The female presence is set to take over Singapore ArtScience Museum, as the art venue has revealed its year-long lineup for the first time in its history. 2024 will usher in the Year of Extraordinary Women slate, which examines, celebrates, and uncovers the stories of women and their cultural impact on society throughout the decades.
Featuring three main exhibitions, its focus ranges from inspiring artists and screen legends to the female protagonists of Studio Ghibli movies. Kicking this new season off is Goddess, a showcase launching in April that highlights iconic women in film and television who have defied expectations, overcame stereotypes, and influenced ideas of femininity on screen. Coming fresh out of a successful debut in Australia, it comprises seven different sections, with one dedicated to action stars like Academy Awards winner Michelle Yeoh.
For a more localised touch, the exhibition will present a new focus on Asian screen sirens, on top of costumes, sketches, interactive experiences, and stories born from 120 years of moving image history. Those with an adventurous or athletic streak can even attend a stuntwoman workshop before the exhibition concludes its run in August.
Moving into May, Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon is set to debut as a multi-sensory experience. Marking the 70th anniversary of the Mexican painter’s passing, it invites visitors to step into her life through various films, artworks, holographic installations, and virtual reality (VR) elements, and witness her rise to prominence as a symbol of female empowerment and resistance.
Last but certainly not the least, The World of Studio Ghibli will grace the Singapore ArtScience Museum premises starting August. The team’s most ambitious exhibition to date sees the involvement of the Japanese animation powerhouse itself, and is expected to span across the multi-level museum space. The enchanting worlds of My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away, as well as their respective female protagonists, take centrestage here, with a moving Howl’s Castle, Yubaba’s home, and trick photo spots coming in as some notable highlights.
The Year of Extraordinary Women marks an expansion of the themes explored in the New Eden: Science Fiction Mythologies Transformed exhibition. Running till 3 March, it re-examines the traditionally male-dominated sci-fi genre through the lens of 24 women artists and collectives from Asia.
Technotopias: A Cao Fei Multiverse, meanwhile, is headlining the film slate as part of Singapore Art Week. The programme focuses on one of China’s leading contemporary artists, Cao Fei and her works, including the critically acclaimed Asia One (also commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum), the dystopian miniature dioramas of La Town, and most recently, the sci-fi epic Nova. Designed to complement New Eden: Science Fiction Mythologies Transformed, it will host the last screening on 28 January.
Between Goddess, Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon, and The World of Studio Ghibli, 2024 is looking to be a stacked year for ArtScience Museum. More information about the respective exhibitions will be announced nearer to the event dates, but both pop culture enthusiasts and more traditional art lovers can expect to be in for a treat.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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