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Building Castles in the Air is Paulynn Tan’s winning entry for the HP Lightropolis campaign, which closed off with over 400 submissions. “Winning the competition was a huge surprise because I do not usually engage in interactive design,” Paulynn explains. “The whole competition started out as a game online and I was trying to create an image that is simple and not too complicated to animate on the special lighting screen.”

About her entry: “Building castle in the air is based on the fact that everyone loves to daydream and indulge in their own private and happy moments even though it may not be a reality. Truth is, reality and dreams is just divided by this fine line so what’s stopping everyone from trying? I just thought it would be great to have a place where people are welcome to daydream and feel inspired. Lightropolis was truly captivating because of the challenge in the game itself. Now that we are not children anymore, we tend to see things in a more complicated manner but Lightropolis created this simple yet creative platform that made me want to express how simple shapes, forms, colors and sizes can create beautiful and interesting compositions.”

You can check out the four winning creations at the City of Dreams event on 7 August, at ION Orchard B4.

Learn the basics of taking good quality pictures of live-playing acts in a session with experienced shutterbug Aloysius Lim. He will take participants through the do’s and don’ts of gig photography: from recommended camera equipment to technical tips and tricks for shooting concert performances.The session will also include a segment on live music etiquette and a critique of participants own photographs (limited to five works each). Some basic knowledge of camera-work will be useful for this workshop. 15 Aug, 2pm at the Esplanade Bay Room. Tickets via Sistic.

Beanbin! is a mobile storage for children designed by Arion Lai Jiahui. As a drag-along trolley for children fifteen months and up, Beanbin! lets children share responsibility with the family in carrying items outdoors. “In its ride-on form, children learn to take care of their own belongings and develop independence while traveling around with it, Arion adds.  “At home, it serves as storage for small-sized toys.”

“It pleasures me greatly when the things I design can make somebody smile. Everyday objects with a twist or sense of humour make me happy and inspire me. I love toys and ball-jointed dolls. I am also a freelance doll-dressmaker.”

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“The Pale Rose of Wool” is a photo exhibition by April Lee for a sound piece entitled The Setting Sun by Japanese musician Fjordne, set in a parallel universe inspired by the novel of the same name by Osamu Dazai. Encapsulating stillness, nostalgia, and the lyrical rhythm of quotidian familiarities, this collection of images seeks to explore the fragility of quiet reflections welling up from a hidden world that exists between the modern sentiments of “The Setting Sun” and the original novel set in 1947.

April is an artist and photographer, and one-half of music project aspidistrafly. She also curates the burgeoning Kitchen. imprint and has exhibited in Japan and Macau. Using the medium of film photography, April quietly articulates her own microcosm of the familiar in the everyday.

The exhibition opens 1 August at 4pm and will remain at Polymath and Crust (86 Club Street) until 31 August.

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Following on from last week’s in-the-dark art exhibition, BLACKOUT, here’s a bit more of an in depth look at one of the works on show.

Dawn Ng’s I fly like paper I get high like planes was an installation of thousands of paper planes rushing through a single window and exploding into the exhibition space to physically engulf the viewer.

Dawn about her work: “Having spent eight years away, this work is core to my ongoing study of “home.” Throughout my life I have found the seductive longing to leave and return home, both tsunamis of longing so great that they can overwhelm and paralyze my entire being. I chose to use paper planes because they are symbolic of travel and the universal desire to be where you are not. The idea of this work is to recreate this powerful emotion for the viewer which swallows him or her whole. This was my first time working with limited, basic materials such as paper, cardboard, cables and nylon string.”

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Dance Ink is an exhibition celebrating dance held in conjunction with the Genée International Ballet Competition 2009 presented by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and National Arts Council (NAC). Showcasing the photographic and ink works of renowned dance photographer Tan Ngiap Heng and award-winning artist Quek Kiat Sing respectively, this Genée fringe event will also feature photographs from past Genée competitions by photographers Bruce Zinger, Patrick Baldwin and Christopher Wahl. Held at the Theatre Foyer, NUS University Cultural Centre from 4 to 25 Sep (10am-6pm), the exhibition is open to the public and admission is free.

Curating Lab is a pedagogical programme commissioned by the National Arts Council to create greater awareness to the significance of critical curatorial practice and its role in the production of exhibitions and development of new ideas. Led by NUS Museum, Curating Lab: 100 Objects (Remixed) was developed for young curators and tertiary students with the aim of stimulating experimental approaches to curating Singapore art. Working with an archive of 100 works by Singapore practitioners and consisting of art, film, architecture and text, participants are taken on a three-day curatorial programme conducted by professional curatorial facilitators including June Yap, Ahmad Mashadi, Heman Chong, Lim Qinyi and Dr Patrick Flores. The workshops will culminate in a large-scale exhibition at Artspace @ Helutrans, 280-page publication as well as a series of presentations and lectures. A series of documentary material and artifacts pertaining to the project will be on display at NUS Museum. 5–30 August, Artspace @ Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road #02-04, Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

When was the last time you received a real letter? A real letter that someone has taken the time to sit down and write specially for you? Not lately?  international girl hopes to change that through their aerogrammes. Designed by artist Douglas Paul Smith they come in five diverse and colorful ranges, and include text in different languages  – from Mandarin to Kanji, Arabic to Cyrillic.

aerogrammes also support what is called the slow arts. Instead of rushing, quick-fixes, and instant everything, international girl believes happiness and kindness come through slowing down and taking time. The pleasure of letter-writing is part of this.  international girl donates a portion of the profits they make to artists embracing the slow arts way of life.

GIVEAWAY! Jaki at international girl is giving away a pack of aerogrammes to one lucky reader.  The third person to email me will be the winner. Contest ends July 25.

You can buy aerogrammes online or from following outlets Cat Socrates , Museum Shops, Egg3 and soon at the Esplanade Shop.

* Contest is open to Singapore residents only!