i Light Singapore 2023 is returning to illuminate Marina Bay from 1 to 25 June 2023. Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and presented by DBS, Asia’s leading sustainable light festival will transform the Bay into a visual playground replete with new immersive light art installations and programmes that promise to delight the senses. The Festival will also expand to two new locations – South Beach and Millenia Walk –  to offer festival goers fresh experiences and bring the artworks closer to more people.

i Light Singapore 2023 is curated to the theme of A New Wave and anchored on the colour blue – a wavelength on the visible light spectrum[1] that is omnipresent in nature’s blue spaces such as oceans and rivers and often associated with emotions such as calmness and serenity. Visitors are invited to reflect on our natural environment by immersing themselves in creative light art installations and interactive programmes and be inspired to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Mr Lim Eng Hwee, Chief Executive Officer, URA said, “We look forward to enlivening Marina Bay once again with the return of i Light Singapore. This year, visitors can immerse themselves in a brand-new line-up of creative artworks. At the same time, I encourage everyone to take a pause to contemplate our relationship with the environment. Through their experiences with the delightful artworks and programmes, we hope that visitors can be inspired to embrace sustainability as part and parcel of our everyday lives.”

i Light Singapore 2023 – Getting in touch with our natural environment through innovative and multi-sensory experiences

Behind this year’s line-up of artworks is a diverse group of artists – from talented local creatives, acclaimed international names to budding student designers – who had drawn inspiration from the colour blue and leveraged innovative technology to develop enthralling pieces that evoke immersive experiences.

One example is Glacier Dreams, a large-scale projection on the façade of ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands by renowned Turkish-American media artist Refik Anadol. This intriguing artwork transforms visual data on the world’s glaciers into Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based multi-sensory narratives to raise awareness of rising sea levels and climate change.

Trumpet Flowers by Sydney-based art collective, Amigo & Amigo, is a whimsical artwork that celebrates the beauty of nature by surrounding visitors with towering flower sculptures ranging from two to six metres tall, and inviting them to play with interactive keys to compose a unique sound and light show inspired by their emotions.

Next, Singaporean collective Plug & Play invites visitors to dance and let loose in front of Block Party, an interactive installation where gardens bloom spontaneously over the facades of Singapore familiar public housing blocks in response to movement. Through light-hearted interactions, the artwork aims to remind us of the power we wield to shape our surroundings and make a difference to the environment.

Complementing the artworks is Lightwave: Turning the Tide, presented by Alibaba Cloud, a new immersive light experience at The Promontory. Here, visitors will be invited to embark on a journey to a future where rising sea levels have submerged humans in an underwater world. Through compelling and thought-provoking light displays across three chapters, visitors can contemplate the repercussions of human actions on the environment, and reflect on how they can make a change to turn the tide.

i Light Singapore 2023 – New artwork locations to offer fresh experiences and inspirations

This year, the Festival will also host artworks at South Beach and Millenia Walk, in partnership with South Beach Consortium and Pontiac Land.

South Beach will play host to two student artworks. Bleached by students from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media invites visitors to wander across a simulated ocean floor adorned with “seaweed” and “corals” that are either upcycled from single-use plastics or made from seaweed bioplastics developed by the artists themselves. These ’reefs’ turn white when they sense movement, connoting the fate of marine ecosystems under threat from degradation. On the other hand, Show III by students from James Cook University and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts makes use of audio-visual effects to simulate a shower experience and provide a space for self-contemplation, including reflections on our water usage habits.

Over at Millenia Walk, visitors can look forward to Prism by Malaysian artist Jun Ong, an installation that transforms from a natural light shaft in the day to a glowing beacon of artificial lighting at night, creating an ever-changing interplay of colours that evoke a calming experience for visitors.

i Light Singapore 2023 – Pledging commitments for a greener future

In addition to the light art installations, visitors can participate in meaningful initiatives to learn more about green practices and do their part to build a sustainable future.

i Light Singapore will continue its partnership with susGain, a local social enterprise championing sustainability, on i Light i Pledge, presented by Alibaba Cloud. This year, the public can pledge their commitment to eco-conscious practices through two initiatives. Firstly, the Switch Off, Turn Up (SOTU) pledge calls for all to switch off non-essential lightings and turn up air-conditioning temperatures. Extended to the public and schools for the first time this year, SOTU has been a key component of i Light Singapore since its inception in 2010, having most recently galvanised over 100 building owners, corporations and businesses to reduce energy consumption in the 2022 edition.

The second pledge, Be a Zero Hero, encourages all to adopt zero waste habits such as reducing usage of single-use items. For each pledge submitted by participants up to the first 5,000 pledges, All Clear – a sustainability enterprise providing offshore and ocean clean-ups – will remove 100g of waste from Singapore waterways. As such, up to 500kg of waste will be removed as an outcome of the pledge. The public can stand to win attractive prizes by taking part in i Light i Pledge, presented by Alibaba Cloud here.

i Light Singapore 2023 – DBS as presenting sponsor for the second year running

For the second year, i Light Singapore will be presented by DBS, which shares the vision to inspire sustainability conversations and turn them into collective action.

Han Kwee Juan, Country Head of DBS Singapore said, “DBS is glad to return as the presenting sponsor of i Light Singapore 2023. The Festival’s message about inspiring reflection, appreciation and collective action towards a better future is one that deeply resonates with us, especially as we continue to navigate a world fraught with uncertainty. This year, our concept is ‘Let Your Inner Spark Shine’ – we invite visitors to journey through a series of experiences that can help them find strength and beauty, and realise how their inner light can illuminate the world around them through actions. These actions may seem small on their own but together, they can impact lives and create a brighter and better Singapore.”

i Light Singapore 2023, presented by DBS, will be held from 1 to 25 June 2023, 7.30pm to 11.00pm daily with extended hours to 12.00am on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free, while charges apply for certain programmes. Visit www.ilightsingapore.gov.sg for more information.