Light to Night Festival 2025 Celebrates Singapore’s Diverse Communities with Powerful Artistic Installations

The Light to Night Festival 2025 returns with a thought-provoking theme, “Do You See Me?”, aiming to shine a spotlight on Singapore’s diverse communities, including those frequently overlooked, such as migrant workers and individuals with disabilities. Running from January 17 to February 6, the festival, organised by National Gallery Singapore in conjunction with Singapore Art Week, will feature over 70 unique works of art from a diverse group of artists.

Artworks and installations will be spread across notable locations such as the National Gallery Singapore, Esplanade, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Asian Civilisations Museum, and even Funan mall.

One of the key highlights is Through The Looking Glass, a multi-sensory installation by Claire Teo, a visually impaired artist who aims to immerse visitors in her experience of ‘seeing’ the world through her eyes. Teo described the installation as an expression of both her literal and figurative vision, featuring hidden artworks by other disabled artists embedded within structures. Visitors will only be able to view these artworks by getting up close and looking through small openings. Teo explained, “I see the world like a children’s painting submerged underwater, with colours blending together, making it hard to piece things together. My vision is distorted, fragmented, like looking through a straw.”

Another powerful installation, Blades, Shrapnel, created by Ang Song Nian, brings attention to the often-overlooked migrant workers who maintain Singapore’s lush greenery. This live performance, which will occur on selected days at Padang and Empress Lawn, features migrant workers who will simulate their everyday tasks using laser-emitting grass-cutting machines, symbolising the invisible yet essential work they do. The festival will also feature a photo exhibition of images captured by migrant workers as part of the International Migrants Day Photo Contest 2024, in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower.

In addition to these thought-provoking installations, Light to Night 2025 will celebrate Singapore’s 10th anniversary of the National Gallery with exhibitions honouring late printmaker Chng Seok Tin, painter Goh Beng Kwan, and batik artist Jaafar Latiff. The centrepiece of the Padang will be renowned sculptor Han Sai Por’s Travelling Through the Tropical Rainforest, a series of six towering sculptures inspired by tropical palms.

As with any festival, there will be a lively food and entertainment scene. The Art X Social: Festival Street will be open on all three weekends of the festival, offering a range of food and drink options, along with live performances and games. The Singapore Courtyard at the Gallery will be transformed into The Living Room, a communal space where visitors can enjoy artist talks, workshops, and DJ sets from Eatmepoptart on oversized, colourful furniture.

For more details on the full lineup of programmes and installations, visit the official Light to Night website.