Thai artists light up the Singapore sky
Thai interactive art creators Living Spirits debut their light installation “Chandelier of Spirits” inspired by the morning beverage habits of office workers and symbolising Singapore’s workforce at the light art festival i Light Marina Bay 2018.
Selected as one of 22 light art installations by international artists from 14 countries, “Chandelier of Spirits” is on display until Sunday (April 1).
Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore and now in its sixth edition, the festival features installations designed with energy-saving lighting, recycled or environmentally-friendly materials, reinforcing Marina Bay’s position as a sustainable precinct, and reminding festival goers and the public to adopt eco-aware habits in their everyday lives.
Living Spirits is a collective that listens, observes, questions, creates conversation, and makes connections with people through arts. They believe there are two sides to every story, and their main goal is to tell stories that cannot be seen with our eyes but only with our hearts.
Through their artwork, they invite interaction in order to complete the art’s message. With the help of technology, they strive to create the most meaningful interaction with the art. Social issues inspire the concept of their work but they let each audience complete the story via their interaction. The artwork is a synergy of people, technology and art.
Coffee is an essential drink for many of the office workers in Singapore and Thailand who contribute to the country’s growth and success. As a symbol of the hard-working and can-do spirit of Singapore’s workforce, more than 1,400 cold brew coffee bottles were collected to create this installation which lights up the city after sunset, the same way they light up our energy during the daytime. Chandelier of Spirits is a light installation art that can also interact with people who visit. The lights will shine and flicker as more people approach the works and dim when people are away.
“I’ve always been drawn to interactive arts, museums and light arts. Every time I travel to one of these events, I always ask myself what makes a quality artwork on an international level – my dream is to one day to be able to display my work amongst the world’s greatest artists. The debut of Chandeliers of Spirits at this festival is a great milestone and accomplishment for the team. We would not be here if it wasn’t for the hard work of my lead artist, designer and production team. To see a year of hard work come to fruition is one of the moments,” said Sasis Suwonpakprak, the founder of Living Spirits.
This year’s festival offers a showcase of 22 light art installations from Singapore, Canada, Poland, Hungary, Spain, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Thailand. Three of these installations are created with used bottles and containers contributed by the community and by corporate partners.
The works are illuminated nightly from 7.30 to 11, extending to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, around the Marina Bay waterfront and Esplanade Park. Admission is free.
Editor: John Li