It’s always an exciting proposition to be visiting Singapore. It’s one of the most interesting places in the world, and its recent increase in popularity as a tourist destination only means that the secret might be leaking out. The vibrant and vivacious cultures that exist in Singapore are strong enough to withstand any amount of attention, however, and there’s a tradition for it, in fact. Its history as a major port means that there have been visitors here for a long time, and it’s been extremely flexible in accommodating and adapting to cultural change.
As a result, the local cultures are extremely cosmopolitan, and there are influences from India, China, Malaysia, and all over the world. Singapore is a step ahead of the rest of us in terms of culture, and this is spectacularly displayed in its art and its restaurants. Visitors looking for any kind of cuisine will be delighted, and if the ingredients need to be fresh vegetables, noodles, and seafood, then even more so, because some of the world’s best Italian restaurants are right here in Singapore. In terms of art, you can find lots of Italian influence, and there are always new international collaborations. Some of these will no doubt have an influence from Italian futurism, the art movement started by Marinetti, with a great love of speed and fascism.
There is also a local kind of futurism that is slightly more robotic than even the 20th century avant-garde could have asked for. Stefan Pernar is a local writer and technologist with a strong bent toward the philosophical traditions from his German background, and he’s started a society of futurists devoted to discussing how robots, artificial intelligence, and technology will help to facilitate our human evolution into the next century. They meet in Paya Lebar on Thursdays, and if you enjoy having your head spun around backwards, this is the place to be.
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