The ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic has been unsettling for many of us, but it has also given us the opportunity to reflect and to reboot.
What the pandemic has prompted us to consider, perhaps, is this larger question: What is in progress for each one of us?
Light to Night 2021 takes the form of a hybrid festival, with both physical and digital components. The theme, “_____-In-Progress,” was a recurring theme that came up in our conversations with artists, cultural workers and partner institutions during the circuit breaker period.
These conversations have since inspired a multitude of artistic responses that are presented across various locations in the Civic District and beyond. The Festival also shines the spotlight on the ecosystem of people working behind the scenes, and the diverse roles they play in the presentation of art.
2020 was an exceptionally challenging year, but it also revealed the resilience of artists, and the commitment of cultural institutions to showing solidarity in supporting artists and cultural workers through exhibitions, festivals and programmes.
As art is a core part of the human experience, we hope that the different exhibitions and programmes, both online and onsite, presented by Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, The Esplanade, National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Symphony Group, during Light to Night 2021, will inspire you to draw meaning from your own experiences during this pandemic. We welcome you to journey and share with us what is in progress for you, so that we may collectively imagine how we may move forward together.
Suenne Megan Tan
Festival Director and Director, Audience Development and Engagement
National Gallery Singapore
