UPDATE: Alive Museum at Suntec City is closed permanently from May 30 2017.
Round up your friends and ready your cameras: last month saw not one, but two optical illusion museums from South Korea landing on our shores. While the well-established Trick Eye Museum in Resorts World Sentosa received most of the fanfare (given its several months of build-up), the Alive Museum on the third floor of Suntec City Tower 3 also managed to sneak in its soft opening as well.
Though Alive is smaller than Trick Eye – currently there are 70 pieces in the darker, maze-like Suntec space, which seems a bit more DIY than the intricate and professional-feeling Trick Eye – it does benefit from a more central location in the city and features some unique pieces, such as an exhibit that makes it look as though you’re doing the anti-gravity 45-degree lean next to Michael Jackson in ‘Smooth Criminal’, a floor-length mirror that puts your face and body’s symmetry to the test and one that turns you into a breakdancing pro with the help of a trampoline.
Ultimately, both attractions are worth a visit (the entry fees are the same) and each have their own merits – both have unique Singapore-themed works for example at the Alive Museum, you can pretend to wash your hair in the Merlion’s spray, while at Trick Eye, you can hop on the mythical creature’s back as it navigates the high seas). We also like the crowd favourite at Alive that allows you to cling onto a pole seemingly hundreds of feet above the city.
To make the most of your experience, regardless of which museum you visit, we suggest setting aside at least an hour, and get ready to break out your best acting skills and funny faces… and of course, a fully-charged camera. Gwen Pew