Mr Peter Ho, Chairman, Urban Redevelopment Authority
Mr Ng Lang, CEO, URA
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
A very good evening. I am delighted to join you this evening for the launch of i Light Marina Bay 2014. This biennial Festival is in its 3rd edition.
Standing right here at the Marina Bay City Gallery, I think you will agree with me that Marina Bay is abuzz with life and activity. Today, it is a vibrant district where people live, work and play, realising plans that had been envisioned some 40 years ago.
The public spaces at the Bay host various events throughout the year. Many of these events are organised together with or by the community, for everyone to enjoy.
One such signature event was the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, attended by some 300,000 people on New Year’s Eve.
The theme of this year’s edition of the Festival is “Light+HeART”. The light art installations are not only meant to be aesthetically pleasing, but also convey a serious message of sustainability.
For example, A Land of Reverie is an installation created by two students from Republic Polytechnic. It seeks to inspire visitors to play a part in creating an eco-friendly environment through a thought-provoking story.
Another example would be 1.26 Singapore, created by Janet Echelman from the USA. The installation is inspired by the 2010 earthquake in Chile which shortened the earth’s day by 1.26 microseconds, and reminds visitors of the effects of natural disasters.
Inspired by the traditional craftsmanship of fish net weaving and lace making, the fluid installation is beautifully lit to make for a visual treat.
The community has also been involved in various aspects of this Festival, to raise awareness about resource conservation.
For instance, the Festival runs in tandem with the “Switch Off, Turn Up” campaign, where stakeholders around the Bay have made commitments to switch off unnecessary lighting and turn up the temperature of their air-conditioning to save energy.
I am told that the energy saved from the more than 50 buildings participating in this year’s campaign will be more than sufficient to offset the energy consumption for the light art installations at the Festival.
More importantly, this is a clear example of how the collective efforts of individuals can achieve significant results.
It is heartening to see more stakeholders around the Bay coming on board to support this meaningful cause this year.
I am also glad to note that the Festival is partnering Earth Hour again this year, to dovetail the “Switch Off, Turn Up” campaign with Earth Hour’s “Lights Off” activities later this month.
The Festival is a wonderful platform for our local artists to showcase their works and at the same time exchange ideas and collaborate with their overseas counterparts.
There is a good mix of local, regional and overseas artists who are participating in this year’s Festival.
Some local artists are putting up their maiden projects, such as Oz Collective’s LiveLight, while there are also works by more seasoned artists such as Angela Chong and Ryf Zaini.
I am very happy to see many, many more students participating in the Festival.
Besides A Land of Reverie mentioned earlier, the Festival also features iSwarm, an installation created by a team of students and professors from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
#WeHeartLight, just to my left, is designed by Light Collective from the United Kingdom. They worked with 200 students from Temasek Junior College, St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School, Victoria School, Dunman High and Singapore Polytechnic to make light boxes. These light boxes, decorated with the students’ drawings, were assembled to form the final art work that you see right now.
Besides the artwork, 36 students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are also involved in producing a series of videos to feature the Festival’s programmes, artists and installations and to highlight the message of sustainability. These videos can be seen on the Festival website and on the LCD screens along the Marina Bay waterfront promenade.
At the same time, I understand that more than 100 local tertiary students are also volunteering as Festival guides.
The participation of our students is encouraging, as they are the next generation that will lead our nation towards an even more sustainable future.
Besides the light art installations, the Bay will also be abuzz with several fringe activities such as free guided tours, roving performances, family-friendly activities, and flea markets.
I hope that many Singaporeans and visitors will head down to Marina Bay to enjoy the Festival.
As Asia’s only sustainable light art Festival, i Light Marina Bay has seen significant growth since its first edition in 2010.
With the wider variety of programmes and greater involvement of the community, I am sure this Festival will continue to grow in the years to come. I applaud all who have in one way or another contributed to the success of this Festival.
Once again, congratulations to the Festival team and the artists for a wonderful exhibition and show, and I wish you all a pleasant evening ahead. Thank you.