Singapore: Where Explorers Meet was a multi-sensory garden to commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial. Guests were invited to take a glimpse into the island’s rich heritage, unique culture and diverse lifestyle offerings as part of a celebration of the bilateral relations the UK and Singapore have shared since 1819.
The event, curated in collaboration with leading Singaporean creative agency, In The Wild, was an experience through the eyes of travellers past, present and future. It cast a wider lens on the spirit of discovery and openness of exchange in a dynamic city, offering visitors a slice of Singapore’s arts, music, dining and cocktail scene.
With an internationally renowned cast of Singaporean and British artists, chefs and mixologists, Singapore: Where Explorers Meet featured:
– A tropical imaginarium created by leading Singaporean botanical designers, This Humid House.
– A unique haptic plant soundscape presented by leading British and Singaporean artists Mileece and .gif. Guests could traverse time and connect with history as told by nature.
– Music from producer and DJ, Kiat (Syndicate.SG), one of South-East Asia's pioneers in drum and bass sounds, Syndicate has featured on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1XTRA.
– Throughout the installation, NY-based Singaporean photographer, Lenne Chai, presented an exploration of the faces and stories that have been part of Singapore’s transformation over the past 200 years.
– A chance to explore the cuisine of Chef Malcolm Lee, chef-owner of Candlenut, the world’s first and only Michelin starred Peranakan establishment. Lee served his world renowned ‘Buah Keluak ice cream’, which combines savoury black nuts & chocolate.
– Old Chang Kee presented their famous curry puffs, a local delight in Singapore. Legend has it that chefs who worked for the British back in Singapore in the 1800s had reinvented the Cornish pasty with Singapore’s native herbs and spices, giving rise to this heritage pastry.
– Cocktails created as part of a cross-cultural collaboration between two of the world's top bars, Lyaness and Native. The drinks were crafted to bring out the best of Singapore spices and flavours.
– Guests could also try the legendary Singapore Sling presented by head bartender, Paul Hammond of Raffles Singapore, in advance of the reopening of the legendary hotel in August of this Bicentennial year, after undergoing a careful and sensitive restoration.