SG Heart Map festival celebrates Singaporeans' favourite haunts

A crowd watches A Beautiful Day by William Chan - a film of Singapore from dawn to dusk - during the launch of the SG Heart Map Festival @ Float yesterday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
The light and pyromusical show during the launch of the SG Heart Map Festival. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Two visitors stand around the HomeScapes photography exhibition at the SG Heart Map Festival. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

A year-long drive that saw Singaporeans sharing stories about their favourite places has culminated in a grand celebration.

The four-day SG Heart Map Festival @ Float was launched last night amid a light show and fireworks at the Marina Bay floating platform. The SG Heart Map initiative began in November last year, when Singaporeans were asked to share personal stories about the places that define Singapore.

To date, about 100,000 contributions have been collected and they have inspired art installations at the SG Heart Map Festival. Some of the places include Changi Village, East Coast Park, Little India and Tanjong Pagar.

Visitors were greeted by exhibits created by the festival's seven lead artists. The works included poetry and prose, an audio installation, a photography showcase and a short film made specially for the event by Singapore film-maker Royston Tan.

Mrs Chua Xin Ru, 36, a business owner who was at the festival with her husband and children, said: "We sometimes take these places in Singapore for granted as we see them every day, but they are actually what makes us Singaporean."

Encouraging Singaporeans to join in the celebrations, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said: "This is a great event for Singaporeans to come, not only for the atmosphere but also to fall in love with the Singapore cityscape once again."

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong launched the festival last night.

A community-driven initiative led by the SG50 Environment and Infrastructure Committee, the SG Heart Map Festival @ Float is now on at the Float @ Marina Bay until Sunday.

Today, it is open from 5pm to midnight. More details, including opening hours on specific days, can be found at www.heartmap.sg.

Jasmine Osada

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 27, 2015, with the headline SG Heart Map festival celebrates Singaporeans' favourite haunts. Subscribe