⭐ Name: Sensory Odyssey at the Art Science Museum
📍 Location: 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974 (Gmaps link)
🗓️ Date of visit: 10 June 2023; Exhibition runs from 27 May to 29 Oct 2023
🌐 Website: https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/exhibitions/sensory-odyssey.html
💰 Cost: SGD 21 per pax (For local resident adults)
Mr Bao and I were on a day out. We already went to La Nonnas for lunch and had planned to hit up Gastrobeats for dinner. In between, I suggested going to this exhibition at the Art Science Museum. I was nervous that it wasn’t going to be our kind of thing but it ended up really surprising the both of us! I haven’t really “reviewed” something like this before but I wanted to share my experience because I feel like there hasn’t been enough publicity about this exhibition and some people might really like it.
Sensory Odyssey sells itself as a “multi-sensory and immersive exhibition that brings visitors of all ages on a spectacular journey into the heart of our ecosystem”. Before going in, I saw some of the descriptions of the exhibition, including the different environments that were being showcased: the savannah, the rainforest, underground, the prairie, the ocean, and the arctic. But I felt like the descriptions really didn’t do it justice. I think it’s something that needs to be experienced there.
I loved the immersive-ness of the experience, and the transitory elements in between each section of the exhibition. It’s an interesting blend of using art to bring the natural world closer to urbanites like us in Singapore. At the same time, this is also why it probably hasn’t been talked about much because the experience can’t be documented easily. My only gripe about the exhibition is that it’s a one-way exhibition, meaning I can’t really go back and do the whole thing again from the start. 😩
At the end of the exhibition, several screens play interviews that were done with local environmental figures relating to the natural world in Singapore! There was also a big wall where you could write a pledge on the action you will take to help protect the environment. Every leaf on the wall will go toward planting a mangrove tree in Malaysia, in partnership with a non-profit environmental organisation (WWF, if I remember correctly).
I pledged to reduce my use of disposables, which admittedly helped me to avoid it in the immediate week after. But it’s definitely something I need to continue to keep in mind. I probably should’ve made a copy of my pledge and brought it home with me. 🤣
I would recommend this exhibition to anyone interested in immersive art exhibitions or to anyone curious about the natural world. It’s suitable for families but I think it’s better suited for slightly older kids (Primary school and up) with at least a 15 minute attention span. If this sounds up your alley, my advice is to go in with little to no expectations and just soak in the experience.
If you’ve seen this exhibition already, what did you think? Feel free to share in the comments below. 😊
💜 jy