Light art lights up Marina Bay

A sculptural heart pumping loudly in the city centre, chandeliers and cows made out of bottles, and an octopus that changes colours at the beat of drums. These are some of the whimsical light art installations scattered across the Marina Bay district as part of the annual i Light Marina Bay festival.

This year's three-week event not only boasts some 22 light art installations from 14 countries, it's also expanded to include the new Illumi Bar, an LED-lit pop-up bar for food and drinks; the Art-Zoo Inflatable Park with giant inflatable toys and games for the young and young-at-heart; as well as Gastrobeats, another food hub with street food, workshops and live music by artistes such as Jack & Rai and Cadence.

Among the artworks, the heart sculpture titled With Love... by French artist Franck Pelletier is one of the most optimistic. The huge bright red inflatable heart stands on the plaza between One Fullerton and OUE Bayfront, and beats with the same regularity of a normal heart. Pelletier, who was here for the opening night, says: "It is a symbol for life and love, sending signals of energy and vitality to the city. At a time when there is so much going on in the world that's not necessarily happy, I hope to remind people to spread joy and love."