Friday, August 30, 2013

Sneak preview: The second weekend of Singapore Night Festival 2013

The Magic Melody. By Tigrelab. Singapore Art Museum façade
Photo courtesy of Jinha Kim Photography.

Are you wondering how to spend your nights this weekend? The Singapore Night Festival is back for its second weekend!

Other than discovering the hidden gems of the Singapore Night Festival, be a part of history-making by watching the mega stunts by J C Sum and 'Magic Babe' Ning. Otherwise, there are many other offerings to add a touch of surprise to your weekend at the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct.

Here is a sneak preview of the second weekend of the Singapore Night Festival:

Photo taken during the media preview, 29 Aug 2013.

The Water Vault
Mega Stunt by 'Magic Babe' Ning and J C Sum
Fri 30 Aug 2013, 10.00 p.m.
National Museum of Singapore facade

In this performance, 'Magic Babe' Ning will attempt an underwater escape from the Water Vault. The escape is not as simple as we would imagine. Shackled with chains and locks around her wrists, 'Magic Babe' Ning will have less than two minutes to free herself from the Water Vault.

During the performance, selected members from the audience could interact with the performers and physically touch some of the tools used by the performers.

To prepare for such a stunt, the performer has to train and heighten her endurance level to perform under extreme conditions. Would 'Magic Babe' Ning be able to escape from the Water Vault in time? The best way to find out is to catch this exciting performance put together by J C Sum and 'Magic Babe' Ning who are acknowledged by The Straits Times as "Asia's most famous illusionists". The duo has also received a first ever "Patrons of Magic" (2012) award given by the International Brotherhood of Magicians for their unparalleled contributions to the Singapore magic scene.

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Ultimate Inversion
Mega Stunt by J C Sum and 'Magic Babe' Ning
Sat 31 Aug 2013, 10.00 p.m.
National Museum of Singapore facade

This is a performance that will close the Singapore Night Festival with a breath-taking note. In this performance, J C Sum and 'Magic Babe' Ning will attempt the world's first ever tandem upside down strait jacket escape. This spectacular escape stunt is complex in nature. The duo will be strapped up in strait jackets and suspended upside down by their ankles, one person below the other, high up in the air from a single burning rope. Any forceful movement made by the duo could potentially tear the rope apart and be fatal.

During the media preview, I learnt from 'Magic Babe' Ning that this inversion stunt is a tribute to Harry Houdini who had performed stunts involving an escape from a strait jacket while hanging upside down.

Ultimate Inversion will be the world's first ever tandem upside down strait jacket escape. This performance has the potential to be a world record so if you wish to witness a record breaking moment in history, this is the show to watch.


Watch them attempt the world's first ever tandem upside down strait jacket escape.
Taken during the media preview.
Photo courtesy of Jinha Kim Photography.


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Moongrazing 
by OICSingapore
Fri 30 and Sat 31 Aug 2013
OIC Projection display: 7 p.m. - 2 a.m.
OIC live music and drawing
7.30 p.m., 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 11.30 p.m.
National Museum of Singapore facade

Watch the façade of the National Museum of Singapore transform itself into a canvas for local artists to showcase their creativity.  The projection display will be set to an original piece of music. MoonGrazing is a surrealistic abstract animation. See how the animation explores stories related to the moon through the eyes of the illustrators from OICSingapore.

If you cannot decide whether to check this out, the best way to get a preview of Moongrazing would be to watch this short animated loop (music by Affixen and Andy Yang): http://vimeo.com/73197062



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5 Streams
by Ibrahim Quraishi (BamBam Projects)
Fri 30 and Sat 31 Aug 2013
8.45 p.m., 9.45 p.m. and 10.45 p.m.
MAIN Ground
(Near National Museum of Singapore)

Watch how the team comes together to present a cross media performance/ installation involving explosive sounds, vocals, intense dance sequences, video streaming, live percussion and guitar. The overall effect was hypnotic to a large extent.

You may like to know that the three shows for each night are part of a trilogy. Each of the three shows every night is different from the other two shows. Would that give us enough reason to pitch a tent on the MAIN Ground to watch every single show of 5 Streams?

Closed-up photo of an act from 5 Streams.

5 Streams.

5 Streams.
Photo courtesy of Jinha Kim Photography.
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Koflow
Fri 30 and Sat 31 Aug 2013
10.30 p.m.
Singapore Management University 
U-Square

DJ Koflow has won many awards and accolades, and is one of the artist in his craft to listen out for. Koflow will be presenting a new free style collaboration with renowned musicians like Aya Sekine, Richard Jackson, Mohamed Noor and Casey Subramaniam specially for the Singapore Night Festival.

From the Singapore Night Festival programme booklet.


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Paper Monkey Theatre
Plaza Singapura, Outdoor Atrium
Fri 30 Aug, 8 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.
Sat 31 Aug, 8 p.m.

If you are bringing along your family members to Singapore Night Festival, you may like to be entertained by traditional Chinese hand puppets presented by the Paper Monkey Theatre. In this performance "The Three Big Bullies' by the Paper Monkey Theatre, the story is set in ancient China. How would this story unfold? Watch it to find out.

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Enjoy late night free admission to three NHB museums

Fri 23 and Sat 24 Aug 2013
Fri 30 and Sat 31 Aug 2013
7.00 p.m. - 2.00 a.m.
National Museum of Singapore
Peranakan Museum
Singapore Art Museum

If you have always wanted to visit the exhibition, Princely Treasures: From the House of Liechtenstein, and yet had not been free to catch it during the museum's regular visiting hours, the Singapore Night Festival will present a wonderful opportunity for you to visit this exhibition from 7.00 p.m. - 2.00 a.m. free-of-charge! On the nights of 30 and 31 Aug 2013! Even though I have visited this exhibition at least six times, this is still an exhibition that I will keep going back for!

Be prepared to queue to visit this exhibition. The wait will be worthwhile especially if you love the works of artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and so forth.



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What will entice you to attend the Singapore Night Festival?

SINGAPORE NIGHT FESTIVAL
Fri 23 and Sat 24 Aug 2013,
Fri 30 and Sat 31 Aug 2013.
7.00 p.m. - 2.00 a.m.
Free Admission
www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival
Download Official Map (pdf)
Download Official Guide (pdf)

Acknowledgements: Special thanks to the National Heritage Board for the invitation to the Media Preview of this weekend's Singapore Night Festival. Special thanks to Belinda Tan and Jinha Kim Photography for the permission to use some of their photographs, so beautifully taken. Note: Jinha Kim is the exclusive official photographer of the Singapore Night Festival 2013.

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Please also check out:
A magical final weekend at the Singapore Night Festival by Jerome Lim

Asia's Top Magic Duo To Close Singapore Night Festival 2013 With World's-First Mega Stunts, WebWire

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