Thursday, May 2, 2024

Artscience Museum's Frida Forever (4 May to 1 Sep 2024) - An Immersive Celebration of Frida Kahlo's Unique Life


Mexican artist and icon Frida Kahlo is one of Red Dot Diva's favourite women personalities. The vibrancy and surrealism in her artwork, as well as resilience in the face of adversity, never ceases to amaze and captivate Diva's imagination.

Back in 2018, Red Dot Diva was thrilled to be able to catch the Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up exhibit at London's V&A Museum. No photos were allowed at the exhibit but it did not matter. On display, were her personal belongings like her clothing, makeup items, her intricately painted plaster corsets, even her prosthetic leg. It was a very intimate insight to the artist's psyche, and her story continues to inspire people even in this day and age. So, when Red Dot Diva heard that Artscience Museum would be presenting FRIDA FOREVER - a line up of exhibits and events commemorating 70 years of the artists' passing in 1954 - Diva had to find out what the local event would be like.

FRIDA FOREVER consists of two connecting exhibits in Level B2 of the building, as well as a VR offering on the 4th floor. Here are Red Dot Diva's thoughts from her sneak peek of the exhibits.

FRIDA KAHLO: THE LIFE OF AN ICON

In this immersive exhibit Frida Kahlo comes to life with colourful interactive installations, digital technologies, and 360-degree projections. As you wander from one zone to another, you will learn about the fateful accident that changed her life trajectory and how that affected her decisions for the rest of her artistic journey and choices. Check out some of the highlights:

At an altar that is inspired by the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), you will have the chance to contemplate and remember about Frida's eventful life.

A digital representation of the impact of her traumatic accident when she was 18 years old, is a powerful reminder of the suffering Frida Kahlo has endured for most of her life. The incident changed her feelings and thoughts about art, and it was the beginning of the outlet she needed to express how she viewed herself, her body, her beliefs and her struggles.

At the La Rosita tavern, Frida secured a space where her students were able to start painting murals. In this segment, you can sit down to colour your own Kahlo-inspired artpiece. Consider that a mission for Red Dot Diva! You can then scan your finished artwork and it will appear as a light projection on the wall.

Tada! How do you like Diva's work of art? :D

A crazily psychedelic light projection room depicts the various symbols and motifs that Frida Kahlo often use in her paintings. These include pineapples, monkeys, calaveras (Mexican skulls), and marigolds.

It is also a great photo spot for the 'Gram.

Frida Kahlo's look is instantly recognisable and her icon style has fueled inspiration for various fashion houses like Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino. In this segment, a few Mexican-style clothing, including the huipils featuring traditional embroidery that Frida loves to wear, are on display for us to admire. The artist favoured long skirts to conceal her shortened right leg due to childhood polio, and later her amputation.


The piece de resistance of this exhibition is the 360-immersive biography of Frida Kahlo's, chronicling her life in 45 minutes. With a fantastic soundtrack that also feature readings of poems in Spanish, weaved in the moving visuals of key moments in Frida like her childhood, her time spent in San Francisco, her place of convalescence, her love for animals and plants and more.

After the getting to know Frida's story, it is time to delve a little deeper by heading into the next exhibit entitled...

LAID BARE: FRIDA'S INNER WORLD

This is a smaller and more intimate look into Frida's that consists of 40 photographs, diary pages, medical records, and exclusive interviews with Cristina Kahlo Alcalá — the great niece of Frida Kahlo. In the recorded interview, Cristina Kahlo Alcalá shared how she managed to obtain medical records from the American British Cowdry Hospital in Mexico, where Frida spent most of her time in treatment for her medical troubles.

It is amazing to see the rebellious and defiant look in her eyes in one of the main photos, against the pictures of her prosthetic legs, mangled spine and medical records. And from living with chronic pain throughout most of her life, she usurps the narrative to make it her own by displaying her pain and mental resilience in eye-catching and moving artwork like Tree Of Hope, Remain Strong (1946). The artwork depicts the duality of the universe - light vs dark, as well as her life - the one on the left, broken and marred by surgical scars, and on the right, the sad yet confident Frida dressed in vibrant red and holding the flag with lyrics from a song “Cielito Lindo”, which means “Tree of Hope, Remain Strong.”

Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World is curated and produced by ArtScience Museum with the support of Cristina Kahlo Alcalá and Circe Henestrosa.

As you leave this exhibit, do not forget to admire the beautiful floral arch installation by Singapore-based Mexican artist and curator, Lidia Riveros.

EXQUISITE CORPSE: VR EXPERIENCE

To add on to the knowledge you have now acquired about Frida Kahlo, there is a VR experience entitled Exquisite Corpse developed by Layers of Reality and Blit Studios.

The digital journey begins when Frida was confined to the hospital bed while recovering from her health issues. This was the pivotal point where she decided to express herself through art. As you follow her journey, you will get to immerse yourself in a 360 view of her world, surrounded by her iconic colours and symbols.


Artscience Museum's FRIDA FOREVER tribute is a great introduction for those who are not familiar with the Mexican artist's life. Even for those who already know of Frida's extraordinary story, the displays provided more intimate details about her medical conditions, and enhances your appreciation of her outlook on life and death even more. When delving into Frida Kahlo's time on this earth, Red Dot Diva's tends to wonder if exquisite art is always spawned from immense suffering. What do you think?

FRIDA FOREVER runs from 4 May to 1 September 2024. Tickets can be purchased via Fever, at this link: https://feverup.com/m/165967


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If you are not able to make it to FRIDA FOREVER, watch Red Dot Diva's walk-through video filmed while at the event's preview!




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Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Meet Rebel Scums and BucketHeads At Star Wars May The 4th Events In Singapore (2024)


May The 4th, also known as STAR WARS DAY, is an annual grassroots driven celebration for STAR WARS fans all over the world. Right here on Red Dot Island, the festivities will be held in a few key spots this year. So, get ready to meet rebel scums and bucketheads at these three locations!


SCIENCE CENTRE SINGAPORE (4 - 5 May 2024)

This year, it's not just about the light side or the dark side. It's all about the Westside!

The primary May The 4th SG event will be part of Singapore Centre Singapore's Sci-Fi Fiesta. Fans can interact and take photos with the local STAR WARS costumed groups, which include the 501st Legion SG, Rebel Legion SG, Kranak Clan - Mandalorian Mercs and The Galactic Academy Hosnian Prime Campus Singapore. That means, you will get to meet a gamut of Star Wars characters like Jawas, stormtroopers, Jedis, Mandalorians and more! The costumed groups' efforts will also be a charity drive, with donations usually benefitting the KKH Health Fund run by KKH Women's and Children's Hospital. This fun opportunity will be held at the Annexe Foyer, and admission is free.

ADDED on 2 May 2024: The May the 4th SG team has released a list of fun activities that you can enjoy this weekend. Take a look at their Facebook post below:



Other Sci-Fi Fiesta activities like building your own space vehicle, are also available for you to take part in. However, these would involve an entrance fee to Singapore Centre Singapore.


GARDENS BY THE BAY (4 - 5 May 2024)

Popular local lightsaber performance group, Fightsaber Singapore, will be putting up their exciting theatrical routines at Gardens By The Bay's Supertree Grove this weekend! Fightsaber Singapore is the only Lucasfilm sanctioned lightsaber performance organisation in Southeast Asia.

You can watch their thrilling performances on 4 May 2024 (Sat) at 8:20 PM, and on 5 May 2024 (Sun) at 7.30PM and 8.20PM.

Red Dot Diva thinks it will be worthwhile to make a family outing to Gardens By The Bay for May the 4th. Here's why.

On the same day, there will be a preview of Gardens By The Bay's new Northern lights spectacle called Borealis at 7:30 PM to 8:15 PM. The light and sound outdoor installation at Supertree Grove is designed by Switzerland-based artist Dan Acher.

Then, when you have choped your place at Supertree Grove, you get to watch Fightsaber's performance. After which, you can treat yourself to the Garden Rhapsody: STAR WARS Edition, lighting up the super trees in glorious fashion at 8:45 PM (Repeats on 5 May 2024, Sunday at 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM). If they are using the same sequence as before, Red Dot Diva recalled that the light show experience gives all kinds of feels for any STAR WARS fan, as you sit/ stand there imagining you are right in the forests of Endor. Totally recommended!


WISMA ATRIA (1 to 19 May 2024)

LEGO is having a special STAR WARS DAY pop up event at Wisma Atria mall from 1 to 19 May 2024. The event is also held to celebrate LEGO's Star Wars 25th Anniversary.

To be honest, the kind of STAR WARS characters you would most probably get to see at the much smaller LEGO minifigure versions, but the pop-up event has a few fun things in store too! For one thing, Bothan spies have whispered that there will be LEGO product launches and announcements on May the 4th (Sat).

Besides the product launches, there are statue builds of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader and a LEGO diorama built by Titan Creations. Outside of Wisma Atria, there is a prop of the Emperor Palpatine's throne where you can channel your dark side and take selfies.



Other interesting things happening at the pop-up are:
- transforming yourself to your own LEGO minifigure version at the Create Your Own Poster boot
- joining contests, like guessing the number of LEGO lightsabers at the event space
- snagging freebies, by taking a photo of yourself on the Emperor's throne
- meet and greet with a roving LEGO Darth Vader on 1 May – 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM, and 18 and 19 May – 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM


May The 4th is all about celebrating being a STAR WARS fan. If you are not able to make it for these public events, please do not feel to sad about it. Red Dot Diva encourages that you can unleash your creativity, and organise your own May the 4th party with your friends and family! It is really about having fun and making memories as a STAR WARS fan.

May the Force Be With You.


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Check out Red Dot Diva's fun video filmed while enjoying some of this year's activities for May The 4th, as well as Free Comic Book Day at local comic book store GnB Comics




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If you enjoy Red Dot Diva's content, feel free to help her endeavours going by showing your support through ko-fi. Thank you!