Registration open for tickets to free SG60 exhibition
'Wheels of Time' traces the evolution of how Singaporeans connect, from handwritten letters to the digital age.
SINGAPORE - A national exhibition that will use immersive storytelling and generative AI to create personalised experiences for each visitor will open its doors at Orchard Library on Aug 26 and run till end-2025.
A flagship event to mark Singapore's diamond jubilee, the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience is now open for ticket booking at
www.heartandsoul.gov.sg .
Admission is free, and access to the ticketed experience is available on a first-come, first-served basis. New ticket slots will be released at the first of each month for the following month.
For example, those keen on October tickets can book them from Sept 1.
Besides choosing their preferred date and time, visitors have to provide their name, email contact and preferred language. They will also be asked to upload a photo to create their avatar, or choose one from a curated library. They will then receive a confirmation email with their free e-tickets.
The ticketed experience, available in four official languages, runs for approximately 60-90 minutes, and is recommended for visitors aged 7 and above. It is held at the Orchard Library on levels 3 and 4 of Orchard Gateway from 9am to 6pm on Mondays, and from 9am to 10pm from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Members of the public can also enjoy a non-ticketed series of installations on the ground floor atrium of Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway from 9am to 10pm daily.
The exhibition brings together a rich set of materials from NLB's collections as well as from more than 110 partners from the public, private and people sectors.
All the content was put into a dataset, which was further processed into character archetypes and story scenes. Based on each visitor's shared information, gen AI will create a unique 25-second trailer that shows possible versions of his future.
Jointly developed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the National Library Board (NLB), Heart&Soul is meant to commemorate both the Republic's 60th birthday and NLB's 30th anniversary.
The exhibition's executive creative director, NLB chief librarian Gene Tan, said he hopes every Singaporean will find his place in the future of Singapore, and be emotionally connected to it.
'This is an exhibition that is based on you, inspired by you, and unique to you. And it changes each time you come to the show,' he said.
About 400,000 people are expected to visit the exhibition, which will run till Dec 31.
Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.
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