Did you know that Artbox was actually inspired by the shipping containers after the massive earthquake in Christchurch? The Kiwis made use of shipping containers as makeshift shops— and this has formed the 'Artbox' concept in Bangkok. It was so 'ingenious' that Haoming Lee, created a company solely for Artbox Asia. The event however, drew much flak in Singapore because of the overwhelming crowd. Here are 5 differences between Artbox Bangkok and Singapore. Also, don't miss out the secret corner to enjoy your food and drink + some tips for a great experience in ARTBOX Singapore!
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| Artbox Bangkok skyline |
1. Shipping containers vs scaffolding
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| Artbox Bangkok |
The booths in Bangkok are housed in large shipping containers while Singapore's version is made up of scaffolding and canvases. Such a different vibe! Bangkok's version is a cool and trendy hipster market while Singapore's a "pasar malam in white".
2. The space of each booth
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| Singapore's Artbox booths |
How can 500 exhibitors squeeze into a 50,000 sq ft? Here's my challenge for you: take a photo of any booth and see how difficult it is. Singapore is a small and expensive island— the entire set-up (including venue rental) for the two weekends actually cost $200,000! It's no wonder that Bangkok's artbox is a lot more spacious. One of the booths in Bangkok had such a huge space that if they were to open a stall in Singapore, they'd need 6 booths!
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| Bangkok's Artbox booth |
3. The design of each booth
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| A typical Bangkok's Artbox booth |
Bangkok's Artbox had more imaginative designs— including selling clothes on an old bus or hokkaido cheese toast on a wooden hut. Singapore's version had a lot of scaffolding and metallic construction materials— and the vendors were probably constrained by the cost of materials.
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| The best of Singapore's artbox booth |
4. Who gives better shelter and shade?
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| Singapore's Artbox shelter |
Please don't forget to bring your sunscreen and umbrella when you head to Artbox Singapore! As compared to Bangkok's Artbox, there were insufficient canopies to provide adequate shelter for the crowd. I've also saw how some exhibitors had to pack their wares because of the rain.
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| Guy sheltering himself from the rain: Dining area in Singapore's artbox |
I should take photo of the exhibitors and their products but the only photos I have were people seeking cover :'(
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| Help — they'd need more shelter! |
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| A romantic walk under the umbrella perhaps? |
On the other hand, Bangkok's Artbox has a lot of sheltered areas for you to seek cover— so not to worry if it rains!
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| Bangkok's Artbox shelter |
5. Sponsors... sponsors, do you see them anywhere?
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| Singapore: Guess the mascot - no prizes. |
The organiser of this event has a strong business acumen — there were many sponsors prominently placed in each aisle! It reminds me of how juggling creativity against business metrics is always a tough balancing act because there were not much space dedicated to art. One of my friends were actually looking to get inspired from Artbox Singapore but left feeling disappointed as there were more sponsors than art installations. In fact, the art installations are placed at the circumference of the event.
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| Bangkok: Blue fairy lights that give off a futuristic vibe |
6. The secret corner to hangout: DBS Live Fresh Zone
DBS Bank is the title sponsor for the event, bringing the iconic event to Marina Bay for the first time. Highlights include:
- Over 300 international creative entrepreneurs across wide product categories including handcrafted bags, air hammocks and original wares on each weekend
- Visual crowd-pullers including stunning fairy lights display
- An expected turnout of 400,000 people and a total event space of over 500,000 square feet during the two weekends
Here are some TIPS for a wonderful Artbox experience:
- First 50 tertiary students (universities and polytechnics) per day to flash their student passes and DBS/POSB cards at the DBS Live Fresh zone will get a special Artbox Singapore tote bag
- All DBS/POSB cardmembers have access to the DBS Live Fresh zone – a super chill zone to hang out with your friends amidst the hustle and bustle
- DBS is also running a Facebook contest to give out Artbox goodie bags with over S$30 worth of items in each bag. Details: https://www.facebook.com/dbs.sg/videos/1305911526189760/
- Avoid 5-8pm where the crowd is the busiest!
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| Artbox Singapore |
Artbox Singapore
Artbox Singapore will take place across
two weekends (14 – 16 and 21 – 23 April) at Marina Bayfront. This local edition of Artbox will feature a wide arena of entrepreneurs eager to share their product, craft and even music.
Address: 12A Bayfront Ave Singapore 018970 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018970
Phone: 6556 2123
Reviewed by digitaldistrictgirl
on
12:11:00 AM
Rating:
It's a great idea considering there are hundreds of thousand empty shipping containers laying empty around the world. Here in NZ. people are also turning them into House 4 or 5 of them clipped together in different configurations. some are quite spectacular.
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