20 July 2012

Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, who is also the brainchild behind Marina Bay Sands’ iconic structure, the world's first ArtScience Museum has a form reminiscent of the lotus flower. It was designed as a symbolic gesture of welcome to guests from across the globe.

Surrounded by a 4,000 sqm lily pond reflecting pool, the museum floats over a dynamic new urban terrace with commanding views of Singapore and Marina Bay Sands.

Each of the museum’s 10 “fingers” is a unique gallery space with natural lighting from the fingertips illuminating the sculptural interior wall forms.

The museum has 21 gallery spaces totaling 50,000 sq ft and its exhibits reflect influences from art and science, media and technology, to design and architecture.

The mysterious connections between art and science can be explored through the museum’s three galleries – Curiosity, Inspiration and Expression.

Curiosity is an arrival gallery that challenges guests with questions which have motivated artistic and scientific innovators through time via translucent scrolls hanging from the museum’s voluminous sloping ceiling.

Inspiration is an interactive gallery that celebrates the flashpoint of ingenuity powering the worlds of both art and science. The six large exhibits here are manifestations of inventions that bridge the art and science divide and include Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine, a Kongming Lantern, a high-tech Robotic Fish, a model of the museum, a molecular model of a “Buckyball”, and an Ancient Chinese Scroll.

Expression is a dynamic multimedia gallery that combines lighting effects, sound and moving images. Visitors can be immersed in the innovation process through kinetic images that follow the journeys of great art or scientists across time and culture.

Check out the museum’s showpiece exhibition, ArtScience: A Journey Through Creativity, which features a series of permanent exhibits that represent the latest in technology, design and culture.

TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS
 

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal

17 March – 21 October 2012

Check out the largest collection of iconic works by American painter, printmaker and filmmaker Andy Warhol, and journey through four different stages of the legendary artist’s life – from his early artistic years in the 1940’s to his final works in the 1980’s. The exhibition also marks the 25th anniversary of Warhol's death.

A leading figure in the visual art movement known as Pop Art, Warhol was renowned for using mass production of popular culture such as advertising, comic books and brand products as the basis of his art. He showed how various mediums and technology can transform everyday items like Campbell’s soup cans and photos into Pop Art icons. 

On display are over 260 paintings, drawings, sculptures, film and video of Warhol’s works, accompanied by a wide range of associated documents, interactive timelines, photographs and archival material. Look out for his masterpieces like Jackie (1964), Marilyn Monroe (1967), Campbell’s Soup (1961), Silver Liz (1963), Time Capsule 51 (1970’s), The Last Supper (1986) and numerous iconic Self-Portraits.

A special display for children has been created, based on a similar exhibition that Warhol did in 1983 at Bruno Bischofberger gallery in Switzerland. Toy paintings are displayed at a lower eye level so visitors young and old can view art from a child’s perspective.

To provide an interesting interactive experience, Warhol’s New York studio in the 1960’s, Silver Factory, covered entirely with foil, has been recreated. Here, visitors can dress up and be “a star for 15 minutes”. There’s also a photo booth to capture the experience, a reproduction of the couch from Silver Factory from which visitors can enjoy his avant garde films and the whimsical Silver Clouds (1966) piece made of floating helium balloons.

From 20 July to 12 August, visitors can participate in a series of workshops involving performance, photography and forums that have been specially designed to complement the exhibition. These include Andy and Me, a session revolving around Warhol's love for using technology to create art led by artist Ruthe Zuntz, from 2 to 5 August; and A Star for 15 Minutes, a choreographic improvisation and fashion installation inspired from a film Warhol made on Edi Sedgwick on 11 and 12 August.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition

2 June – 30 September 2012

Step into the magical world of Harry Potter and get an up close and personal look at the artistry and craftsmanship that went into creating the iconic props and costumes that appeared throughout all eight Harry Potter films at this blockbuster travelling exhibition.

Items such as Harry’s iconic wand and eyeglasses; Professor Snape’s original costume; the Golden Snitch; and the Gryffindor school uniforms are displayed in elaborate settings inspired by locations from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry including the Gryffindor common room, Hagrid’s hut and the Great Hall.

Other key artefacts featured are Sybill Trelawney’s crystal ball and exotic wardrobe; costumes and props from Professors Lupin, Lockhart and Umbridge; items from the Yule Ball including costumes from Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore; and life-sized creatures like centaurs, a caged dragon, Buckbeak the Hippogriff, and a giant Acromantula spider.

To provide an immersive movie experience, visitors are transported through themed vignettes to popular locations in the films such as a Hogwarts classroom, the Gryffindor common room, Hagrid’s hut, the Forbidden Forest and the Great Hall.

OPENING HOURS

10am – 10pm daily (last admission at 9pm)

ADMISSION

FOR SINGAPORE RESIDENTS

For Andy Warhol & ArtScience exhibitions:

– Adult: $13

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $12

– Child (aged 2-12): $8

For Harry Potter & ArtScience exhibitions:

– Adult: $20

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $18

– Child (aged 2-12): $13

For all-access ticket:

– Adult: $24

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $23

– Child (aged 2-12): $14

FOR NON-SINGAPORE RESIDENTS

For Andy Warhol & ArtScience exhibitions:

– Adult: $15

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $14

– Child (aged 2-12): $9

For Harry Potter & ArtScience exhibitions:

– Adult: $24

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $21

– Child (aged 2-12): $14

For all-access ticket:

– Adult: $28

–  Senior (aged 65 & above): $27

– Child (aged 2-12): $16

FOR MORE INFO

www.marinabaysands.com

Photos courtesy of 2012 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc