Second weekend of Singapore Night Festival 2015 - Glimpses of humanity

Photo source: Bras Basah.Bugis FB page.

After a fantastic first weekend of the Singapore Night Festival 2015, will you be game for more during the second weekend of the Singapore Night Festival 2015?

The second weekend, while enjoying the glitz and glamour of the nights, I shall look out for programmes that will remind us of our shared humanity. We are so different yet we are so similar and interconnected. So here are my special picks for the second weekend:

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Before the show.

Lost Vegas
By Frankie Malachi (Singapore)
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
7 p.m.
Free admission with registration

The puppets maneuvered by the award-winning puppeteers, Frankie Malachi, may not be real human beings, yet under the skilled hands of puppeteer, they communicate glimpses of humanity. We love, and we fear. We experience sadness, joy, anger and more. Frankie is a pioneer in the use of giant puppets, marionette puppetry and black-light puppetry in Singapore.

News: As of 26 Aug 20115, 5.30 p.m., all tickets to Lost Vegas shows have been taken up.

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Garden of Angels.

Photo source: Bras Basah.Bugis FB page.

Garden of Angels - Performance
By Theater TOL (Belgium)

Parade starting from Armenian Street
28 and 29 Aug 2015 
8.00 p.m. (30 minutes)

National Museum of Singapore, Front Lawn

28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015

9.00 p.m., 11.00 p.m. (25 mins show)

Are you someone who likes the paintings of Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall, whose works were based on emotional association? One essential feature of being human is that we experience emotions. How would a dance move, a facial expression and a body gesture be associated to our emotions?

For the Night Festival supporters who would be willing to wait till the second weekend of this year's festival, they will find themselves joining dancers, musicians and more in a surreal and vibrant parade that will start at 8 p.m. from the Armenian Street. The parade culminates at the National Museum of Singapore.

As the title of this performance suggests, with a bit of imagination, be prepared to witness an aerial carousel of angels descending from the heavens. Don't many of us hope for miracles in our lives?

May we find enough hope and miracles in our lives.

Rehearsal: Theater TOL Armenian Street.

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Bugis Street. At Cheng Yan Place.

One of the Festival Specials:

Bugis Street
Cheng Yan Place
29 Aug 201
8 p.m. - 12 midnight

This may be the festival special for anyone who would like to catch a one-night only glimpse of Bugis Street in the glitzy days of its past. Those were the days when it was the international go-to place for fun, comedy, cabarets and more. Expect to see staged flamboyantly-dressed women and sailors posing for photographs and dancing to the tunes. This festival special at Bugis Street aptly reveals a common humanity's interest in having fun, lots of fun? Our definition of fun can be subjective however.

Tip: To enjoy the best of this one-night only glamourous Bugis Street event, it could help to leave the children at home or have them being well-supervised and entertained at one of the museums, especially the SAM@8Q, while the adults check this out. While this event does not have adult-only content, we would prefer not to have too many inquisitive questions from our young ones that we could not answer, won't we?

Please keep our expectations moderate for this. This festival special is actually not one of the main highlights of the Night Festival. However, I have chosen to bring special attention to it because it is an one-night only event that will attempt to offer a glimpse of the past flamboyant nights of Bugis Street.

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Eat@Festival Village
SMU Green
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
SMU Campus Green

A trip to the Singapore Night Festival 2015 will not be complete without checking out the Festival Village to enjoy performances by the local artistes. Furthermore, there will be a number of specialty pop-up food stalls reminding us that we human beings need food to survive. Take the MRT train to Bras Basah MRT station to head for the SMU Campus Green.

Being a biased and picky eater, my personal favourite are:
Spinacas for its Meaty Nachos - for the meat-lover who thrives on protein

The quarters - The durian creme brulee is a dessert for the durian lover.

Swag - for people who love having vegetables or like an option that is vegetarian.
Nomad - The Gallant - For its satay-in-a-cup, the affogato and beverages.

Spinacas

The durian creme brulee (duriancanboleh)

Swag

Nomad - The Gallant

The rest of the food stalls also serve delicious food. Could you share with me your verdict please?

More information on Eat@Festival Village can be found here: http://nightfest.sg/festivals-programmes/programmes/festival-village-eat-and-shop

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Garden of Angels. By Theater TOL.

In addition to the above-mentioned picks, you are welcomed to customize and design your own Singapore Night Festival 2015 itinerary by browsing through the Singapore Night Festival 2015's festival website: http://nightfest.sg

Please be reminded that most of the night lights from the first weekend will continue to be showcased during the second weekend, so you could refer to my earlier blog-post: Singapore Night Festival 2015 - Glitz and Glamour for an option or two.

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Singapore Night Festival 2015
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
http://nightfest.sg
https://www.facebook.com/brasbasahbugis

Zone 1: National Museum of Singapore (The main festival zone)
Zone 2: Armenian Street (The edgy and experimental festival zone where music, song and dance take centre stage)
Zone 3: House of Glamour (An eclectic mix of ticketed local performances on Cathay Green)
Zone 4: Festival Village (Local bands, buskers, flea market and pop-up food kiosks)
Zone 5: SAM and Queen Street (The artistic activities gather here)

Festival Tip: Choose one or two zones from this year's Singapore Night Festival 2015 and focus on enjoying what the zone/s has to offer for the night. After which, visit the Singapore Night Festival on another night to check out another zone.

Festival Tip #2: Travel by public transport, especially by MRT train, as there will be road closure and slow traffic on the roads of the vicinity. The nearby MRT stations are: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall.

Singapore Nights Festival 2015 - Glitz and Glamour

Singapore Night Festival 2015
Image credit: ©Belinda Tan
Many thanks to Belinda Tan for giving permission to use this set of photos.

This year is Singapore's Golden Jubilee. To celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence, the Singapore Night Festival this year is set to be on a celebratory and dazzling mood. There will be an exciting line-up of performances, aerial displays and light installations that will transform the festival grounds of the Bras Basah, Bugis district into an iconic night-time extravaganza of arts, culture and festivity. Bask in the Glitz and Glamour of the nights!

With a great variety of festival programmes, night lights and many other events happening over the two upcoming weekends, i.e. Fridays and Saturdays, 21 and 22 Aug, 28 and 29 Aug 2015, which will be the ones will be worthy to check out with our loved ones and friends?

Here are my picks that will be appealing to most of us:

Fields in Bloom.

Fields in Bloom
By School of the Arts (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
School of the Arts (SOTA), West Plaza Steps

Some of the most beautiful objects on Earth are made of the simplest and most common kind of material. This light installation is an interactive night light in which visitors will be invited to shine UV-torchlight on the paper flowers have been painted with glow-in-light paint. Fields in Bloom seeks to inspire a sense of wonder and enchantment within a harsh concrete environment.

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SPARK!
One of their roving performances. At Armenian Street.

Singapore Night Festival 2015
SPARK! By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)

Image credit: ©Belinda Tan

SPARK!
By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015

Roving Performance begins at School of the Arts (SOTA)
School of the Arts (SOTA) steps: 7.30 p.m. - 7.50 p.m.,
Singapore Management University, Campus Green/ Festival Village: 8.30 p.m. - 8.45 p.m.,
Armenian Street: 9.30 p.m. - 9.50 p.m.,
National Museum of Singapore: 11.10 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.
(Performance times are approximate)

For music lovers who love to be on the move, please join five mysterious characters made of light and sound on an immersive journey through the festival grounds. These drummers will be dressed in fascinating LED light to interact with the audience. Expect a performance involving high-impact drumming, exuberant music, beautiful lighting design, dynamic choreography and dazzling costumes. How far will you be able to follow them through their journey?

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The Garden of Fire and Light
Starlight Alchemy
Singapore Art Museum Front Lawn

Photo credit: ©Ng Cheng Kiang
Starlight Alchemy.
Singapore Night Festival 2015.
Many thanks to Ng Cheng Kiang for giving me permission to use this beautifully taken photo.

The Garden of Fire and Light
By Starlight Alchemy
21 and 22 Aug 2015
8.00 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 11.00 p.m.
Singapore Art Museum, Front Lawn

Fire, LED light and the magic of choreography - all these elements combined with a variety of aerial and large custom-made fire props and LED technology performance props to bring together spectacular performances by the Starlight Alchemy.

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A Little Nonya's Dream.
Photo Credit: ©Belinda Tan

A Little Nonya's Dream
By Brandon Tay (Singapore), Stéphanie Ronzon (France) and Fred Multier (France)
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, The Salon, Level 1

This night light is an enduring pop-up projection mapping that appears as an 'open book' in a dark room. This installation tells of the dreams of the Nonya girl through the animations by three different animators. I like the background music too.

Tip: This is best appreciated when there are less than fifty people in The Salon. We will be in great luck if there are less than ten persons in The Salon to savour this miniature night light together.

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The Anooki Celebrate Singapore

The Anooki Celebrate Singapore
By David Passegand and Moetu Batlle (France)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, Façade

In the tropical climate of Singapore, would there be times when we have wishful-thinking that we could be in the icy cold Arctic? In this night light installation, the Anooki, the world's smallest and adorable Inuits come to the National Museum of Singapore to celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence with their dances and songs. The Anooki reminded me of this key-word: resilience.

Tip for visitors with young children and visitors who prefer to stay away from the crowd: Consider checking out this night light installation from 23 - 27 Aug 2015, 7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. instead. It is expected that there will be less of a crowd from 23 - 27 Aug 2015. This would mean that your family will be more likely to enjoy this heartwarming night light installation at your own pace. Bring along a picnic-mat to lie down and enjoy The Anooki Celebrate Singapore.

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Pixels Wave 2015.
National Design Centre.

Pixels Wave 2015
By Miguel Chevalier (France) with Carolyn Kan and Depression (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Design Centre, Atrium Level 1
111 Middle Road

The festival seems to love the idea of magic. The giant light carpet inside the National Design Centre featuring multi-coloured graphic scenes and geometric patterns that react to visitor movement and interaction will transport visitors to a brand new world. I am reminded of the 1001 nights from Arabian Nights. Do not be alarmed if the kaleidoscopic floor feels as if it was shifting. This is optical illusion at work.

Tip: Take a lift up to the 3rd level of the National Design Centre and enjoy a view of Pixels Wave from a greater height.

Pixels Wave 2015.

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In addition to the above-mentioned picks, please customize and design your own Singapore Night Festival 2015 itinerary by browsing through the Singapore Night Festival 2015's festival website: http://nightfest.sg

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Eat@Festival Village
SMU Green
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
SMU Campus Green

Nomad - The Gallant will be serving specialty coffee at the Singapore Night Festival.
Find them at Stall #11 at Eat and Shop @Festival Village, SMU Green.
One of the best way to stay awake throughout the night is to treat ourselves to a cup of specialty coffee.

For people who would like to treat themselves with dinner or supper before they embark on a Singapore Night Festival's adventure, please take note that there will be a series of food and beverage as well as merchandise stalls at the Festival Village at the Singapore Management University (SMU), Campus Green from 6.00 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. during the two weekends of the Singapore Night Festival 2015. So it could help to start the journey from Bras Basah MRT station for friends who are taking public transport.

Healthy and Hearty Salads, Wraps and Greens from SWAG.
SWAG offers various varieties of salads and wraps, including wraps and salads for the vegetarians.
The wraps will be prepared upon order.
Find Swag at Stall #4 at SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

Spinacas
For Nachos and Meaty Nachos.
At SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

More information on Eat@Festival Village can be found here: http://nightfest.sg/festivals-programmes/programmes/festival-village-eat-and-shop

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Singapore Night Festival 2015
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
Free admission
http://nightfest.sg
https://www.facebook.com/brasbasahbugis

Zone 1: National Museum of Singapore (The main festival zone)
Zone 2: Armenian Street (The edgy and experimental festival zone where music, song and dance take centre stage)
Zone 3: House of Glamour (An eclectic mix of ticketed local performances on Cathay Green)
Zone 4: Festival Village (Local bands, buskers, flea market and pop-up food kiosks)
Zone 5: SAM and Queen Street (The artistic activities gather here)

Festival Tip: Choose one or two zones from this year's Singapore Night Festival 2015 and focus on enjoying what the zone/s has to offer for the night. After which, visit the Singapore Night Festival on another night to check out another zone.

Festival Tip #2: Travel by public transport, especially by MRT train, as there will be road closure and slow traffic on the roads of the vicinity. The nearby MRT stations are: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall.

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You could also read the following blogs and websites which write about the Singapore Night Festival 2015:

Bellaella's Inspirational and Exploration

The Long and Winding Road, by Jerome Lim: Inuits will paint the town red this weekend

Photojournalist, by Jinghui: Singapore Night Festival 2015 -21st and 22nd Aug

Vanessa Mostafa's Night Festival 2015 Singapore - featuring World Beaters Music LLP

Cheekie Monkies' Top Picks of Singapore Night Festival for Families

Dejiki's Singapore Night Festival

The Smart Local's 10 Reasons You Must Visit The Singapore Night Festival This Year

Coconuts Singapore's Singapore Night Festival 2015: 10 Showcases you have to catch this weekend and next

Sassy Singapore's Singapore Night Fest 2015

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Credits:

Specially thanks to National Heritage Board for the invitation to the media preview of the Singapore Night Festival. Lots of thanks to Ms Belinda Tan and Mr Ng Cheng Kiang for their beautifully taken photographs and for granting me permission to share their photographs on this post.

Black or White: An Exclusive Evening Experience of Esplanade&Me Programme

Last evening, on 15 Aug 2015 (Sat), together with several other bloggers, I attended an exclusive evening experience of the Esplanade&Me Programme. This programme was launched in July 2015.

The evening includes an introduction to the Esplanade&Me Programme and an one-hour tour of the Esplanade that combines the best elements from the special Esplanade Walk and the more extensive Esplanade Tour. The evening's programme also included a dinner at Past To Present and a treat to a performance by NOAH, a best-selling alternative pop/rock band from Bandung, Indonesia. We experienced what a cardholder of the Esplanade&Me programme could look forward to after signing up.

NOAH.
The performance at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

Lots of thanks to Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay's Relationship Management's team for the invitation and for being wonderful hosts.

A section introducing visitors to E&Me.

Esplanade&Me Programme
For the past two weeks, a link on the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay's latest Esplanade&Me programme (E&Me) have been appearing frequently on my Facebook's news-feed. This link has also been frequently shared by many of my friends who are art-lovers and music-lovers.

After learning about the Esplanade&Me Programme, it was a clear decision that I will sign up for one of the cards. Afterall, I attend a fair number of arts-related events at Esplanade every year. My greater challenge was to decide which one, the Black Card or the White Card, would better suit my needs.

I also wish to opt for the most cost-effective card that offers me the greatest Return-On-Investment. Some art-related experiences are priceless and if my perceived value of these experiences far outweighs the annual fee for the Card, I think I would have gotten a wonderful deal out of the Card. However, Black or White?

A section of Esplanade introducing the E&Me programme.

Annual fees
The annual fee to sign up for a White Card is $50.
On the other hand, the annual fee to sign up for a Black Card is $500 per year.

The privileges
Before the exclusive evening experience, I have already found out through this site: https://www.esplanade.com/e-and-me that by signing up for Esplanade&Me, we will get the following privileges:

• Be connected to invite-only events and opportunities to go behind the scenes. 
• Receive special promotions at the Esplanade Mall 
• Enjoy savings on tickets for selected programmes at Esplanade. 
• Be in the know with the e-newsletters from Esplanade 
• 20% savings on Esplanade Walk/ Tour
• Receive a personalized card
• For the Black Card holders, each will receive 10 x $20 Ticket Vouchers codes ($200). (Note: terms and conditions apply on the use of these Ticket Vouchers).

A photo taken during a Tour of Esplanade.

The Black Card?
During the evening experience, I learnt that the Black Card will be most suitable for people who would like a deeper experience of the arts-related programme held at Esplanade. One of the key distinguishing differences between the Black Card and the White Card is that the Black Card offers invitation to private events and premieres that are only opened to holders of the Black Card.

For example, I found out there will be a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Post-show Artist Party on 17 Oct 2015 (Sat) right after the concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra! This event is open only to Black Card holders.

Esplanade Box Office. Black Card holders enjoy a special priority line here.

In addition, Black Card holders enjoy a dedicated priority booking for the best available seats for selected programmes. The Black Card holders enjoy a special priority line at the Esplanade Box Office allows them to skip the queues. Holders of Black Card also get to save 10% on parking at Esplanade.

Black Card holders get to save 10% on parking at Esplanade.

The White Card?
Then again, the White Card has its merits because at an annual fee of $50, it is comparatively very much easier to get started with the White Card and still enjoy a host of special invite-only and behind the scenes experiences that are available only to people who have signed up for the E&Me programme, be it the Black Card and the White Card.

The Introductory Promotions that gives away 2 x $10 Ticket Voucher codes ($20) for everyone who sign up for a White Card by 31 Dec 2015 is a huge drawing point to sign up for the White Card.

This poster introduces visitors to the Esplanade&Me Mall Promotions.

Tour of Esplanade
As the tour of Esplanade was my favourite highlights of last evening's experience of E&Me programme, I decided to shelve all the contemplation about which card to sign up for aside once the tour started. Our guide for the evening was Joy who gave an excellent, comprehensive and moving guided-tour of the Esplanade! Thank you Joy!

Even though I had already taken a guided tour of the Esplanade slightly less than a decade ago, and even though I had performed on a few occasions at the Esplanade Concert Hall, I still learnt a lot of new insights about the Esplanade from Joy's guided tour. One of the things that I have learnt was that the initial design idea for the two domes of the Esplanade was for them to look like a glowing Chinese lantern in the park. The final design of the domes which include the iconic aluminium sunshades cladding on the dome came about as an ingenious solution to keep excessive heat out of the building.

Esplanade Theatre.

The Esplanade Theatre was designed in the horseshoe-shape style of the traditional Italian opera house. It holds three full-sized stages. Every seat in the Theatre will get a good view of the stage. I learnt about the extensive number of fly-bars and fly-towers that are available for use at the Theatre.

Esplanade Concert Hall.
Photo credits: Mr Jerome Lim | The Long and Winding Road.

The Esplanade Concert Hall was designed by master acoustician Russell Johnson. I love how the acoustic canopy, the reverberation chambers and the velour curtains work together to create optimal conditions for a wide range of music performances at the Concert Hall.

Dining at Esplanade
Holders of both the Black Card and the White Card under the E&Me programme enjoy savings and special redemption for limited periods at selected outlets at Esplanade Mall. Simply show our card.

The casual dining spot, Past 2 Present (Unit #02-14), which serves Italian and Singaporean cuisine is one of the selected outlets where E&Me cardholders can enjoy E&Me Mall Promotions.

Past 2 Present.
I like its mushroom soup especially. Service there was good and thoughtful too.

Meet and Greet
After the electrifying and moving concert by NOAH, the best-selling alternative pop/rock band from Bandung (Indonesia), there was a Post-show Meet and Greet session with NOAH after the concert! This exclusive session was limited to E&Me cardholders who hold a ticket to the concert and to eighty Category One ticket holders of this concert.

The post-show Meet and Greet offered the opportunity get to be up-close with the artistes. Each of us received a commemorative poster printed for specially for the concert and got our poster autographed by all the members of NOAH. What a wonderful treat especially for the fans.

One of the autographed poster.
Photo courtesy of Belinda Tan.

E&Me cardholders can look forward to be connected with the team at Esplanade and selected artistes through invite-only events. The opportunity to attend an Meet and Greet session is one of the privileges of being a E&Me cardholder. Membership have its privileges!

Esplanade Concert Hall. Level 4. Foyer.

Black or White?
In conclusion, E&Me programme brings the arts closer to its cardholders. It is a special pass to go behind the scenes, experience the arts and a way to support the arts.

Based on my distillation of the information during the exclusive evening experience of E&Me programme, the card offers discounts only on tickets for selected programmes at Esplanade. Tickets to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's regular concerts will not be considered as one of the selected programmes that are eligible for the E&Me savings privileges.

Benefits of White Card.

The White Card will be suitable for most people especially anyone who wishes to attend at least five events under most of Esplanade's Festival & Series in a year.

Benefits of Black Card.

The Black Card will be suitable for people who wish to receive special invitations to private events and premieres that are only opened to Black Card holders. However, the Black Card may not be relevant to everyone. Before signing for any of the E&Me card, it helps to refer to this site: https://www.esplanade.com/e-and-me/events to have a good gauge of the events that only the Black Card holders can have access to. If that event that is only meant for Black Card holders is not enticing enough, it may be more relevant and cost-effective to apply for the White Card.

A Personal Guide To Esplanade, and a postcard of the Esplanade Concert Hall.
These were given during the start of the tour of Esplanade.

Will E&Me work for you?
I have shared about my exclusive evening experience of the E&Me programme and I have signed up for one of the cards. Will E&Me be relevant for you?

If you are still undecided, you could find out more about it here:
https://www.esplanade.com/e-and-me

A visit to Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris.

It has been slightly more than two months since the opening of the private art museum Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. This Singapore branch of the renowned private art museum opened its doors to the public on 30 May 2015.

I finally set aside time to make a visit to Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris on the weekend that had past. The word 'Pinacothèque' is derived from the word pinacotheke in Greek which means 'box of paintings'. I learnt that Pinacotheque take its name from the 'cabinets of curiosities' in which wealthy individuals or royal families would gather art and artefacts and display these treasured items in.

One of my favourite paintings in "The Collections" gallery.
Monet's "Suzanne with Sunflowers".

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris showcases more than forty masterpieces from artists like Rembrandt, Picasso and Money in its Collections gallery. Stepping into "The Collections" gallery, I felt I had entered the modern place of dwelling of a person with a fine taste in fine arts. The gallery space is cosy and inviting. I love the idea of placing seats for visitors to take our time to appreciate the artworks while resting our feet. The artworks that were showcased were sourced entirely from private collections. These artworks were arranged not by when they were painted. Instead, they were arranged in a way that was said to facilitate visual dialogues between the artworks which elicit the common themes and connections between the artworks.

I learnt that this approach of curating art is the signature "transversality" approach of Marc Restellini, founder of Pinacothèque de Paris and Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. It took me quite a while to appreciate that this curatorial approach is a style of curating art which transcends time and genres to draw interesting connections between different artworks. I quite like this refreshing approach as it got me to look beyond an artwork itself and got me to look at the relationships between the artworks on display.

A glimpse of the Heritage Gallery.

For people who are uncertain whether to venture into this private art museum, they could begin with visiting the Heritage Gallery which was specially created for Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris. Entry is free to the Heritage Gallery, and this arrangement goes a long way to show that art appreciation can be an affordable endeavour. The Heritage Gallery traces Singapore's legacy to diverse cultures and civilizations throughout centuries. I could appreciate this gallery better when I attended one of the museum's highlights tour. Please ask about the highlights tour at the ticketing counter before you start your visit.

Last but not the least, in this cozy and beautiful space of the Fort Canning Arts Centre, is "The Features" gallery on the second level. Currently, the blockbuster exhibition on display at "The Features" gallery is entitled "The Myth of Cleopatra". This exhibition explores the origins of the myth related to Cleopatra. While I had left the exhibition still feeling a rather clueless about Cleopatra, it stuck to my mind that she was not a Egyptian yet she had ruled Egypt.

A few of the exhibits from "The Myth of Cleopatra".

Overall, I think art-lovers who prefer to appreciate works of art in more intimate spaces would find Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris a worthy place to visit. I would think it would be cost-effective to get an all-access pass and spend about two hours in this museum.

There are food and beverage establishments at the basement of Fort Canning Arts Centre in which Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris is housed in. These are:
- Fort by Maison Ikkoku which serve famed handcrafted cocktails and other dishes,
- Myra's, a restaurant serving Mexican, Indian and Italian fare,
- Giovanni L Cafe Deluxe & Seattle Pike Chowder, which serves chowder and gelato
- Brasserie Balzac, a French bistro

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris also organizes art classes and other art-related courses to engage audiences from all walks of life. To find out more, I suggest that we visit the museum's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/singaporepinacotheque and browse under "Art Academy".

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Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris

Fort Canning Arts Centre

5 Cox Terrace

Singapore 179620

Nearest MRT station: Dhoby Ghaut

For more information, please visit:

http://www.pinacotheque.com.sg
https://www.facebook.com/singaporepinacotheque