Stood up, our Editor decides to sit down in a spacious Hyundai IONIQ and delve into the quirky world of Moo Moo PARK.
To be completely honest, when I first scanned through our invite to Moo Moo PARK – Asia’s First Drive-Through Exhibition (inspired by the Year of the Ox) at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, I had to do a double-take.
With a name like Moo Moo PARK, I half expected it to be an event catered to kids. But then I quickly noticed that words such as ‘sustainability’, ‘immersive art’ and ‘Chinese culture’ were mentioned on its colourful website. Well, colour me confused too.
Don’t get me wrong, I love art. I’ve just always felt like I’ve never mastered the art of properly ‘appreciating’ it. If you’ve ever seen visitors at art galleries who sit and look at paintings for hours, you’ll know what I mean. I did try. Once, I sat at Tate Modern watching people… watching art for a good hour while trying to decipher what they were thinking. In the same vein, it is pretty rare to find me at cultural centres or museums unless I’m on holiday.
Still, the idea of a ‘drive-through’ did sound quite romantic so I figured I would up my wife-cred and take the hubby out for a date. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as planned and he had to cancel because of some legit reasons (not football night, in case you’re wondering).
nevertheless, i bravely ventured to Moo Moo PARK on my own.
Upon reaching the venue, I couldn’t help but notice a pleasant smell wafting through the air. I later discovered that a special scent was created just for the event, aptly named Mandarin Moo-ments.
At the entrance I was presented with Augmented Reality (AR) mural displays from the eight featured local artistes – Almostasthma, André Wee, ANTZ, Danielle Tay, Howie Kim, Mithra, Puffingmuffin and Toby Tan. All of whom worked with creative tech studio MeshMinds Foundation to produce their pieces. I had a quick go at scanning the QR codes and watched as the murals came to life on screen. Plus, it also led me to some cool IG filters!
I was pleasantly surprised. These gorgeous works of art weren’t what I was expecting at all when I thought of Chinese culture – no traditional watercolour strokes, bamboo trees or spatters of calligraphy. Just fresh, contemporary pieces that tried to engage visitors in creative ways.
Had I not been stopped by our guide, I would have gladly continued scanning all 8 works just to see how they transformed on screen – but alas, my chariot awaited. The chariot being a Hyundai IONIQ electric car, sponsored by Komoco Motors of course.
so into the carpark i went, greeted by neon beams in the distance.
A whiff of that refreshing scent was tingling in the air as I strolled into the carpark and slid into the spacious IONIQ (which also smelled amazing btw). The friendly driver hit play on the guided audio track and we started our way round the exhibition, stopping at each of the whimsical installations. Throughout the journey, the artistes discussed their work and the thought process behind each piece.
apart from discussing Chinese culture, they also spoke about sustainability.
It was cool how each of them attempted to address specific UN Sustainable Development Goals through their creations. For instance, Puffingmuffin’s Grow Together featured an imaginary garden with fantastical creatures and plants, celebrating the planet’s rich biodiversity. It’s also a nod towards Goal 15: Life on Land, which encourages the responsible use of the Earth’s resources. Similarly too, work such as Mithra’s Taurus Forest drew attention to the endangered habitat of the gaur, a type of wild ox native to Southeast Asia.
Though I loved all the pieces, I especially enjoyed AlmostAsthma’s ‘Go Confidently! Into Your Dreams!’ which was pretty reminiscent of old-school Chinese propaganda posters. Each artist’s design concept was also translated onto ox sculptures that accompanied each display.
the verdict.
All in all, the entire journey in the IONIQ must have taken about 15 minutes or so. But it’s safe to say I enjoyed every bit of it. It was a lil’ edgy (think dark carpark with fluorescent lighting), very contemporary and every bit quirky.
I imagine it’d make for an interesting date night surprise, or a relaxing family day out with the kids. While the car ride was fun, if you’re hoping to get some cool pics for the ‘gram, you could consider going on one of their walking tours instead.
So would it have been more fun had my hubby joined in? Sure. But ya know what, I wasn’t really alone. I had some pretty interesting Moo Moo’s for company.
Launched in conjunction with Singapore Art Week, Moo Moo PARK has been around since January this year and will continue to run till March 28. Tickets are available at $10 for a drive-through experience, and $5 for the walk-through. Visit the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre for more details.
Moo Moo PARK is located at:
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906
Looking for more date night ideas? Check out these nature-inspired spas for a start!
