As the sun starts to set, the spaceship buzzes to life. Multi-coloured lights flicker, warping the images of Tanjong Pagar Terminal reflected in the ship's silver panels. The crackle of a radio transmission floats through the air, blending with the distinctive sound of wayang music.
This is Wayang Spaceship, a public artwork by local artist Ming Wong. Designed as a travelling Chinese theatre, the stage now sits onsite at Singapore Art Museum. The unceasing trade and commerce of the container seaport form a backdrop to the hulking theatre-spaceship, which stands witness to technological progress and our place in the cosmos.
After the Singapore Art Museum closes each day, the Wayang Spaceship returns to its roots as a Chinese opera theatre. Bask in a symphony of light and sound – Ming Wong has creatively pieced together scenes from Chinese opera and science fiction films from the 1950s to 1970s, to tell the story of a scholar-warrior as he moves through past, present and future. The artist also worked with Liam Morgan and Wu Ju Han to design the lightboxes, projection and soundscape to express his vision of a "Chinese opera from the future".
The Wayang Spaceship will be at The Singapore Art Museum until 2024, so you have plenty of time to check it out. Before 7pm, visitors are free to board the 'spaceship' to have a look behind the scenes of a traditional Chinese opera stage. In fact, the structure is made out of a rare wood used for shipping with the help of Lee Beng Seng, whose predecessors picked up the craft of stage making in Xiamen.
For more information on the Wayang Spaceship, visit its dedicated page on the SAM website.
The Everyday Museum
Wayang Spaceship was commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum for a new public art initiative The Everyday Museum. This long-term programme aims to take art beyond the gallery walls – beginning with site-specific exhibits and activations in Tanjong Pagar and radiating out to more neighbourhoods in the coming months and years.
Besides Wayang Spaceship, earlier commissions under The Everyday Museum include The Oort Cloud and the Blue Mountain: Edition Tanjong Pagar Distripark and Creatif Compleks, both of which you can find at SAM until December 2023.
Stay updated on all upcoming showcases under The Everyday Museum on SAM's official website.
