Archifest 2016: Exhale

I stumbled upon this Architecture Art while sipping coffee at Providore with two mommy friends, Ashlyn and Natasha. Raffles Place held many fond memories for me when I was a hotelier. I had clients in almost every building the surrounded the Raffles Green and I visit them pretty often. That is another story from 10 years back. When I returned that morning for this impromptu rendezvous, I was taken aback by all the changes around the Green! There were a lot more arty sculptures and the lawn was filled with vintage swings for a relaxing getaway from the the stifling offices. 

Then I saw this huge rainbow cover-up made up of fabrics shielding One Raffles Place from plain sight. "Oh My!" I thought. "They are renovating this place again?" I had thought that construction works have taken it up a notch higher in creating cover-ups that are deemed artistic. Why not right? Instead of the usual metal scaffoldings, it is indeed a great idea to offer a respite from hectic city life.  Very clever indeed. 

As we took a walk to the centre court after our breakfast, I noticed some crates placed in an sloppy manner on the lawn next to a double dusty blue swing. "Ooooh how artistic! Let us take a picture here!" I offered. Then came a debate between my girlfriend and I about how the rainbow scaffolding WAS THE ART and the crate WAS THE TRASH. I was totally taken aback to hear that the "giant rainbow cake" in front of One Raffles Place was THE ART! But, I was right about the crates being Art instead of Trash. Oh how confusing! Truth is: They Are All Art! 

Wonderful! Art in the Central Business District! I love it!









I saw an awesome opportunity to capture memorable shots of the children with the Archifest Pavilion as backdrop! Many working professionals were staring at us doing our thing but I learnt that Moms on a Mission do not care! My only complain was the amount of second-hand smoke we inhaled during our visit. Oh gosh and ARCHIVIST 2016 is themed "Exhale". Is it unfair of me to invite the smokers to the smoking corner [I saw a huge area behind Providore] so that we can enjoy the space inhaling and exhaling freshness from the air?

While we were there peeping into the exhibition area, a very kind 姐姐 came up to us and gave the children one balloon each. Thank you if you are reading this!

I had to find out more and I learnt that this installation is called the ARCHIFEST 2016. The more I read about it, the more excited I am! It is an annual public festival for Singapore to celebrate architecture and the built environment. Celebrating its 10th edition, the festival theme "Exhale" seeks to challenge the rapidity and density of activities that define our pace of life, weigh in on the state of Singapore's built environment and breathe new life into it.

FESTIVAL PERIOD: 23 September to 9 October 2016
Location: Archifest Pavilion@Raffles Place Park
Address: 5 Raffles Place, Singapore 048618
Opening Hours: 9.00 am to 7.00 daily
MRT: Rafles Place Station [EW14/NS26]

Here are some highlighted activities and workshops during this period that I'd recommend for families to indulge. For the full listing, please follow here.

{FUN} #COLORARCHIFEST Coloring Contest 
Entry Period: 23 Sep (Fri) to 9 Oct (Sun)
Online Voting: 23 Sep (Fri) to 9 Oct (Sun)
Result Announcement: 9 Oct (Sun)


1. Pick up a copy of the Archifest Festival Guide or Paper Fan at the Archifest Pavilion@Raffles Place Park.

2. Color it (either on ur own or use our coloring stations!)

3. Post your favorite colored section to Instagram with the #COLORARCHIFEST hashtag.

4. The most number of LIKES wins S$500 cash!

We picked our festival guide up and I will be spending my me-hours colouring! They say colouring is therapeutic and it brings us back to simpler times.


{WORKSHOP} Community Gardening
24 Sep (Sat), 28 Sep (Wed), 1 Oct (Sat), 5 Oct (Wed), 8 Oct (Sat)
8.30 am - 9.30 am
Raffles Place Park
No registration required, Free!


There's nothing like a morning spent nurturing plants before a day of work. How might we envision what it means to farm in the city? Join Tanah in this session as they sow seeds and grow out seedlings, working the land.


{ACTIVITY} FLIPTABLE
23 Sep (Fri), 27 Sep (Fri), 3 Oct (Mon)
11.30 am - 2.00 pm
No registration required, Free!


Workplace stress is bad for you. Join this #FlipTable activity by Chemistry, a pop-up interactive event that invites you to vent those frustrations and start conversations around how we can harness this negative energy in a more positive and creative form! Yes! The opportunity is here to Flip That Table!


{ACTIVITY} BOOKS-TO-GO
28 Sep (Sat), 29 Sep (Sun) and 30 Sep (Mon)
11.30 am - 2.30 pm and 5.00 pm  - 7.00pm
No registration required, Free!

For three days only, visit the Books-To-Go for your reading and viewing pleasure! Books, DVDs and magazines will be available for borrowing. Run by National Library Board.


{ACTIVITY} BOOKS X BEER
24 Sep (Sat)
3.00 pm - 6.00 pm
No registration required, Free!

Come to this travelling book swap, raising awareness about sharing and recycling. There will be many free books (nearly 700!) on architecture to give away. Do bring a pre-loved book[s], browse, and find some gems while you are there. Looks like the bulk of the books are archi-related. Do you think if we spread this enough by 24th September, parents will bring along children's books for swaps? Just a thought! Oh Yes! Bring a beer or a beverage along. There will be an ice-box provided for your drinks - to swap? Run by Books and Beer.


{WORKSHOP} ARKIDECTURE X EXHALE
7 Oct (Fri), 2.30 pm - 4.30 pm
8 Oct (Sat), 9.30 am - 11.30am
6 to 12 years old
Registration Required

"ArKIDecture X Exhale" presents an interactive Urban Symphony that aims to encourage parents and children to exercise their imagination to create their very own orchestra instruments inspired by the elements of our urban, cultural and natural environment. Run by ArKIDecture Beep.

Do not forget to study the Festival Guide and pen down those showcases that interest you too! Links included:


If you are hanging out with friends over lunch at the Raffles Place Park, do not forget to bring back some fun shots with the Pavilion as your backdrop like what we did! It was an honour [private joke] to be out with these two successful FTWMs. Not only do they succeed as working moms, they put their family as first priorities. To top it all up, they are bloggers who bring you the latest trends, parenting tips and family adventures! By day, an employee. By evening, mother. By night, blogger. Superwomen I say. AshlynThia pushed it further by being the finalist of Mrs Singapore 2015/16 and So.Natty never cease to put together the best birthday parties for her boys! They will lose sleep to nurse their children when they are sick and bring them out to play all day even when they are all tired and broken. They are hands-on, fashionable and crazy! Got to give them their due introduction.




A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life. 
We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.

Comments

Popular Posts