Imaginarium has become one of our favorite spots whenever we're in the general area of the Singapore Art Museum. Worth a stop for this year's
Children's Season, if you haven't gone to explore yet. There are also tandem swing sets, stuff from my youth, parked in front of the 8Q entrance. Snaps from when my younger brother was in town. Combined with my Roo and Red, they were a trio of trouble. :)
The doodles throughout the 8Q staircase set the playful tone to the exhibits. A mix of happy and bizarre, like stepping into a 6 year old's dream.
My personal favorite is an interactive called Green Room, Interstellar Overdrive by Vincent Twardzik Ching -- It allowed us to pedal on stationary bikes. From our efforts, came stars, music, or words on a lightbox. Intent is to inspire thought on how alternative energy sources might change our lives. Had to explain a little bit of how human kinetic energy translates into electric energy. I must have simply been white noise to the kids, as they were focused on expending said energy perched on the bikes.
The trio enjoyed Kumkum Fernando's magical storytelling, particularly the puzzle pieces to complete the Saari fish of Manik, as well as spent a chunk of time weaving bracelets and creating pompoms at Izziyana Suhaimi's Let's Make Studio.
A particularly thought-provoking piece is Trees by Takashi Kuribayashi. Parts of a tree were neatly arranged into glass boxes. Roo and Red were both concerned about the brutality of the piece -- "What did the tree ever do wrong for it to be chopped down?" I tried to reassure them that perhaps the artist took an already felled tree. The intent for the piece is transformation.
"His work reminds us how nature
often exists in very controlled environments in
cities such as Singapore. Over time, the sections
of the tree trunk will decay, and in the process
give life to new organisms and ecosystems,
so that each glass box will hold a tiny new
world of its own." The question then is, whether or not we like what we transform into?
Will continue to go back to SAM to revisit Imaginarium, which will run until 19th July. Need to do more googling, and be open to meaningful conversations with the little ones. In these kinds of exhibits, we're all growing and learning after all.
