INterSPACE
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), will light up the Singapore Night Festival this year with five iconic pieces that redefine creativity by the academy’s rising stars of creators and alumni, anchored by Constructing Selves: Faces of a Shifting Form, the festival’s unmissable centrepiece that blends live dance, AI-generated visuals, and immersive storytelling.
An annual event, the Singapore Night Festival explores Singapore's rich culture and historical landscapes, highlighting stories of belonging, exchange, and connectivity, transforming the Bras Basah Bugis precinct into a vibrant showcase of light installations, performances, and interactive displays. Themed "Island Nights", this year’s festival celebrates Singapore's identityn as an island nation and its connections.
“We're thrilled to have NAFA featured in this year's Singapore Night Festival. Our students and alumni have put together an exciting showcase of immersive work from creative AI displays to vibrant performances. As part of the Island Nights theme, their works highlight stories of belonging, connection, and cultural exchange. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their talent and creativity with the wider community,” said Xin Xiaochang, Head (Special Projects Unit), of NAFA.
From August 22 to September 21, passersby along Bencoolen Street can check out the colourful glass windows of NAFA Campus 1. Huemanity, an exhibition showing Singapore through the eyes of humans and marine creatures.
Dandelion, a lifelike interactive light installation inspired by the delicate form of a real dandelion, was brought to life by five NAFA students through hands-on experimentation with materiality and digital fabrication. Integrated sensors allow it to respond to visitors’ movements, creating a constantly evolving dance of light.
Visitors can also witness the energy of traditional Chinese stilt walking in They Walk Above Us, choreographed by dance alumna and founder of Frisque SG, Beverly Wan, showcasing agility, balance, and heritage in motion.
For those looking for a thematic performance, INterSPACE, features an original dance piece that blends theatre, and other forms by NAFA students from Performance Making redefining traditional boundaries with engaging storytelling. And at the heart of NAFA’s five acts is Constructing Selves: Faces of a Shifting Form, presented by Raw Moves in collaboration with NAFA. Visitors enter Lim Hak Tai Gallery, which is transformed into a labyrinth of moving imagery and sound, where AI-generated projections, and dancers trace an emotional journey of identity and belonging.
Audience silhouettes are woven into the visuals, and through shifting projections, haunting soundscapes, and movement from delicate to defiant, the work examines how cultural values, social media, and personal history shape who we are. It culminates in an interactive space for reflection and connection, creating a fully immersive experience that lingers long after the performance ends.
More information can be found below:
Huemanity: When Different Eyes Meet One Island
22 August – 7 September | All day | Level 1 Glass Display Showcase, NAFA Campus 1
Huemanity is an immersive exhibition showing Singapore through diverse eyes of both humans and marine creatures. Overlaid illustrations of local folklore and marine biology reveal how different species and cultures perceive colour and light. Discover how vibrant reds fade into ocean blues and how ultraviolet vision reveals hidden worlds. This exhibition invites you to reflect on the diversity that shapes Singapore’s identity and to see it in a new way.
Dandelion
22 August – 6 September | 7pm – 11pm | Level 1 Foyer, NAFA Campus 2
Dandelion is a glowing spherical sculpture that reacts to the participant’s every movement. Sensors inside the installation create an ever-changing dance of light and shapes as you move. This work explores the delicate relationship between humans and technology, showing how digital art can be alive and responsive. Moving around the sculpture, you become part of the experience as the light shifts and flows.
They Walk Above Us
30 August | 8pm – 12am | Between ‘Dandelion’ and ‘Huemanity’
They Walk Above Us brings the art of traditional Chinese stilt walking to life. Choreographed by NAFA alumna Beverly Wan, the performance showcases agility, balance, and joy. The towering performers tell stories of community and resilience that reflect Singapore’s rich cultural heritage. This rare performance invites audiences to connect with a lively, living tradition.
INterSPACE
28 – 29 August | 7pm – 7:45pm | Level 1 Foyer, NAFA Campus 1
INterSPACE features original performances by NAFA’s BA (Hons) Performance Making students. Blending dance, theatre, and other forms, it challenges traditional boundaries and explores new ways of storytelling. The performance reflects NAFA’s spirit of creativity and resilience, offering fresh voices and bold movements that speak to today’s complex world.
Constructing Selves: Faces of a Shifting Form
5 – 21 September (Closed Mondays) | 12pm – 8pm (Gallery closes at 6pm on 6, 12 & 13 September), Lim Hak Tai Gallery, NAFA Campus 1
Constructing Selves is an avant-garde, interdisciplinary showcase that boldly explores identity and creativity in the age of AI through a seamless blend of multimedia installations and live dance. The audience journeys through video projections that transform into performance stages, following an artist’s path from curiosity to self-acceptance in a multicultural, technology-driven city. The experience extends into an immersive exhibition and living lab, inviting reflection on how technology shapes human connection, community, and the creative spirit. Rooted in collaboration and experimentation, Constructing Selves: Faces of a Shifting Form is designed by architect Lip Chiong and NAFA Distinguished Alumni Ricky Sim, supported by the NAFA Special Projects Award.
Performance dates and times:
Friday, 5 September 2025, 8:00pm to 8:40pm
Saturday, 6 September 2025, 8:00pm to 8:40pm
Friday, 12 September 2025, 8:00pm to 8:40pm
Saturday, 13 September 2025, 8:00pm to 8:40pm
More images are available here.
About NAFA
Established in 1938, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), is Singapore’s pioneer and largest arts institution. Renowned for its unique identity and strength in Southeast Asian arts, NAFA’s Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) is a global leader in Southeast Asian art practice and research. NAFA has nurtured the greatest number of alumni conferred the nation’s highest accolades, with 14 Cultural Medallions and 15 Young Artist Award recipients. As the only arts institution offering a comprehensive range of educational pathways from early childhood to adulthood, NAFA inspires learning and growth through diverse programs. These include tertiary education, lifelong learning courses at the Centre for Lifelong Education, junior arts classes in the School of Young Talents, and arts-enriched preschool education.
With a rich heritage dedicated to arts education, NAFA strives to live up to its mission of “inspiring learning and growth through the arts.”
For more information, visit www.nafa.edu.sg. Follow @nafa_sg on Instagram for updates.
For media queries, please contact:
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Karen Chang
Head, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]
Ashton Chong
Assistant Manager, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]