For a compact country, Singapore is a cultural haven jam-packed with things to do day and night. To give credence to the fact that there’s more – plenty more – to Singapore from sundown to sun-up, the Singapore Night Festival was conceived.
An artistic extravaganza that comes alive after-hours, the Singapore Night Festival features art forms and installations that are fresh, novel and even daredevil.
Set in Singapore’s heritage district of Bras Basah and Bugis, the festival is led by none other than the keeper of the country’s history and heritage, the National Museum of Singapore. Participated by various artists from around the world that somersault, sing, dance and beat percussions, the Singapore Night Festival, started only in 2008, is one great excuse to stay up late when you come visit.
The Singapore Night Festival 2013 will be held on the weekends of August 23 and August 31.
Here’s a photo primer on what awaits.
The National Museum of Singapore, the country’s oldest whose history dates back to early 19th century, is the main organizer of this festival, bringing to fore the country’s heritage and history through various artistic and cultural events in collaboration with local and international partners in the field of arts, music and theater. During the Night Festival, the NMS facade is transformed into a palette upon whose surface artists project mesmerizing lights.
Light installation is a novel art form that uses video projection on unlikely surfaces, in this case, the Singapore Art Museum building itself. The organizers invited light installation artists from France to visually stimulate the audience with mesmerizing effects.
Giant “eyeballs” stare back at you from the NMS facade, a visual effect achieved by installing parabolic devices and projecting upon them swirling patterns reminiscent of items as commonplace as, well, eyeballs.
Innovation is a recurrent theme in Singapore Night Festival, and what better way to express creativity than to repurpose discarded items and give them another lease on life as “fish” on a tree?
Singapore won’t be Singapore without infused Chinese elements such as the ubiquitous dragon. This red giant “monster” is an auspicious element in Chinese tradition and an icon paraded prominently during the Chinese New Year.
If the Chinese have their dragons, the Indians have their dance. (Ever wonder why every Bollywood movie is inundated with sing-and-dance performances?) Dance, to Hindu devotees, is a form of worship; “bhangra” is a Punjabi-style of seasonal dance performed during harvest.
During the Rio Carnival in Brazil, “blocos” or neighborhood bands participate in citywide concerts that happen simultaneously while dancers do the samba at the Sambadrome. Singapore’s take on “blocos” may not be as grand, but it is a fun way to get together with neighborhood girls and boys and make some noise.
Literally “brute force,” Fuerzabruta has been gracing the Night Festival since its inception, with dancers contorting into difficult positions while suspended in mid-air.
Busking, or the act of performing on streets for free or for a token (like coins tossed in a hat), has been performed by a number of notable music legends when they were just starting out. The Singapore Night Festival is an excellent venue to test the musical waters by busking along Bras Basah Road to a receptive audience eager to hear novel sounds.
