Immerse yourself into the world of French painter Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) at Impressions of Monet at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome. This two-part multi-sensory experience that combines the natural beauty of flowers with breathtaking visuals that celebrate the works of the Impressionists.
Impressions of Monet at Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay: A Two-part Experience
The Impressions of Monet experience consists of two parts.
Impressions of Monet: The Garden is a floral display that recreates the landscapes of the renowned gardens of Monet’s home in Giverny, France. The garden was the subject of many of his paintings.
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Impressions of Monet: The Experience is a multi-sensory immersive experience that celebrates the works and life of Monet and his contemporaries. It is jointly presented by Gardens by the Bay and NEON.
Impressions of Monet: The Garden
Upon entering the Flower Dome, you will be immediately greeted by a display featuring a palette of blues, whites and purples. These flowers complement the replica painting of Monet’s famous water lilies. Step closer and you will be drawn to the three ponds with water lilies inside.
This is the first time water lilies have been featured in a Gardens by the Bay’s floral display. It also sets the tone for what awaits down at the Flower Field, the first part of the experience Impressions of Monet: The Garden.
Inspired by Monet’s gardens in his home in Giverny, France, the Flower Field has been turned into a radiant burst of colours.
This flower display is the first at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome to make use of multiple types of flowers to reflect what would be seen at Monet’s celebrated garden during the peak of summer.
There are over 18,000 plants across 40 species including Hollyhock, Larkspurs, Foxgloves and more.
The Flower Dome, with its glass roof allowing light to stream in, is the perfect setting for showing off what it must have been like to be inspired by such colours to paint plein air.
The famous garden was often the subject of many of Monet’s most famous paintings like the Water Lilies. There is a water lily pond recreated amongst the floral display at the Flower Field, as well as a re-creation of the Japanese Bridge that was found in the artist’s garden.
Impressions of Monet also provides a look at Claude Monet’s life.
Recreated are his salon and reading, intimate spaces where he would retreat away to during the 43 years that he stayed at Giverny.
Monet’s famous pink house has also been recreated at the Flower Dome along with scenes from the house’s adjoining garden, which was called Clos Normand, and the land at the bottom of Clos Normand that Monet acquired and was called the Water Garden.
Step inside the house and imagine how Monet lived.
You can also find a statue of the artist painting away amidst the flowers.
An interesting point to note is the way that Gardens by the Bay’s horticulturalists have made use of colours in the floral display in front of the pink house.
Monet’s early paintings featured vibrant colours and clear details, with short, quick brushstrokes capturing light and atmosphere. As he aged, cataracts blurred his vision and dulled his perception of colours, leading him to use broader brushstrokes and more muted tones.
This change is subtly reflected in the colours of the plants in front of his house, where flowers of paler hues are closer to the house, which gradually transition to flowers with darker, more vivid colours the further from the house.
This is a sublime botanical analogy for Monet’s deteriorating eyesight and the impact on his artistic vision, as well as a tribute to his enduring dedication to his art despite this.
Impressions of Monet: The Experience
Once you have finished admiring the flowers at Impressions of Monet: The Garden, make your way to the Flower Field Hall where part two, Impressions of Monet: The Experience, awaits.
This multi-sensory experience celebrates the works and life of Claude Monet and his fellow Impressionists.
Impressions of Monet: The Experience begins with Vivid Dreams, an informative section that charts Claude Monet’s life.
This segues into a series of panels that highlight fellow Impressionists like Camille Pissarro, Edouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas and their art.
Then step into a tunnel decorated with Monet’s Impression, Sunrise, the seminal work that led to the term Impressionist being coined, and enter Beneath the Flowerbed, where flowers form the backdrop as you transition into The Experience.
Night at the Lily Pond is filled with images of wisterias and water lilies projected on the walls. Glimmers of light create glistening reflections on the waters of the water lily pond.
This immersive section of Impressions of Monet: The Experience is an interpretation of Monet’s beloved gardens that became a recurrent theme in his paintings. It almost feels as if you have stepped into one of Monet’s water lilies paintings.
At the Immersive Gallery space, visitors are treated to a stunning display of Impressionist works.
Accompanied by a classical soundtrack, visitors will be able to marvel at the full breadth of the Impressionist movement through a stunning display of famous, inspirational images of the Impressionists’ works.
Breathtaking paintings by the Impressionists are projected at an enormous scale, providing a close-up look at the bold brushstrokes of Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas and many more.
The entire video sequence is quite long but, for those who can afford the time (we estimated we spent around half-an-hour watching the video), it is a great way to relax on a bean bag and slow down to appreciate the beauty of the Impressionists’ works.
There is also an olfactory element at the Immersive Gallery with nature-based scents engaging the sense of smell to create an impressionist experience in itself.
For those who wish to take home a souvenir, there is a gift shop after the Immersive Gallery.
Impressions of Monet: The Experience is created and produced by Grande Experiences and uses SENSORY4™ immersive technology to bring art to life.
Impressions of Monet: A Multi-Faceted Experience
Impressions of Monet is one of the best displays that we have seen staged at the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay. Its use of multiple varieties of flowers, alongside replicas of his art, gives vibrancy to the floral tribute to Claude Monet and the work that he poured his life into.
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Juxtaposing The Experience with The Garden provides greater perspective and insight into the Impressionist movement. The Experience, with its use of immersive digital media, feels like an exploration into the mind of the Impressionists and complements the beauty of The Garden.
Impressions of Monet: The Garden will run until 17 September 2024 while Impressions of Monet: The Experience will be available for a limited time.
Tickets are available from www.gardensbythebay.com.sg.
Singapore residents enjoy complimentary entry to Impressions of Monet: The Experience from Mondays to Thursdays with a Flower Dome ticket purchase. For visits on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Singapore Public Holidays, the Flower Dome + Impressions of Monet: The Experience tickets for Singapore Residents is $27 for adults and $23 for children and seniors.
Non-residents have to purchase a combined Cloud Forest and Flower Dome ticket, which includes access to Impressions of Monet: The Experience.
If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy reading about The Hidden Forest at the Cloud Forest dome.
