Experience nostalgic sights and sounds at Singapore Night Festival 2023

SINGAPORE — A violin rendition of Zubir Said's "Semoga Bahagia". An indoor roller-skating rink reminiscent of Singapore's roaring 1960s and 1970s. Dancers interpreting traditional cobblers of Waterloo Street in a roving performance.

These are some of the nostalgic sights and sounds you will experience while visiting this year's Singapore Night Festival, which runs from 18 to 26 August.

Whether it is seeing adaptations of old archival footage on screens, or a reimagined version of your favourite childhood see-saw, the 14th edition of the annual festival will be depicting Singapore's history through the use of modern technology and live performances.

According to festival director David Chew, the installations and programmes hope to celebrate Singapore's history as an international port city, as well as the communities and historical sites of worship at the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct.

So how is Singapore's history as a trading hub showcased at this year's festival?

Reclaiming trade history and challenges

For Muhammad Izdi, the illustrator behind the National Museum projection-mapping installation "700 Years", steering people away from the perception that Singapore was "just a fishing village" was one of his goals.

With the intention of "sparking curiosity", he wanted to showcase Singapore's history pre-dating the arrival of Stamford Raffles.

Playwright Zizi Majid, who came up with the script for the installation, told Yahoo Southeast Asia that the research process was "really deep and intense".

"I spent the most time looking at the book, 700 Years: A History of Singapore, written by Kwa Chong Guan, Derek Heng, Peter Borschberg and Tan Tai Yong," she said.

"The book examines in great depth key events and the activities on this island from the 13th Century and the great role it played as a port city from that time."

The team of three, alongside French digital artist Jérémie Bellot, had to digest the long history of Singapore documented by historians. It was published in 2020, and sought to debunk the commonly held narrative that Singapore was a sleepy fishing village prior to Raffles’ arrival in 1819.

Key considerations include presenting something familiar and accessible for contemporary audiences, and identifying which paintings would translate well as projection mappings on the building.

Another artist, Ashley YK Yeo, included a trading vessel from the 1960s to weave in mythology qualities of Singapore's trade history in her work Birth in Bloom, which is located at CHIJMES.

"I was looking at our linear history from the 14th Century, and thought it’s really incredible how Singapore has come a long way to acquire the status it has today," she said.

Yeo focused on presenting a "celebratory atmosphere" in her animation on the evolution of Singapore.

She acknowledged that the research that went into her work was important in helping her understand the significance of how Singapore came to be where it is now.

"The past wasn’t all that wonderful with its racial conflicts and violence that came with historical monumental moments."

Nostalgia and connecting with our past

To go back in time, the public can visit highlight act "Time is a Black Circle" by local artist Dawn Ng at the National Museum.

The act is an indoor roller-skating rink playing famous hits of the past from the likes of The Beatles, and is a tribute to the live disco scene of the BBB precinct in the 1960s and 1970s.

Other nostalgic elements in the festival include familiar musical tracks contemporarised by solo violinist Ismahairie Putra Ishak at the National Museum, and photos of Singapore's BBB precinct from the 1960s and 1970s at Waterloo Street.

"Nostalgia is a reflection of our emotional view of the past, and so we should be responsible in making that sense of the past as accurate as possible," added Zizi.

She added that the team behind "700 Years" wanted audiences to be empowered to "see history through a new lens" and that the work was a "reclamation of our history".

"It was important that we did not use nostalgia to a maudlin effect," she added.

Zizi underlines the need for artists to listen, archive and weave historical narratives into the art they create. In connecting with the past, people can connect with one another, and share common ground as a community.

"In seeding a strong nostalgic past together, we can propel forward better because we know what our strengths are as a community."

How current day Singapore might be depicted in art 50 years from now

Half a century from now, Yeo predicts that Singapore will continue to be a financial hub for major players in finance and business development.

She envisions more futuristic elements like "technology" and "clinical aesthetics" taking priority in historical art pieces that might be on display in a festival 50 years into the future.

As a big advocate for celebrating the Singapore cannon, Zizi hopes that contemporary local artists of today will be included in future festivals. These include those in the field of visual arts, music and performers.

"I think celebrating our artists is key to centering who we are as a community and society," she said.

Singapore Night Festival 2023 will showcase four projection mappings, 12 installations, two roving performance locations, two experiential programmes, one stage performance, nine partner programmes, and three festival villages.

It runs from 18 to 26 August. Full details of the festival can be found on their website. Entry to the festival is free, although some programmes are ticketed.