i Light Marina Bay 2012

From now until the 1 April 2012 you can catch some stunningly beautiful art installations each and every night in the Marina Bay area.  The second i Light Marina Bay, Asia's first and only sustainable light art festival has just taken up residency, officially opening last Friday night.  I was lucky enough to get a preview of some of the pieces earlier last week before the official opening, but having also now seen them over the weekend too they are well worth taking the time out to look at and enjoy if you are in the area.

The theme for this year's display is 'Light Meets Asia' and features more than thirty innovative and environmentally sustainable light art installations, with a strong focus on works from Asia.  Visitors can also enjoy a whole host of interactive fringe events and activities as well, including weekend night carnivals and various performances, free movie screenings, a photography competition and photography workshops as well as free guided tours of the installations on weekends by student volunteers from Temasek Polytechnic.  For more information about all the installations and all of the activities taking place take a look at the i Light Marina Bay 2012 website.

In keeping with the theme of environmental sustainability the festival's curatorial team have worked closely with all the artists involved to ensure the use of recyclable materials and in adopting energy-efficient lighting technologies in their art installations, as well as also working with their festival partners to manage resources and minimise waste.  Alongside this the festival is also being supported by stakeholders in the Marina Bay area through the, 'switch off, turn up' campaign.  This encourages properties to be more energy efficient by turning off non-essential lighting and turning up air-conditioning temperatures.  Take a look here for a list of those properties committed to the 'switch off, turn up' campaign.

The following are some photos of just a few of the installations that have particularly caught my eye so far.  Personally I was particularly drawn to these pieces for the vibrancy of the colours and the way lighting has been used to create the desired effects.  However all the pieces I've seen have been beautiful creations to be admired.

After Light (2012) - Storybox, New Zealand
Key Frames (2011) - Groupe LAPS, France
















I was fascinated by this installation (above) and the way in which the colours and design altered in an almost hypnotic fashion as I stood mesmerised by it.  Similarly the art projection on to the outside of the ArtScience Museum (below) was beautiful.  Representing the natural world in its journey through a single day it is worth watching from the helix bridge (though it can be viewed from several vantage points around the Marina Bay area) here you can enjoy an uninterrupted view and the music that accompanies this piece.

Garden of Light (2012) - Hexogon Solution, Singapore

This installation (below) had all of us captivated and saw many trying to stand in just the right place so that the laser beams of light were projected on to us.  Entitled The Gate this drew me in and really made me want to enter in (if I had been able to) to see what lay waiting on the other side.


The Gate (2007) - Li Hui, China




Bibigloo (2011) - BIBI, France

I was drawn to both these installations for the colour use in them.  The Bibigloo piece (above) because the vibrancy of the red really stood out against the darkness and similarly for the colours used in the Coral Garden piece (below) as well.  The Bibigloo installation is actually made from 250 polyethylene jerry cans and is a contemporary replacement for the conventional ice igloo, with the artist highlighting global warming and the decline in polar ice caps through it.  Coral Garden was inspired by coral reefs, bringing attention on the negative impact of human practices on reefs, and I personally think is a beautiful and inspiring piece.  I loved the differing colours and the fact that the installation was constructed entirely from transparent cocktail stirrers!



Coral Garden (2012) - Olivia d'Aboville, Philippines/France



There are some truly amazing and interesting pieces on display to enjoy and immerse yourself in.  They are all worth exploring and are guaranteed to have you fascinated and leave you curious.  These photos are only a few of the installations currently on display though, go and see and decide for yourself which is your favourite.



i Light Marina Bay 2012 is on now until 1 April 2012, daily 7.30pm to 11.00pm, Marina Bay Waterfront and admission is free.

You can also download the accompanying iPhone application from iTunes.  Search for i Light Marina Bay.

To note: In the event of bad weather, outdoor events and activities may be cancelled, but light art installations will still be on.  Check with staff at the Info Kiosk for latest updates or call +65 6290 5702.

Thank you to Marina Bay and the Urban Redevelopment Authority for the opportunity to preview these artworks.

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