A Studio Ghibli Exhibition Is Coming To Singapore
Artscience Museum has teamed up with the legendary Japanese animation firm to put on The World of Studio Ghibli, its first major exhibition in Singapore.
Fans of the beloved Japanese animation firm Studio Ghibli have been having it good. The studio has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years – there was of course the high-profile three-part collaboration with Loewe, and earlier in 2020, Netflix won the rights to stream the studio’s library of works globally (save for America and Japan).
A poster for the upcoming The World of Studio Ghibli exhibition, which opens October 4 at ArtScience Museum.
Locals fans have more to look forward to: this October, the ArtScience Museum is set to open the firm’s first major exhibition in Singapore, titled The World of Studio Ghibli. The much loved animation studio was started in 1985 by directors Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, and producer Toshio Suzuki, and they’ve been highly influential in changing people’s perception of animated works – the firm’s Spirited Away became the first non-English-language animated film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. That record would remain unbroken until 2024 – the Oscar went to Studio Ghibli again for their latest opus, The Boy and The Heron.
The 1989 Kiki’s Delivery Service (a feel-good story of a young witch coming into her own) is one of 11 Studio Ghibli films that will be brought to life at the exhibition.
A scene from the 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service, a feel-good story of a young witch coming into her own. It is one of 11 Studio Ghibli films that will be brought to life at the exhibition.
Co-founder Miyazaki is often regarded as one of the greatest filmmaker of the genre (and beyond) and he’s long used beautifully hand-drawn images to subtly advocate for important messages, such as that of environmentalism vs capitalism (Princess Mononoke) and lost (and found) childhood innocence (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away and many more).
Prince Ashitaka from the environmentalist-meets-coming-of-age film Princess Mononoke (1997)
Prince Ashitaka from the environmentalist-meets-coming-of-age film Princess Mononoke (1997)
In the upcoming exhibition, you can expect to be immersed in the worlds of 11 Studio Ghibli films. Evergreens like My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), as well as the newest – The Boy and the Heron (2023), will all be brought to life across some 11 galleries within ArtScience Museum, spanning more than 25,000 sq ft.
Expect to encounter life-sized versions of much-loved characters from various films, such as the spirit No-Face from Spirited Away (2001).
There are a total of 16 theatrical sets where you can re-enact iconic moments from various films, such as No-Face’s train scenes, or imagine you’re waiting for the Catbus in the rain with the giant forest guardian Totoro. Other treats to look out for include whimsical art installations that will offer a more intimate glimpse into the legendary studio’s creative processes.
There will be 16 installations that allow visitors a closer look at various details from the films and to understand Studio Ghibli’s creative process better: here, a close-up of the letter Satsuki wrote to her mother about meeting Totoro, from the film My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
It’s a massive project to be sure; The World of Studio Ghibli exhibition, which was organised in tandem with the firm, will likely be a record-breaking milestone for ArtScience Museum, in what is already a busy year for the museum. After all, the Studio Ghibli show is launched as part of ArtScience Museum’s ‘Year of Extraordinary Women’. At first glance, the connection is not immediately clear with the museum’s theme of feminine power, but fans of Studio Ghibli will know that their films have long been anchored by independent female characters that resist the typically passive stereotypes of women in the media.
General tickets to The World of Studio Ghibli will go on sale from August 3 via Klook – more details here. The exhibition takes place October 4, 2024 to February 2, 2025, at Artscience Museum, 6 Bayfront Avenue