SINGAPORE – ‘The Sea Show’, designed by EYEYAH! and commissioned by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), at the Singapore Maritime Gallery (SMG)’s Changing Gallery is now open. Held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2021, the multi-media exhibition is a visually stimulating and thought-provoking experience for both children and adults to learn about the ocean.
Featuring the work of 30 artists and illustrators from 13 countries, the show celebrates the wonders of travelers and explorers, ships and cargoes, while recognising some of the threats to ocean life. In addition, a special section of the exhibition is dedicated to 23 artworks created by artists from Pathlight School’s Artist Development Programme.
‘The Sea Show’ presents a maze-like journey through larger-than-life colourful artworks, animations and installations. Visitors are taken on a visual journey of life above and below the sea.
As visitors enter the space, they are transported to the hustle and bustle of a busy dockyard, where marine-related professions are highlighted through a ‘Where’s Wally’ inspired game. Famous sea explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Zheng He are also presented as Augmented Reality (AR) face filters.
Another feature showcases an aquatic cinema with four vertical screens airing ocean-themed animations. Myths and superstitions are also explored through a series of postcards that have been customised with superimposed graphics.
Instagrammable installations include the ‘Shark Café’, a playful re-creation of an existing area in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean where the Great White sharks migrate to in the winter, and a rubber duck installation that brings to life a 1992 shipping container spillage incident where thousands of rubber ducks that were lost in the Pacific Ocean are still being washed ashore today.
A complimentary activity booklet is designed to stimulate curiosity and invite young visitors to find clues and answers to puzzles and quizzes hidden within the exhibition. Visitors who successfully complete the activity booklet will be rewarded with a complimentary copy of the Sea issue of EYEYAH! (SGD$10) which was supported by MPA in 2019 under MPA’s Maritime Outreach Fund. In 2019, the fund supported the MPA x EYEYAH! Sea Issue, an educational magazine that uses eye-catching artworks to highlight important social topics about the sea, such as marine environment protection, ocean exploration and marine life, with the aim of nurturing children’s creativity and social emotional development.
“Designing an engaging exhibition for kids in a COVID-19 world would mean keeping the show safe through no physical contact with interfaces whilst capturing the attention and engaging the children and adults. We designed the show to ensure that everyone who attends will learn something about the ocean and have fun in the process. Art and design are powerful vehicles to entertain and educate,” says Tanya Wilson, Education Lead of EYEYAH!!
“From the ‘Sea Issue’ in 2019 to ‘The Sea Show’ today, we are happy to partner EYEYAH! once again. The Singapore Maritime Week 2021 is an important occasion for the maritime industry to come together to discuss collaborations and renew partnerships. It is equally important that we take the opportunity to share with Singaporeans, especially younger Singaporeans, how the sea enables global trade which allows all of us to enjoy the many amenities we have in our lives. ‘The Sea Show’ will take it one notch higher by educating and delighting the public about maritime through instagrammable artworks,” says Caitlin Fua, Director, Communications & Community, MPA.
Digital extensions of the show include AR face filters and a collection of ocean themed GIPHY stickers hosted here.
The Sea Show runs from 1 April to 13 July 2021. Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9am to 6pm at the Singapore Maritime Gallery, 31 Marina Coastal Drive, Level 2, Singapore 018988. Entry is free.
