i Light Marina Bay 2014

i Light Marina Bay is back again this year washed in a multicoloured glow! Held for the third time this year, i Light Marina Bay aims to delight visitors to the Bay with creative light installations, and at the same time raise awareness of sustainability through 28 specially curated light art installations by local and international artists from 11 countries, including China, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Singapore. From now till 30 March 2014, the festival will be powered by energy savings from a “Switch off, Turn up” campaign, that is meant to offset the energy and power used by the light installations.

Before you head down, plan your trip using this trusty map.

One of my favourite light installation is the creation of  local artist Justin lee, Celebration of Life (B14), a playful commentary on the role and value of traditional culture in our contemporary society. This installation is projected on the façade of the ArtScience Museum.

Celebration of Life show timing starts from 8.15pm til 10.45pm at every 15 mins interval.

Happy Croco (A4), a luminous 20m long sculpture, whose backbone is made of traffic cones.

The Wishing! Tree (A2) represents the positive hopes and dreams of visitors wishing the best for our world.

This installation is pretty interesting. iSwarm (A3) is a swarm of luminous “sea creatures” that interact with passers-by. Subtle and hardly visible by day, iSwarm comes alive at night. As daylight fades, the cells of iSwarm illuminate the waters of Marina Bay with fluorescent light reminiscent of natural phenomena such as bioluminescent algae or the Aurora Borealis.

Bedazzled (A5) brings people closer to the natural starry night sky that has been gradually lost due to light pollution. Experience the wonder of stars in a truly dark sky with animated constellations as you step into the installation, showcasing the importance of the richness that the universe offers and what we can offer the universe in return.

The Land of Reverie (B13) tells the story of a girl, Sapphire and her journey through a new world. This installation seeks to inspire everyone to play a part in creating an eco-friendly environment and hopes to inspire all through an interesting journey towards a better future for all.

#WeHeartLight (A8) is made up of a simple light box, personalised with images and text, with red as the predominant colour for half of these boxes. Made and inspired entirely by the people who live in Singapore.

Floating Hearts (A10) is presented as a wall of illuminated hearts, which invites people to play with it to form new visual spectacles with each contact.

The Guardian Angels (A12) echoes the preservation of the garden and plants and by extension, nature. It highlights the role of the human and pays an indirect tribute to gardeners and artificially created nature. The work also points out that the growth of plants and trees is only possible with the contribution of three natural elements: light (sun), water and earth.

**Insert Caption Please (A11) is a giant speech bubble that displays thoughts and messages akin to comic strips. This installation is a creative approach that beckons the audience to react to these heart-felt comments that are thought-provoking, witty and at times, humorous.

The Digital Wattle (B11) is a device to explore the interplay between individual ethnic groups co-existing in one city. When the flowers sway gently in the wind, they will slowly change from pure white to different colours to represent the new mix of cultures residing in the city. In the process, it brings a slice of nature into our urban environment.

1.26 Singapore (B10) form and content has been drawn from observing Earth’s interconnected systems. The colorful volumetric piece takes the shape of a tsunami sweeping across the ocean. The installation is made of Honeywell Spectra fibre, a material that is 15 times stronger than steel by weight. The knotted mesh can withstand high winds, but is engineered specifically to imitate the intricacy of handmade lace.

CLOUD (B9) illuminates the curatorial themes of i Light Marina Bay 2014. Created from both new and recycled materials, combining the aesthetic of incandescent light bulbs with the brilliance of energy-efficient bulbs, CLOUD creates a playful commentary about the changing face of sustainability.

This is one of the interactive installation called 3D Tic-Tac-Toe (B3) that takes reference from a game that most people will find familiar – Tic Tac Toe. It is presented as a multi-player game, retaining the original concept of winning by getting three in a row, straight or diagonal. Having 27 cubes instead of just nine squares and teams of two playing against each other make the game more challenging with less chances of winning.

Giant Dandelions (B6) is a forest of 90 larger-than-life light flowers where people can freely walk through. The installation features flowers of varying heights. The 90 dandelion heads are made from close to 9,000 recycled water bottles that are cut and connected to one another by a nylon weave. Each flower is lit by an energy efficient bulb in order to create intensity variations within the forest.

The Wheels of Industry (B5) presents an unexpected fusion of a matt black three-wheeled Reliant Robin with colourful stained glass panels reworked from the vehicle’s original windows which are illuminated by visitors using a kinetic bicycle.

The concept of Flash (B12) revolves around the epithet “Little Red Dot”. Light emits through small gaps around the outer ring, creating a glowing effect in the night light whilst the inner ring serves as a main light source for the structure.

Light Marina Bay 2014 open nightly from 7 to 30 March 2014, 7.30pm to 11pm, around the Marina Bay waterfront. Admission is free.