It was my first time to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands and I am really thankful for the wonderful opportunity to be there to view the two current exhibitions that are on display, The Art of the Brick and Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

Note:
For convenience sake, all rates that are listed in this blog entry are for weekends and public holidays.

Ticket Prices:

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

The Art of the Brick and Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb
Adult: $24/$20*     Senior [65 years & above]: $21/$18*     Child [2-12 years]: $14/$13*

The Art of the Brick
Adult: $15/$13*     Senior [65 years & above]: $14/$12*     Child [2-12 years]: $9/$8*

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb
Adult: $24/$20*     Senior [65 years & above]: $21/$18*     Child [2-12 years]: $14/$13*

*: Rates are for Singapore Residents ONLY.

The Art of the Brick [Extended till 26 May 2013]

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

The Art of the Brick was on display since 17 November 2012 and from what I heard, the exhibition was supposed to wrap up last month but it has been extended till 26 May 2013 due to popular demand.

The Art of the Brick is deemed as CNN’s 12 ‘Must-see Exhibitions’ and it showcases 52 large-scale LEGO sculptures by New York-based artist, Nathan Sawaya.

When I was there, I must admit that the works by Nathan Sawaya were really thought-provoking and reading the short description that accompanied each of Nathan’s work really challenged my thinking.

In this piece entitled ‘Swimmer’, Nathan used 10,980 LEGO bricks and took 15 days to create it in 2009. As you can see from the picture, the piece can only be seen above the surface and Nathan challenges viewers’ imagination to fill in the rest of the sculpture below the surface.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

Inspired by the changes that takes place on his journeys, Nathan created this piece entitled ‘Yellow’ in 2006 and it is probably one of his best known piece. Nathan used 11,014 LEGO bricks to create this piece.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

Nathan made use of 3,720 recycled LEGO bricks to create this piece entitled ‘Peaces’ in 2010. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “What does it take to create Peaces? It takes many pieces. And all the colours in the world working together”.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

I particularly like this piece entitled ‘Mask’ which was created in 2007 using 18,509 LEGO bricks. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “Masks are used by just about every culture on the planet. They keep things hidden and show only the face we want others to see. I build Mask as a reflection of revealing our true selves. So often we put on a different face and then can no longer identify our own self. Mask identifies the facade we hide behind”.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

There is this other piece entitled ‘Grasp’ that I also like. It was created in 2007 using 17,356 LEGO bricks and the description that accompanied this sculpture says, “No matter where your heart wants to lead you, there will be hands that try to hold you back. Life’s challenge is to find the strength to break free. I created this sculpture in response to so many people telling me ‘No’ in my life. I wanted to break free of those people”.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

The highlight of the exhibition would probably be this piece entitled ‘Dinosaur Skeleton’ which was created in 2007 using 80,020 LEGO bricks. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “This is one of the largest sculptures I have ever made. It took an entire summer to build and nearly drove me crazy trying to make it work. After seeing so many kids flock to my first solo exhibition, I wanted to give back something and create a sculpture that children would enjoy. What could be better than a dinosaur?”

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

After looking at all the pieces that were on display, I was truly inspired by Nathan Sawaya because his works are not only thought-provoking but it really sends a strong message that transcends our core inner being. What is shown in this blog entry is just a few of the many wonderful pieces that were on display at The Art of the Brick and really, you should check it out if you haven’t because it will only be here in Singapore till 26 May 2013.

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

The Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb is the latest exhibition at the ArtScience Musuem and it will be here till 4 November 2013.

At the exhibition, the secrets of the mysterious Egyptian burial practices and mummification process will be revealed in technologically-advanced detail and it pairs mummies and artifacts culled from the extensive and famed Egyptian collection of the British Museum with an innovative 3D film experience that captures the “virtual unwrapping” of the Egyptian mummy.

As I wasn’t allowed to take any photographs when I was there, I have obtained permission from a fellow writer, superadrianme.com,to use the pictures that he took when he attended the media showcase.

There’s a host of engaging and hands-on opportunities that are available to visitors of all ages and this includes an interactive Embalming Workshop that will shed light on the various steps and rituals that comprised the embalming, mummification, and cartonnage procedures of the time.

[Credits to superadrianme.com for the image]

Visitors will also be able to take part in a specially-designed exhibition quest through age-appropriate activity bags containing a host of engaging activities and tools that are directly related to the artifacts on display. Among these are jigsaw puzzles, creative games, and magnifying glasses to help young Egyptologists complete various challenges.

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

The mummy of Nesperennub remains in its original cartonnage coffin and has never been opened.

[Credits to superadrianme.com for the image]

With the use of the most advanced and cutting-edge scanning technology, details about Nesperennub’s life and death and images of him with regards to how he looked like 3,000 years ago were retrieved without opening the coffin or disturbing Nesperennub’s wrappings .

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb will showcase more than 100 stunning artifacts and six mummies in total.

[Credits to superadrianme.com for the image]

Among the other mummies on display in the exhibition is the mummy of Tjayasetimu, a singer in the temple of Amun, whom died when she was still a child, around 800 BC. Her carefully embalmed body has been enclosed in a cartonnage case representing her with the golden face of a divine being, and with her hands, feet and arms partly freed from the traditional mummy wrappings.

Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the mummy of Tjayasetimu.

For me personally, I had an enriching time at Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb and to be able to see for myself all the Egyptian mummies and artifacts that has a history dating back to more than 3000 years ago is truly an experience that is really amazing. This is perhaps one of the rarest opportunity that I have to get a slice of Egyptian history without having to travel all the way to Egypt.

My Thought After Visiting the ArtScience Musuem:

Honestly, I really enjoyed both the exhibitions and it was truly an enriching time for me. As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend you to purchase tickets for both the exhibitions because not only is it cheaper, it provides the greatest value as well. With that being said, the prices for the souvenirs were exorbitant and as much as I wanted to buy some souvenirs for keepsake, I decided that it was not worth the money. Nevertheless, do go catch these two exhibitions because they are truly awesome.

Guided Tours

Guided tours are conducted in English and Mandarin on Saturdays and Sundays. Each guided tour takes up to 20 people and is on a first come first served basis. Stickers will be given out 5 minutes before the tour time.

The Art of the Brick

Meeting Point:
Exhibition entrance at the Upper Galleries (Level 3)

English Tours:

• Saturdays, 11.30am
• Sundays, 5.30pm
• Additional sessions: 1 & 24 May, 2pm

Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb

Meeting Point:
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb Galleries (Level B2) It is recommended that visitors view the 3D film before joining the tour.

English Tours:

• Saturdays, 5:30pm
• Sundays, 11:30am
• Additional sessions: 1 & 24 May, 4pm

Mandarin Tours:

• Saturdays, 3pm & 6pm
• Sundays, 3pm & 6pm
• Additional sessions: 24 May, 3pm & 6pm

How to Get to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands:

Marina Bay Sands

From ArtSciene Museum 2013

You can get there via the following modes of transportation: MRT, Bus, Taxi and Car. The nearest MRT Station would be Bayfront Station [Circle Line] and the buses which stop at Bayfront Avenue are 97, 97E, 133, 133M, 502, 518, and 106.

If you’re travelling by car, the nearest car park is the North Car Park at Marina Bay Sands and the parking rates are $6 for the 1st hour and $1 for the next subsequent 30 minutes, up to a maximum charge of $26 from 7am to 7pm.

If you are planning to drive there, I strongly suggest that you park your car at Gardens By The Bay and then take a 15-20 minutes walk over to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands. The parking rates for Gardens By The Bay is $0.025 per minute for the first 5 hours and $0.05 per minute thereafter from 5am to 6pm. This is way cheaper than parking your car at Marina Bay Sands.

Gardens By The Bay

From ArtSciene Museum 2013