Now Is Not The Time
"There's a Lee Kuan Yew exhibition nearby," I said, while fiddling with the map.
It was 5 pm after checking out all the available art exhibits at Distripark; a time that's too early for dinner (given my late lunch at 2 pm) and too late for anything else.
We didn't see anything at first, and bus 10 came, so we figured we’d just unwind at Vivo (little did we know it’s impossible to unwind at Vivo during weekends).
I decided to try my luck to play around with Google Map search, seeing if there's any art near me. And there it was! It didn’t take us more than a minute to book the tickets, and the next thing we knew, we were counting down stops towards 25 Pasir Panjang Road.
It was a decent walk in, as the familiar road shares a similar path to the Power Station. I was there earlier in the year, but that’s a story for another time.
For those who don’t want to take a bus and walk or spend on Grab, there’s actually a shuttle bus service every day until 8:15. Yes, every single day; our founding father definitely deserves that.
I love how there's a common plaza where there's coffee, food, and a makeshift traditional mama shop that transports you back in time. There are also an array of sitting areas for you to sit there, enjoy, and the ambiance really does it for us as we wander around, going through installations and hanging out for a bit before going into the "main installation trail."
I noticed motifs like mirrors, plants, and also a depiction of how Singapore would be, together with the use of AI technology.
They tell us stories from far away but graspable cosmos, where flying spaceships don't feel like a dream and how we are still able to harness energy, be sustainable, and to grow as a country. I love how MBS is still there, as if they have taken over the "conserved shophouses" around now.
Daniel Arsham’s rendition of Lee Kuan Yew. His bust stood with pride amongst the granites, and his trademark "decay" gave it a playful touch, showing the crystal bits on the inside. The voice of our founding father echoes through the tunnel, snippets of his speeches sending goosebumps across my skin. We were once cast aside, and it was hard, definitely hard, especially after we gained independence. It felt like a child being kicked out of his home after 18. It's nice to see how we got here and what a long way we've come; through unity and perseverance. Sure, there are rants here and there on the growing home prices and GST, but some are needed... like having COE to control the number of cars in Singapore.
On the side note, having seen Singapore being featured in Netflix's Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones 2023 makes me feel more fortunate than the rest. We have safety, convenience, comfort, all in one. And it makes the humidity and the heat feel so trivial among the rest (or the lack of 4 seasons).
I left the exhibit feeling prouder than ever to be a Singaporean, and this is one of the best modern love stories to Mr. Lee yet.
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Details
Name: Now Is Not The Time
Address: 25 Pasir Panjang Rd, Singapore 117536
Opening Hours: 11 am–8 pm
(Website)
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