One of Singapore’s much-awaited events, Light to Night Singapore, is back. The 2025 edition of the festival will start today, January 17 and run till February 6.
A marquee event of Singapore Art Week, presented by National Gallery Singapore, the event will highlight visionary local artists, explore the diverse, multifaceted identities of the local communities under the theme “Do You See Me?”.
The theme, according to an official news release, underscores the Gallery’s collaboration with diverse artists and programmes, showcasing unique perspectives, including those from lesser-seen communities.
During the aforementioned period, Singapore’s Civic District will light up with over 70 artworks and programmes, including luminous projection mappings on iconic cultural landmarks, large-scale art installations, and engaging and immersive public programmes.
Ong Zhen Min, Executive Director of Light to Night Singapore 2025, said, “Guided by the theme, ‘Do You See Me?’, Light to Night Singapore 2025 explores the complex identities that make up our communities to prompt new perspectives on self, others, diversity and belonging. These resonate with the important milestones of the nation’s 60th birthday and the Gallery’s 10th anniversary, and we hope festival-goers will experience the impact and power of the arts in shaping discoveries of self and community through our exciting festival line-up.”
Light to Night Singapore is supported by Tote Board (Development Partner), National Arts Council (Strategic Partner), CapitaLand (Supporter), and matched by the Cultural Matching Fund.
Tan Choon Shian, Chief Executive of Tote Board, says, “Light to Night Singapore’s focus on identity captures our nation’s journey as we come together to deepen our sense of belonging and create lasting memories through community friendships, in celebration of SG60. Tote Board supports the festival once again this year, reaffirming our commitment to enriching Singapore’s vibrant arts scene and uniting diverse communities to build a caring, cohesive, and resilient society.”
Celebrating seminal figures in the local arts scene
The festival honours visionary artists who have shaped the vibrant visual arts scene and embody a bold sense of innovation.
Renowned local sculptor and Cultural Medallion recipient Han Sai Por presents Travelling Through the Tropical Rainforest, the centrepiece of the Padang. Her signature style of natural, organic forms – typically seen in her stone sculptures – will transform into six striking, large-scale inflatable sculptures that resemble tropical palms. Set against the cityscape and constructed from manmade materials, the work is a commentary on the interplay between the natural and urban environments in a city’s evolving landscape.
Since 2016, the Gallery has invited veteran and emerging artists from Singapore and Southeast Asia to create projection mapping works for Art Skins on Monuments, illuminating the facades of the cultural institutions across the Civic District during the festival.
This year, the works of three seminal artists will take over the Gallery’s façade, namely the late printmaker and Cultural Medallion recipient Chng Seok Tin, painter and Cultural Medallion recipient Goh Beng Kwan, and the late batik artist Jaafar Latiff. The projection mapping works by Chng Seok Tin and Jaafar Latiff, created in collaboration with Indonesian multimedia design studio ARAFURA, mark the first time the legacies of late artists are showcased on the Art Skins on Monuments. This was made possible through close collaboration with their artist estates.
The projection mappings on the facades of the Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House at the Old Parliament, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, and the dome roof of the Gallery’s Rotunda Library & Archive will also feature projection works by local artists Song-Ming Ang, Kapilan Naidu, TraseOne and students from School of The Arts, Singapore (SOTA).
“Do You See Me?” – To see and be seen
The theme, “Do You See Me?” is an invitation for festival-goers to see and be seen as they contemplate and unpack what may be regarded as conventional perceptions, and how they might see things from a different perspective and continue to envision our futures.
In line with the Gallery’s aim of fostering and inspiring a thoughtful and inclusive society, Claire Teo’s multi-sensory installation Through The Looking Glass inspired by her experiences as a visually impaired individual, and TraseOne’s light projection Now You See Us? on the evolution of Singapore’s graffiti scene (projected on the facade of The Arts House at the Old Parliament), shed light on lesser seen communities in Singapore, while also serving as a platform for them to tell their stories.
Light to Night Singapore 2025 will also be one of the stops of the travelling photo showcase for the International Migrants Day Photo Contest 2024, in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, to spotlight the talents and passion of the local migrant community.
In Return to Paradise (Play) located at Funan’s Underground Pedestrian Link, local artist Beverley Ng showcases Singapore in the 2000s as a time of carefree adventures and creativity. The installation features depictions of arcades, theme parks, and pasar malams as nostalgic sites of unforgettable memories. An extension of this work, Return to Paradise, will also be showcased at the Gallery’s Padang Atrium Corridor.
We’ll Make Heaven a Place on Earth by art collective Arterly Obsessed at the Asian Civilisations Museum, ACM Green is inspired by the timeless beauty of pagodas and the pursuit of spiritual connection. Visitors are invited to engage with the artwork’s inner structure, an infinity room illuminated by colourful LED lights.
Blades, Shrapnel is a performative installation that features a roving live performance art piece by local artist Ang Song Nian held at the Padang and Empress Lawn on selected days during the festival. The performance uses laser-emitting grass cutters to simulate synchronised grass-cutting activities, drawing attention to the unseen efforts that exist alongside our manicured landscapes. The grass cutters will be on display at the Gallery’s Former Supreme Court Foyer throughout the festival.
A Little Bead of Work by Singaporean artist Kray Chen at the Outdoor Lawn of The Arts House at the Old Parliament is an interactive installation that features thousands of glow-in-the-dark alphabet beads spread across nine shallow planter beds, inviting visitors to string together words and create bracelets – drawing inspiration from both high art and pop culture.
Bringing festival-goers together with something for everyone
Art-lovers, experience seekers, families, and friend groups will all have much to look forward to at Light to Night Singapore, with entertaining, immersive experiences, and exciting programmes.
For the first time, the Art X Social: Festival Street at St Andrew’s Road will be activated for all three weekends, bringing a plethora of sumptuous food and beverage options for visitors to enjoy, alongside roving live performances and games.
The Singapore Courtyard at the Gallery will be transformed into The Living Room, a cosy communal space adorned with colourful, cardboard-based furniture and lighting. Festival-goers can enjoy the space through interactive activities and programmes, such as artist talks, art workshops, and DJ sets by EATMEPOPTART, all tied to the festival’s theme.
Festival-goers may also look forward to a series of ticketed interactive artworks and programmes, including Singapore-based collective Rainshadow Studio’s Scarce City, an immersive installation experience which seeks to spark conversations on climate change and sustainability through interactive light gameplay. Escaped the Art produced by Strawberries Inc. is an interactive theatre experience where participants can solve the mystery of figures from the past who have escaped from their artworks.
During the weekends, visitors may also look forward to a diverse and vibrant range of free performances as part of Gallery Gigs and Resonates With Residency, which includes DJ sets, musical performances, dance, and theatre.
Light to Night Singapore 2025: Do You See Me?
Light to Night Singapore 2025 runs from 17 January to 6 February across the Civic District, with activations at National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, The Arts House at the Old Parliament, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and Funan. Entry is free, with ticketed programmes available for pre-booking on the festival website.
The Gallery’s opening hours will also be extended to 11pm during festival weekends (Friday to Sunday) as part of its Open House, offering free entry to all exhibitions, including the SG Artist series of solo exhibitions dedicated to local trailblazers Kim Lim, Lim Tze Peng, and Teo Eng Seng.
