AI-powered SG60 Heart&Soul Experience launched at Orchard Central
The SG60 flagship exhibition uses generative AI to create a personalised experience for visitors.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo at the launch of the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience on Aug 26, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)
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SINGAPORE: A flagship exhibition marking Singapore's 60th year of independence opened on Tuesday (Aug 26) at Orchard Central, using generative artificial intelligence and immersive storytelling to reimagine the country's past and future.
Called the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience, the showcase creates a personalised journey for visitors through interactive installations and digital narratives. It encourages the public to imagine life beyond SG60, said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the National Library Board (NLB), which jointly organised the event.
The free exhibition is produced by the team behind the 2019 Singapore Bicentennial and the SG50 Future of Us showcase.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who launched the event, said the exhibition captures the pivotal moments of Singapore’s history, from the Japanese occupation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We hope all this will capture the courage and conviction that built today's Singapore. It captures the spirit that forms the heart and soul of our country,” he said.
He added that the exhibition is also about Singapore’s future. “At the end of the exhibition, there will be an installation where you will see your dream for Singapore alongside the dreams of your fellow Singaporeans,” he said. “We hope this constellation of dreams will inspire all of us to work together as one team to turn our collective dreams into reality.”
Mr Wong was joined by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community Youth Low Yen Ling, and Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information.
More than 300 guests attended the launch event, including artists with disabilities from Shaping Hearts, partner organisations, and youths from the National Youth Council.
Mr Aaron Yeo, a quadriplegic artist from Shaping Hearts, told CNA he felt "very proud and honoured" to be a part of the experience.
"It was quite interesting, because we were asked to envision the future of Singapore and to paint it," said the artist, who created an oil painting featured in the exhibition.
A ticketed experience lasting 60 to 90 minutes will be held at Orchard Library. Admission to the ticketed experience is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Members of the public can also visit the non-ticketed installations at the level one atria of Orchard Central and Orchard Gateway. Highlights include phone booths where visitors can “dial” into the future and a generative AI-assisted Time Traveller photobooth where visitors reimagine moments in Singapore’s history.
Speaking to the media, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said the experience is not just about the technology.
"It is about how technology can help us appreciate our history, but also help us to look into the future," she said, adding that the organisers have been "very encouraged" by the response so far.
Over 90 per cent of the exhibition's capacity has already been filled for the opening week, and the event was oversubscribed on its first weekend.
The showcase, recommended for visitors aged seven and above, will run from Aug 26 to Dec 31. The non-ticketed installations will be open daily from 9am to 10pm.
