Studio Ghibli’s animated dreamscapes are now life-size exhibits in Singapore

FOR years, the films of Studio Ghibli animated our inner worlds with their magical creatures, shape-shifting spirits and heroic humans. But now, the boundaries between fiction and reality have dissolved through a new exhibition at the ArtScience Museum Singapore.

Here, you can step into Ghibli’s richly imagined landscapes and pose for a picture with various iconic characters, such as Princess Mononoke, Yubaba, Howl, No-Face or Nausicaa. You can ride the red elevator from Spirited Away (2001) or the flying broomstick from Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989). You can even stand in the rain with that lovable owl-eyed furball Totoro from My Neighbour Totoro (1988).

Spread over two storeys, the exhibition boasts over a dozen life-sized tableaus that pull visitors directly into the visual splendour of the films and immerse them in their dreamscapes. These are coupled with miniature dioramas that give insight into how the animations were made.