At the just-opened iLight Singapore festival, one of the most arresting installations is the bevy of illuminated inflatables featuring “the flora and fauna” of our island

It rained in the earlier part of the day. So, in the evening, it was a tad cooler than it would have been, which made viewing this towering installation at Raffles Place Park more enjoyable an experience. Part of this year’s iLight Singapore festival, these lanterns filled the open space to the right side of One Raffles (if you were facing the building), outside Exit B of the Raffles Place MRT station. Surprisingly, passersby were not particularly taken by the site installation, unveiled today. Many gave it a cursery glance, unable to register the artistic lure. As we stood transfixed, we could not help but be bothered by the massive LED screen right in the middle of the façade of the edifice behind that formed the display’s unfortunate backdrop.

The floor lanterns were the work of Sydney-based Matthew Aberline and The Beautiful and Useful Studio. They are known for their large-scale inflatable artworks, created from recycled materials. Six of the inflatables installed at the Raffles Place Park were “localised”—they drew “inspiration from Singapore’s flora and fauna”, according to iLight Singapore’s communication material. The shape of the tall blow-ups reminded us of the matryoshka or Russian stacking dolls. They could also be modelled after the Chinese 瓮 (weng) or urn. But it truly was the prints that was especially eye-ctaching. As we stood there, entranced by the soft glow too, we kept thinking of Richard Quinn. He would appreciate the striking all-over florals.

The iLight Singapore runs till June 21, 2025, daily from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM (extended to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays) at various sites. Photo: AB Tan