courtyard between South Beach Tower and The Grand Ballroom, Level 1
Made out of over 5,000 upcycled plastic water bottles — a staggering quantity that mirrors the relentless pace of bottle disposal in Singapore recurring every 7 minutes — The Lantern is a sobering physical embodiment of our collective harm to the environment. Yet, by harnessing the beauty of these upcycled materials, The Lantern is also a symbol of renewal and a call for bolder, innovative design approaches to shape a more sustainable future.
i Light Singapore Art Installation at Millenia Walk
Modern Guru and the Path to Artificial Happiness
Where: Millenia Walk (The Great Hall)
Modern Guru and the Path to Artificial Happiness juxtaposes the timeless archetype of a guru, traditionally a guide to attain spiritual enlightenment and happiness, with the contemporary pursuit of fulfilment.
Inside the ceremonial shroud, visitors are greeted by the Modern Guru, a translucent ovoid with four imposing large digital eyes suspended above a spiralling ring of LEDs. A stream of AI-generated absurdist messages flows from its mouth.
A cool fact about this installation is that it detects the presence of mobile phones through a camera. When detected, the sculpture inside will print out a quote.
This installation is a commentary on the role that technology plays in shaping perceptions of fulfilment in the digital age.
i Light Singapore Art Installations at Tanjong Pagar
Here’s a map to the various installations at Tanjong Pagar.
Kickit Team Tennis
Where: Discover Tanjong Pagar Community Green
Kickit Team Tennis is an interactive light art game that can be played by two teams of up to five-a-side. Reimagining a traditionally solo sport for teamplay in a public space, this installation encourages visitors to interact and collaborate with strangers — a call to find common ground and unity through friendly competition and play.
BottleBlooms
Where: Tanjong Pagar Park at Guoco Tower, Tras Link Park near Orchid Hotel Singapore
BottleBlooms is a display of solar-powered luminous plastic blossoms in a green public space, crafted from over 1,500 upcycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles through a public collection drive by Discover Tanjong Pagar, Cantonment Primary School and City Sprouts.
The artwork provokes a re-evaluation of things that are often thrown away mindlessly and is a reminder of the transformative potential inherent in our discarded materials. BottleBlooms urges us to think about the life cycle of materials and encourages a more thorough incorporation of plastics into the circular economy via PET recycling.
Hidden Garden
Where: Tras Link Park
The artwork presents resplendent inflatable flowers clinging to the trunks of trees akin to living organisms, transforming the concrete jungle. Here, the man-made and natural are intertwined in symbiosis and forge a harmonious co-existence, with each lending support to and enhancing the other. The radiant display of colours is both a tribute to and jubilant celebration of biodiversity.
Programmes at i Light Singapore 2024
There will be various other programmes and events being held in conjunction with i Light Singapore 2024.
At GastroBeats, the Festival Village at Bayfront Event Space, visitors can indulge in a variety of modern and classic dishes with over 200 food options, play an array of family-friendly games and activities, and groove to live tunes by up-and-coming musicians mentored by local band 53A as part of the GastroBeats Mentorship Programme.
Aspiring food enthusiasts can apply to learn from local content creators, Aiken Chia and Nina Tan, on food photography, videography and content strategy to take their culinary adventures to the next level.
The Conscious Festival x iLSG will have a series of wellness workshops around Marina Bay, supporting conscious brands at the Marketplace, and enjoying performances by sound and light artist Natural Symphony at the Conscious Concert.
In addition, there will be i Quest, a new gamified initiative under The Conscious Festival x iLSG. Visit designated checkpoints throughout the festival grounds to scan a QR code to light up a firefly colony and illuminate a zone in their own unique virtual mangrove forest. There are 400 instant prizes up for grabs throughout the entire festival duration.
Other activities that will be taking place as part of i Light Singapore 2024 include the Switch Off, Turn Up’ campaign, where building owners, corporations and businesses around Marina Bay and beyond will reduce their energy consumption by powering off non-essential lighting and switching air-conditioning to more optimal temperatures, an i Light Forum guided tours and a Community Green Market at Tanjong Pagar.
i Light Singapore 2024 Timings
i Light Singapore 2024 will be held from 31 May to 23 June 2024, 7.30 pm to 11 pm daily with extended hours to 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free while charges apply for certain programmes
For full details, visit the i Light Singapore 2024 website.
