What’s On This Weekend In Singapore: 15 – 17 January 2021

As part of its annual Wan Qing Festival of Spring (5 January to 21 February 2021) celebrations, the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) will be presenting a special outdoor installation done in collaboration with artists Tan Yizi and Lee Hsieh-Lung of Blackbox, a design and collectible label based in Chengdu, China.

Titled Double Prosperity, the installation features two 2.5-metre tall ‘Foo Dou’ Guardian Lions, which are traditionally installed in front of imperial Chinese palaces to protect the buildings and their residents. It comprises one male guardian lion with its paw on an embroidered ball, and one female guardian lion restraining a playful cub. Double Prosperity reiterates the belief that ‘good things come in pairs’ and serves as an expression of the memorial hall’s hope for more prosperous years to come. The installation will be open to the public from 5 January to 28 February 2021.

About the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH), a heritage institution under the National Heritage Board, traces Dr Sun’s revolutionary activities in the Southeast Asian region and highlights the impact of the 1911 Chinese Revolution on Singapore as well as Singapore’s contributions to the Revolution.

Wan Qing Festival of Spring 2021
5 January – 28 February 2021, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Open to public
Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12 Tai Gin Rd., 327874

Welcome the harvest festival of Pongal with a hearty “pongalo pongal!” (hail Pongal) festival at the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) this January! Pongal is an important festival that commemorates the rice harvest, and is celebrated by South Indian communities all over the world, including in Singapore.

Pongal is observed in the 10th month of the Tamil calendar, known as Thai, which is considered the most auspicious month of the year. It marks a time of thanksgiving for both agricultural communities and non-farming ones like Singapore, and is derived from a Tamil word that means “to boil over”, signifying the abundance of blessings. Pongal is also the name of the sweet rice dish boiled in milk till it overflows, as an offering to Surya the Sun God for the festival.

Discover Pongal and how it is celebrated in Singapore with an exciting array of immersive cultural activities presented by IHC at its hybrid online and on-site Pongal Day Out from 9 to 17 January 2021. From hands-on urban gardening and harvesting workshops, to an educational walk through bustling Campbell Lane to soak in the sights and sounds of the festival; and online activities that include a TikTok Pongal dance challenge and a special interactive learning portal that allows everyone to enjoy the festivities from home, there is something for everyone to explore this Pongal!

Other highlights at IHC during this period include a Bingo Hunt beginning at the centre, which will take participants on a quest to complete special activities around Little India and the galleries, free limited-edition Pongal planting pots and seed packets when you visit IHC, and more!

Workshops + Events

1. Pongal Planting Workshop
   Discover how you can grow your own Indian herbs and vegetables at home in this workshop presented by Bollywood Adventures. Learn about the Pongal festival and its significance to farmers and rural communities, and how urban-dwellers can experience the essence of Pongal celebrations by growing your own plants and participating in the joy of harvesting. Other highlights include an introduction to urban gardening, a hands-on potting session where you will be able to pot two plant types of your choice, an overview of plant care and harvesting techniques, and finally, a pot painting activity for you to unleash your creativity.

Details:
16 January 2021, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., 1.5 hours per session
Programme capacity: 20 participants per session

2. Pongal Hands-on Experience @ IHC
   Embark on an educational journey and learn about harvest tradition basics through a variety of cultural activities and programmes available at the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC). The trail kicks off with a tour of the exhibits at IHC; followed by interactive live demonstrations of how a kolam, a traditional floor drawing created with rice flour, is created; and how the traditional Indian decorative craft, the thoranam, is made using coconut leaves.

Next up is a Pongal Walk through bustling Campbell Lane, which will show the hustle and bustle of last-minute shopping, colourfully painted earthen pots used for the boiling of the traditional dish pongal, which consists of rice boiled in milk with jaggery, and rows of tall sugar cane stalks lined along the shops. You will also get to see how fresh turmeric and ginger stalks are used to decorate the Pongal pot. Finally, catch the Pongal light-up along Serangoon road before heading back to IHC to learn how the traditional dish of pongal is prepared, and sample it for yourself to end the evening!

Details:
12 to 15 January 2021, 6.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. daily
Programme capacity: 20 participants per session

3. Rites of Spring: Kranji Farm Tour
   Enjoy an immersive cultural farm experience away from the bustle of the city! Our farm tour experience includes a variety of live demonstrations, hands-on activities and mini- trails which will allow you to learn more about Pongal and its significance to the Indian community.

The journey begins with live cooking demonstrations of the traditional pongal dish! Get hands-on at the interactive stations where you can grind rice and other grains in a traditional stone grinder (attukallu), make your own festive thoranam decorations, and learn how to draw kolam floor art. End the journey with a soothing nature walk, where you will also learn about rice and millet varieties.

Details:
17 January 2021, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., 3 hours each session
Venue: Kranji Countryside (Meeting point: Indian Heritage Centre)
Programme capacity: 20 participants per session

4. ‘Pongalo Pongal!’ An Interactive Learning Portal

Embark on an interactive learning experience with the Indian Heritage Centre, and enjoy an array of fun quizzes, engaging videos and craft activities to learn more about Pongal. Targeted at students aged 10 to 14, this specially created microsite will expound on different aspects of Pongal, such as the traditions that take place over the four-day festival, traditional Indian folk dances, Pongal cuisine, and how the festival is celebrated in Singapore. Other highlights include a variety of craft activities for students to try anywhere, anytime.

Details:
From 9 January 2021, online.

5. Pongal Music Video & Tik Tok Dance Challenge
   Catch an exhilarating folk-dance performed to specially-composed music that captures the joy of a bountiful harvest. This music video features an ensemble of different dance groups who will be incorporating various folk dance styles such as poi kaal kuthirai, mayilaatam and karagaattam to launch the Pongal celebrations in Singapore! Do also keep a lookout for a fun #ihcpongal TikTok dance challenge, and post a video showing off your slick dance moves to this catchy tune!

Details:
From 10 January 2021, on IHC’s Facebook.

Indian Heritage Centre’s Pongal Day Out
9 – 17 January 2021
Register your participation with the link here.
Indian Heritage Centre, 5 Campbell Ln., 209924

Put on your investigator’s cap once again as Sight Lines Entertainment presents Murder at Mandai Camp: The Case Reopens, the sequel to Mandai Camp: A Supernatural Murder Mystery that ran three days in June 2020. The event is set to be Asia’s first virtual horror-mystery escape room with live-action gameplay and provides an immersive experience with 360° views, surround sound and choose-your-own-adventure mechanics. Tickets are going at $20 per person or $88 for 5 people. For more information or to purchase your tickets, you can head here.

Murder At Mandai Camp: The Case Reopens In December
22 December 2020 – 16 January 2021 (recently extended!)
8 p.m. – 4 a.m.
Online

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Mummys Market is dedicated to bring along every pregnancy needs and daily essentials for both Mother and Baby, under one roof. Showcasing the widest variety of strollers, car seats, cots and more! Top brands and biggest names from trusted direct distributors!

Back by popular demand from its 2020 fair, the Mummys Markey Baby Fair is back from 15 – 24 January 2021 with up to to 95% off baby products in their online and physical retail store!

Mummys Market Baby Fair 2021
15 – 24 January 2021
Online event OR visit their physical retail store (by appointment only) @ 9 Temasek Blvd., Suntec City, Tower 4, #02-728, 038989

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Hosted by the Asian Film Archive, be the first in Singapore to see the restored version of this critically acclaimed Japanese tragedy about a samurai’s obsessive love for a married woman.

Original Title: Jigokumon / 地獄門
Directed by: Teinosuke Kinugasa
Runtime: 89 minutes
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Rating: PG (Some Violence)

Celebrating the classics of Asian cinema and beyond, Restored is a regular series showcasing Asian films that have been meticulously preserved and restored by different institutions from across the world. The platform revisits these classics in a new light and allows them to be appreciated by new generations of audiences.

Bursting with passion and colour in every frame, Teinosuke Kinugasa’s period drama Gate of Hell tells the tragic tale of romantic obsession and unrequited love of a samurai who embarks on a frenzied quest to win the love of a married woman against all odds.

Restored: Gate of Hell (地獄門) (1953)
Showtimes:  15 January (Fri), 8pm. Buy your tickets online here.
Oldham Theatre, 1 Canning Rise, 179868

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Hosted by the Asian Civilisations Museum, explore activities that revolve around the themes of our Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories Your ACM Exhibition, from riverboat and gallery tours to intangible cultural heritage demonstrations. Or tune in from the comfort of your home for digital content available online.

*Enjoy a special $6 admission into Faith Beauty Love Hope from 6.30–8.30pm during the programme (Usual Price: $12 for Singaporeans and PRs, $20 for other visitors).

All onsite programmes will follow safe-distancing measures (SDMs). Please note that you will need to wear a face mask and remain in your personal group (max. 5 pax) throughout all programmes. Additional measures will be in place for all participants. These measures are in accordance with Singapore’s current SDM practices and are subject to change.

Faith Beauty Love Hope – Our Stories Your ACM Exhibition
Now till 28 February 2021, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m (weekdays), 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (weekends)
$12 (Singaporeans and PRs), $20 (Foreign Residents and Tourists) Buy your tickets online here.
1 Empress Pl., 179555

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Inspired by the principles of slow looking and mindfulness, the Slow Art programme focuses on one artwork every session. Participants will be taken through a guided observation exercise and a facilitated group discussion to introduce them to basic visual literacy while exploring the intersection of visual art and emotional wellness.

*Limited to 8 participants per session to facilitate discussions. Conducted online via zoom in English.

Kindly note that by registering for this event, it does not guarantee your participation in the programme. Slots are only available to the first 8 individuals who showed up punctually for the session they registered for.

If you have any enquiries, please email community@nationalgallery.sg

Slow Art by National Gallery Singapore
14 & 28 January, 25 February, 11 & 25 March; 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Free, book your tickets online here.
Online event via Zoom.

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What stars, planets and constellations are in the skies tonight? As the Earth spins around the Sun, we will see different portions of the night sky. Every week brings a slightly different visual spectacle to the skies overhead. In this live planetarium show inside the Omni Theatre, our Science Educator will bring you on a tour of the current night sky, point out the beautiful sights and listen to fascinating stories about the stars.

Book your stargazing slots at the Science Centre Observatory after the show, hang around admiring the celestial objects and interact with our Science Educators and Volunteers.

Event details:
8 p.m. – 8.45 p.m.: What’s Up there? Digital Planetarium Show in the Omni Theatre.
9 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Stargazing at the Science Centre Observatory

Participants will take turns for stargazing according to the prevalent safe distancing measures. Please follow the instructions on the day of the event.

Stargazing @ Science Centre Observatory + Digital Planetarium Show @ Omni Theatre
15 & 22 January, 19 & 26 February, 19 & 26 March; 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Tickets: $14, book them online here.
15 Science Centre Rd., 609081

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“We invite you to commune with us, and to think about our bodies and our spiritual states in these strange times” – Choy Ka Fai

About the exhibition
𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳: 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (hosted by the Singapore Art Museum) presents Choy’s research to-date, set up as an immersive installation that presents the artist’s perspective on humanity’s attempt to connect, to question, and to perceive and interact with different states of reality. Stories and images composed from his invigorating encounters with “altered states” interweave with the artist’s speculations to present a choreographic sequence of moving images, text and spectacle, inspired by practices observed in Singapore, Indonesia, Siberia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

About the artist
Berlin-based Singapore artist Choy Ka Fai has been researching the metaphysics of the human body in the last decade, taking the body as a conceptual device for explorations into “post-human” choreographic ideas and alternative states of consciousness. An investigation into the relationship between humans and worldly phenomena, 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 is an ongoing project by Choy that explores shamanic dance cultures in Asia, delving into the process of worlding across different communities. Having ventured into the region in search of the most spectacular and immersive trance experiences, the artist has met over 50 shamans and filmed extraordinary dance rituals, from the wilderness of Siberia to the mythological practices in Java.

CosmicWander: Expedition by Choy Ka Fai
16 January – 21 February 2021; 12 – 9 p.m. daily* (12–5 p.m. on 16 and 22 January)
Free admission (No pre-registration required)
Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Rd., #01-02 to 04, 089065