One of my resolutions for the new year is to be open to learning and experiencing new things.
And when I got the opportunity to visit Light to Night Singapore’s preview on Wednesday (Jan 7), I knew it would be a great step towards my goal.
With this being my first time attending the annual arts festival, I was not exactly sure what to expect.
The only aspect of the event I knew of was the light projections on various buildings along the Civic District such as the National Gallery, Asian Civilisations Museum and Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall — which I had seen in passing.
However, as I visited different installations and participated in festival programmes, I began to gain a better understanding of the world of art and its significance.
You could say I was… enlightened.
We started the evening off at the Padang with two key installations.
The first was Gathering on the Lawn by Taiwanese artist Michael Lin, which features batik-inspired lantern bags laid out on the field for visitors to interact with.
They can pick these bags up to pose for pictures, illuminate their path as they walk around the area, or even bring them back home as a souvenir.
Speaking to the media at the preview, Michael, 62, said that this art piece is special because it will not end at the door of a gallery or the edge of the Padang, but it will continue down the road with visitors and maybe into their cars or the MRT — even into their homes.
“I hope that it’s something that people will also be familiar with… There should be no barrier between you and the work,” he added.
Also located at the Padang is one part of Singaporean artist Firdaus Sani’s Rumah Laut (Coastal Home), which represents the legacy, displacement, and resilience of Singapore’s indigenous Orang Laut, or coastal communities.
Firdaus, a fourth-generation Orang Laut descendant, told AsiaOne that for the mostly nomadic community, their idea of home was often their houseboats — or Kajangs — and this four-metre-tall structure is a modern representation of them.
He hopes that through his installation, visitors will learn more about the history of the Orang Laut.
Firdaus, 37, also hopes to raise awareness about the fact that there are still indigenous communities around, which are trying to keep their culture and practices alive.
“As a descendant myself, what’s important to me is a continuation of my familial legacy,” he said, adding that it has been forged through the community’s relationship with nature, the sea, and one another.
The two other parts of his installation, located at the Art Connector and Asian Civilisation Museum (ACM) Green, also continue this message.
Speaking at ACM Green, Firdaus said that this part of Rumah Laut is inspired by bubu (handwoven fishing trap) making, which was practised by his elders and passed down for generations.
“It’s really something personal to me. It’s a reflection of what’s important to us and what’s important to the community as well,” he said. The artist also included the names of key community members — including his late grandfather — on the chairs in the installation to honour them.
As someone who had little knowledge about the rich culture and history of the Orang Laut, Firdaus’ installation painted a vivid image of what life used to be like for them, and I gained a new appreciation of how art can educate and encourage discussions after walking through Rumah Laut.
In addition to the installations, Light to Night’s iconic light projections also showcased works by various artists from different backgrounds.
One such piece was Flower Power by Noah Tan, a visual artist at Arts and Disability Singapore, as well as pianist and music educator Azariah Tan.
The projection combines motifs from Noah’s canvas paintings with an original composition by Azariah.
Speaking to AsiaOne, the musician said that this was the first time a piece he composed is being showcased in public and he was “really nervous” leading up to the day.
Azariah, who is deaf and uses hearing aids, explained that the progression of the composition reflects his life’s journey — from feeling hesitant in pursuing his passion for classical music, to getting his doctorate in piano performance.
21-year-old Noah, who has autism, was also at the location of the light projection with his mother. He shared that he had been looking forward to the day Flower Power would be displayed.
While feasting my eyes on the visual displays in the area, I also got to dig into some interesting dishes by Art X Social such as flavourful Rendang Sliders by Rempapa and Sushi Tacos by The Sohtt Collective.
Just when I started to break a sweat from walking outdoors, it was time for me to join in on one of the highlights of Light to Night’s programmes: content creator Zaki Hussain’s My Tour, My Rules at the National Gallery.
The tour, which is originally one hour long, was shortened to 20 minutes for the preview.
But this did not compromise the quality of the programme. It was surprisingly informative and I learned some fun facts about Singapore’s film history and icon P. Ramlee among other “rule-breakers” in the art world.
The tour also featured Zaki’s classic satirical humour, singing and dancing as well as multiple appearances by Faris Samri and Syakeel Kamaluddin.
They are known on social media as comedy and skit trio MatMigos.
Light to Night Singapore is part of Singapore Art Week and will run from Jan 9 to Jan 31 across the Civic District and other select locations such as CQ @ Clarke Quay, Plaza Singapura and Raffles City.
Entry is free, with ticketed programmes available for pre-booking on the festival website.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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