SINGAPORE, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- The National Museum of Singapore's Glass Rotunda reopened on Saturday after two years of renovation to showcase two new permanent installations, which offers visitors a journey to Southeast Asia's tropical rainforests and local old trees.
Upon entering the Glass Rotunda, visitors will be greeted by a larger-than-life interactive digital installation called "Story of the Forest". Inspired by the museum's prized collection -- The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, art collective teamLab utilizes cutting-edge technology to transform 69 drawings from the collection into animated illustrations.
Toshiyuki Inoko, founder of teamLab, said this installation is by far the most challenging digital artwork created by teamLab due to the massive size and scale of the Glass Rotunda. With a ceiling measuring 15-meter high and a 170-meter passage stretching down to the base, the installation is divided into three segments.
A constellation of flora that cascade endlessly from the top of the dome structure will embrace the visitors at the upper rotunda. As visitors start their journey down the passage, they will encounter various fauna such as an animated Malayan Tapir or a mouse deer. The installation concludes at the lower part, where visitors can witness flora which are native to the region, such as palmyra palm, lotus flower, durian, mangosteen and rambutan.
At the bottom of the Glass Rotunda, visitors will be able to tour the exhibition "Singapore, Very Old Tree" by renowned local photographer and artist Robert Zhao. Inspired by one of the oldest postcards found in the National Archives of Singapore depicting an unspecified tree dating back to 1904, the set of 30 images from the project have been acquired by National Museum of Singapore and are the newest additions to the National Collection.
The exhibition showcases 17 images out of the 30 that have been acquired, highlighting intimate stories of each and giving visitors an alternative perspective of Singapore's history and the personal connections that Singaporeans have with local trees.
Director of National Museum of Singapore Angelita Teo said the two new installations at the revamped Glass Rotunda are inspired by the region's rich ecological heritage, and remind people of the museum's early beginnings almost 130 years ago.
"They also reflect how the National Museum is evolving and progressing, working with artists and partners to adopt innovative methods to offer visitors new ways of looking at Singapore's social history and culture," said Teo.
According to the museum, visitors can enjoy free admission to the revamped Glass Rotunda and permanent galleries on Saturday and Sunday. A line-up of family friendly activities will also be presented for the opening weekend. Enditem
