Besides, it was held at Parkview Square - a very artistic-looking building with its huge Dali sculptures in the compound and an Instagram-worthy Atlas Bar on the first floor so this would be a great opportunity to check out the building for the first time. That itself could be considered as another exhibition of its own.
For those who are contemplating to visit this exhibition, do take advantage of the 50% off offer which will be valid till 18 October. You can get an adult ticket for as low as $12.50 if you are a local.
What was good
Indeed, being able to see Monet's works "come to life" through the 360 degrees large screen and the floor in the main room was a very different experience compared to seeing the paintings on a gallery wall. Through the 35-min long video which was divided into 5 sections about the key phases in Monet's life, you get an in-depth and somewhat personal peek into his life through the narration of his longtime friend. I also liked the music that accompanied the showcase of Monet's paintings as it accentuated the presentation as a whole.
The other "wow" factor was the merchandise section. Honestly speaking, most of the merchandise sections I had come across at various exhibitions either had an underwhelming range of products or they were simply too overpriced that I couldn't fathom spending that kind of money. However, despite my lack of anticipation for this section at first, there was a dizzying range of items on sale here - ranging from the usual stuff like postcards, replicas of the paintings, the exhibition catalogue and notebooks to the less common things like fabric perfume, handheld mirrors, scarfs, dolls, postal stamps, jewellery, iPhone cases, mobile phone accessories and beach towels.
While it was tempting to buy more than needed, I settled for buying some clear photo cards of two paintings I like which were actually the right size to use as bookmarks. I felt that most of the items were quite reasonably priced. I would have wanted to get the notebook if not for the fact that the paper was a tad too thin - not so suitable for drawing and painting, I would say.
Just one small "grouse" though - the world doesn't revolve around iPhones only. While I understand that it's not possible to have mobile phone cases for all brands, it always annoys me when such accessories and cases are only for iPhones. There is no room for consideration at all when I encounter such products for a single brand like this because I can't use them anyway.
The staff at the exhibition were very polite and friendly - probably because they could see that I was new to this venue and unsure where to start. Not to say that staff at other venues were not good but most of them tend to keep out of the way especially in the galleries so that they won't interrupt or affect the experience of the visitors. Having the staff proactively come over to offer assistance or additional information on the exhibition was not something I experienced that often - both locally and overseas. This exhibition is organised by Groundseesaw which is said to be a major exhibition platform from Korea and this is their first international project. Maybe that's why the style of the exhibition felt somewhat different from the ones I visited before in our local museums.
What was less than ideal
First of all, I have to say, your experience here might be different from mine depending on when you visit. I was there on a weekday afternoon and the fact that you needed to secure an hourly slot for your tickets would mean that there would be some form of crowd control especially during weekends. The reason for the hourly slot should be because of the fact that the main exhibition video runs for a good 35 minutes and visitors can supposedly take photos nearer to the screen in the 15 minutes when the highlights are being shown. As such, since the video doesn't get looped indefinitely at random timings, it is necessary for people to come in groups at the start of the hour rather than as and when they like because you wouldn't want to see "latecomers" spoil your viewing experience as they walk in and out of the hall. In fact, before the video is shown, there are some reminders such as switching off the sound of your phones and not moving around during the screening so as to maintain the viewing experience for all.
Despite the best of intentions, I have to say that the environment wasn't that conducive. As you can see, the seats are actually cushioned benches on a staircase. There is no backing for you to sit comfortably unless you move deep into the staircase and use the upper level as your back support. That can only be done assuming that no one is sitting behind you. I can just imagine - if there are crowds on a weekend, that might be impossible. In fact, I ended up with a bad backache and shoulder ache because of this seating arrangement for more than 30 so this physical discomfort really marred my experience. I just couldn't wait to get up and leave the hall and skipped the highlights video.
Since the screen was so wide, I also found myself have to turn my neck very often just to "get the full picture". Perhaps it might be better to sit on a higher level to reduce the need to do so but those who want pictures without having those in front of you appearing in your shots might have to consider sitting on the first level instead.
While the exhibition was positioned as one which is inclusive i.e. there is no age limit, this works against those who want to watch the video with no disruptions. Adults are told not to move around during the screening but it is understandable that young kids will find it hard to sit still for such a long time especially if they cannot understand the narration or find the video boring. If kids are so young and it is difficult to prevent them from disrupting the viewing experience of others, it might be worth reconsidering bringing them along. From the Google reviews on this exhibition so far, it seems like this issue is a big bugbear among those who gave lower ratings.
In my case, even though I was there on a weekday, it just so happened that I had the "good luck" of encountering kids who couldn't sit still and were moving around in front of the screen. And the kids I saw were definitely at primary school age but the parents simply let them be. I could be more understanding if they were much younger and harder to control. Imagine your viewing experience being interrupted with the presence of "moving shadows" and noises made by children - that only added to my frustration on top of my physical discomfort.
I also wonder about the cost-to-performance ratio of this exhibition. Honestly speaking, if not for the 50% off, I would have felt that the deliverables from this exhibition were too little as compared to the price to be paid. The highlight being the video in the main hall plus the smaller halls with replicas of the original paintings and some panels about Monet's life simply aren't enough to justify the price tag. As such, I would have wanted more content if I was asked to pay the full price.
Conclusion
While the concept and delivery method of the exhibition's content was somewhat new and interesting, the range of content and execution could be improved. In a bid to promote inclusivity, ensuring that the content is age-appropriate and that the factors that could affect the experience should be mitigated as much as possible are important topics to consider. Great range of exhibition merchandise here so just checking out the store took longer and was more fun than expected.
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