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Chocolate isn’t just something you taste – it can be something you see, touch and experience.
To mark its fifth anniversary, The 1 Exclusive is stepping into a more experiential space, moving beyond traditional loyalty perks and into something more immersive. The programme’s latest collaboration brought this idea to life through the Janice Wong First-Ever Chocolate Edible Art Gallery with Mastercard – an exhibition designed to blur the line between art and flavour.
Held at the Mastercard Experience Space at Central Chidlom, the exhibition brought together internationally acclaimed pastry chef and visual artist Janice Wong, known for transforming desserts into sculptural works. A two-time recipient of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef award, Wong approaches chocolate not just as an ingredient, but as a creative medium.
Here, chocolate became colour, texture and form.
Each installation was crafted to reflect both partners, with visual elements inspired by Thai culture. Patterns, colours and familiar imagery drew from local references, including scenes reminiscent of floating markets, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. The result was a gallery that felt rooted in Thailand, yet distinctly modern in execution.
But this wasn’t a traditional exhibition where you stood back and just observed.
One of the key ideas behind the project was interaction. Visitors were invited to engage directly with the artworks, including a series of chocolate lollipops that formed part of the installation. These weren’t just decorative pieces. They were fully edible, with flavours ranging from yuzu and kaffir lime to jasmine milk tea, Earl Grey and rose, salted caramel, chilli and fig with port wine.
It was a multi-sensory experience designed to move beyond visual appreciation. Taste became part of the journey, connecting the artwork to memory and emotion in a way that felt immediate and personal.
At the centre of the space, guests were also invited to step into the creative process themselves. A collaborative canvas allowed visitors to paint and contribute to the evolving installation, reinforcing the idea that this was not just something to look at, but something to be part of.
Behind the scenes, the scale of the exhibition was as impressive as the concept. More than 300kg of chocolate were used in the creation of the works, with over a month spent on development before the final installation was completed within a single day. Working with chocolate as a primary material also brought its own challenges, requiring careful planning and precise temperature control throughout the process.
The exhibition was created exclusively for The 1 Exclusive members and Mastercard cardholders, highlighting the programme’s shift towards what it calls ‘enduring relationships’ built through experience rather than transaction.