5 Things I Like About 29Rooms: Lost and Found

Hi Huneybees,

Get ready to up your selfie game and immerse into the most creative playground as 29Rooms: Lost and Found begins tomorrow. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this will be the It space for all IG and Tik Tok aficionados. So get your camera gear ready, and gather your partners and BFFs for this fun-filled experience at Gardens by the Bay.

Debuted in 2015 in New York, 29Rooms is the creation of the digital publication platform Refinery29 and its parent company Vice Media. The event has seen the likes of Lizzo and Emma Roberts curating immersive experiences at earlier editions and this is the first time the event has stepped out of the US.

As the name suggests, there are 29 rooms, each with a unique theme and setup for you to experience. Covering a massive area of 4,500 m sq, the Singapore edition features local and international artists, these rooms are not just about looking good for selfie shots, but are also interactive thought invoking too!

1) Mysterious sets the mood

Stepping into the first room, a dark forest will be greeting you. A strong spotlight at the end beckons to you and as you walk through this "prepping" space with the scent of bergamot and sandalwood, several questions on the wall might trigger certain thoughts and emotions.

2) Are Our Lives Too Monochromatic?

The main attraction of the exhibition is Merry-Go-Round, a themed room exclusive to Singapore. In it are 6 different time-stamped monochromatic spaces in which the average Singaporean sits throughout the day: public transport, office chairs, coffee shops, living rooms, toilets, and bedrooms. It makes me wonder if my life is too average?

3) Celebrity Experience

Take a break from the bright colours and step into the Billie Eilish room. Inspired by her perfume - Eilish No.2, the whole room is dimly lit and draped in gold, with a gold bust (just like the fragrance bottle) set in the back of the room. The room is all about a sensory experience with projections of her playing on the translucent fabrics hung from the ceiling and whiffs of her perfume (notes of sugared petals, vanilla, mandarin, red berries, and cocoa) filling the room. It's as though I stepped into a luxurious spa.

Note: Try spotting the hidden room where you can get a 360-degree selfie of yourself, like those taken on the red carpets of award shows.

4) Travel around Asia in minutes

Hop between countries in a matter of minutes? Why not! In the Samsung room, stroll through Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, etc, and get your vids/pics taken with their latest S23 phones. Not only do you get to brag about it, but you also get to experience what their latest Nightography technology is all about.

5) Interactivity

Hands-on activities can be found across a few rooms - feel like an 8-year-old again and doodle or write a diary entry in the "Dora's Diary" room, print transfer a t-shirt to bring home in the "Flag Your Goals" room, or simply break the rules and make a mess of a room in the "Paint Over Your Mess" room, draw whatever you like, write whatever you want! 

And when you get tired, why not enjoy a coffee with a friend or even a stranger on the seesaw tables in the "Nice to Meet You" cafe or crash a flat party and sip on 3 cocktails made with Monkey Shoulder whisky.

If not, step into the Tiger Beer’s X Room (an 800 sq. m. standalone addition to the 29Rooms’ funhouse that's ticketed separately), where you can grab a free beer and enjoy DJ music acts, dance in the silent disco, enjoy some workshops activities, and even grab some bites as there will be some restaurant pop-ups! More details on the 29rooms website.

There’s just simply so much to experience 29Rooms and I don't want to spoil the magic for you, head on over and check it out yourself. Can't wait to see your pics/vids across on social media platforms!

Timing and ticket

Admission: Tue-Thu $35/adult | Fri-Sun $48/adult

Date: 10th February – 16th April 2023

Time: Tue-Sun 10am-10.30pm (Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)

Venue: Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953

Info: 29Rooms website

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Relive Your Childhood At "As You Were" Public Art Showcase

Hi Huneybees,

It's Summer time! Let's bring out your inner child get out and explore under the sun at the As You Were is a public art showcase. From now till 30 October, 5 public art installations will be spanned across 3 park spaces in Singapore (Bishan-AMK Park, Jurong Lake Gardens, Punggol Waterway Park) for your 'playtime'.

Commissioned by the Public Art Trust (PAT) under the National Arts Council (NAC), As You Were is a public art showcase featuring seven artists stepping into nature to create interactive visual artworks that portray their imaginations of an endemic world.

These works were developed based on the multitude of changes experienced in our daily lives since the onset of COVID-19. As You Were offers the public an opportunity to reconnect with nature as well as one another through fun and meaningful artworks that encourage a sense of play. It is also a reflection of the nation opening up, and the artworks serve as a timely reminder for the public to connect, communicate and play as we step out of the pandemic.

Encouraging play by evoking nostalgia

Small Moments by Chong Zhi Wei Daniel Location: Bishan-AMK Park, Field nearer to Dog Run Area (Google Maps Link)

Nostalgia was a primary source of inspiration for the works – with Small Moments by Chong Zhi Wei Daniel; n o o n (at play) by visual artist Hazel Lim and installation artist Adeline Kueh; and Can You Hear Me? by Quek Jia Qi and Aaron Lim draws on familiar objects that gesture towards the bygone days.

n o o n (at play) by Hazel Lim and Adeline Kueh Location: Punggol Waterway Park, Open Area behind Punggol Waterway Point (Google Maps Link)

The artists enlarged objects representative of one’s childhood, which serve as encouragement and reminders for the public to heal and play together after a challenging two years. Members of the public are invited to unleash their inner child as they find amusement at a giant Marie biscuit looming over visitors in Small Moments, or rest from the demands of the day with the set of seesaws in n o o n (at play).

Can You Hear Me? by Quek Jia Qi and Aaron Lim Location: Bishan-AMK Park, Lotus Pond (Google Maps Link) 

Beyond evoking a sense of camaraderie, the works aim to create a deeper connection with our natural environment. Echoing a much-used phrase in the age of Zoom calls, Can You Hear Me? invites all to cultivate the art of active listening by taking solace in the sounds of nature through a paper cup telephone. By carving spaces for intimate interaction, the public is invited to contemplate and renegotiate ideas of togetherness today.

Natural landscape transformed by creative imagination

Our Dreams Must Continue by Teo Huey Ling
Location: Jurong Lake Gardens, Forest Ramble (Google Maps Link)

Taking the idea of contemplation into the wider community, artists such as Teo Huey Ling and Ang Song Nian produced works that encourage the public to press on collectively - be it through the whimsical and playful shapes that resemble daydreams in Our Dreams Must Continue or Ang Song Nian’s nod to the iconic face mask in Afloat, an object that has come to represent an act of solidarity of those around the world in fighting the pandemic. 

Afloat by Ang Song Nian Location: Punggol Waterway Park, Sand Play Area (Google Maps Link)

As You Were represents the resilience of the arts community during the COVID-19 pandemic, where artists are going beyond their usual practice to exercise their creative imagination, and make art that is widely visible and accessible to all. This showcase sees the majority of the artists experimenting in public art for the first time, and the result is an innovative effort to create meaningful art that inspires and resonates with a wider audience. This also reiterates NAC’s commitment to make art accessible to the public in everyday spaces, adding vibrancy to the visual arts landscape.

In line with this new series of commissions, NAC will launch a Public Art Guidebook to equip commissioners and artists with the best practices to develop public art for Singapore. This echoes NAC’s commitment to work in tandem with the arts community and foster partnerships among Government agencies, strengthening our art ecosystem for a vibrant arts scene. This guidebook will be available on NAC’s website.

For more information on the participating artists and their artworks, head on over to NAC's website or follow the latest updates at NAC on Facebook and Instagram.

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