2 quick questions. When was the first Light to Night Festival? What was its original purpose?
According to official literature, edition 2022 is the sixth, so the first was in 2017. As for purpose, that’s tougher to answer. Firstly, there’s (strangely) little information left online about the inaugural festival. Over the years, such as in 2019, the festival has also taken on additional identities.
Not to mention, it’s part of the Singapore Art Week too. Given its dates, some tourists I’ve spoken with assumed the festival is part of Lunar New Year celebrations.
Regardless, I think for most Singaporeans today, the Light to Night Festival is one of the key events to look forward to every January, outside of CNY lights and shopping. As some write-ups have noted, it’s one of the selfie/-gram events of January.
For me, I do enjoy going about the Civic District every January checking out the many light projections and art installations. That there are usually so many displays means I’ve never once managed to finish seeing everything within one evening too.
But that’s part of the allure of the festival, I guess. And a reason to look forward to the next edition each year.
“A Pursuit of New Perspectives and States of Mind”
Titled New Ways of Seeing, Thinking and Being, the synopsis for Light to Night Festival 2022 describes the programmes as an invitation to engage with fresh perspectives about our world.
I … honestly find that a little too open-ended in phrasing. (Although I used to write such statements when working in Corp Comms!) Thus, all I’ll say is, I enjoyed this year’s light projections. Compared to previous projections, I find the ones this year gentler and dreamier too.
Light Projections at Civic District Monuments
The usual 4 monuments are lit up. These being, the National Gallery, the Arts House, Victoria Theatre, and Asian Civilisations Museum. Particularly the accompanying soundscapes.
Art Installations and Exhibitions
As with previous years, there’s a variety of indoor and outdoor art installations/mini-exhibitions to enjoy.
The ones within National Gallery Singapore could be confusing, as some of them aren’t Light to Night Festival 2022 exhibits, but for other events such as Children’s Biennale 2021. Since they are all under one roof, though, I’d say forget about what-is-for-what, and just go ahead to enjoy what catches your eye.
This year’s festival lasts for three weeks and ends on Feb 3, 2022. Check the official festival calendar for activities, timings, exhibitions, etc!
Read my other Singapore posts.
