Congratulations to @mikerrlee on the opening of IMBA @be.imba A new cultural destination at Gardens by the Bay, built to help more people experience culture in all its forms. Had a sneak peek and opportunity to see the spectacular Botero exhibition up close and the finishing touches on the David Hockney immersive exhibition before the grand opening earlier this week.
.
Botero: Heart of Volume. Explore an intimate showcase of Fernando Botero’s world. Featuring original paintings, drawings, and sculptures from across his career, this gallery exhibition reveals the artist’s signature exploration of volume, beauty, and the humour found in everyday life.
.
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer
(not smaller & further away)
An immersive journey into David Hockney’s art, told through larger-than-life projections and vivid soundscapes. A must visit when next in Singapore!
Back in Paris, but my mind is still in a very special place at the heart of @gardensbythebay .
If you’re in Singapore, you have to visit @be.imba which officially opened just five days ago. Congratulations @mikerrlee and team @hustlebustlegroup !
I first experienced David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) at @_lightroomldn in London, and seeing it in Singapore moved me all over again.
What stayed with me most were the words “Love Life”. Simple, almost childlike in their clarity, yet carrying the weight of a lifetime fully lived.
We each leave with something different from the same encounter, so you have to experience this immersive space for yourself. But this much I can share, my biggest takeaway is: to follow one’s passion without attachment to outcome may be one of the purest forms of freedom. To love the process more than the prize.
And to remember: “You cannot look at the sun or death for very long.”
Go chase it anyway.
@davidhockneyfoundation
A new chapter, marked.
Yesterday, IMBA’s Grand Opening was officiated at Gardens by the Bay by Min @davidneo — alongside the world premiere of Botero: A Life in Fullness narrated by @fernando.botero.zea himself!
The space, months in the making, now comes alive with side-by-side exhibition and shows.
Alongside it, David Hockney’s immersive world by @_lightroomldn continues to unfold — bringing global artistic voices into new ways of experience.
A moment shaped by many, bringing people closer.
Now, it’s yours to explore.
#HustleBustleSG #BringingPeopleCloser
There’s something unexpectedly fun about becoming a tourist in my own country, seeing everything with fresh eyes again.
Thank you Michael Lee for being my personal guide through the Botero exhibition, both within @be.imba and out among the Supertrees at @gardensbythebay .
I’ve always loved Botero’s language of form, the exaggerated fullness of his figures, his emphasis on volume. Not as excess, but as presence.
He once said, “A good artist searches for solutions, a great artist searches for problems.” Standing there, I felt that truth unfold. His work doesn’t seek to resolve or explain, it lingers in the questions. About proportion, beauty, weight, space, and of course, emotion. There is humour, but also tenderness, and that familiar melancholy that stays with you long after you’ve left.
Bravo, Michael, for bringing something so ambitious home to Singapore.
Come and be “Botero-rized” see last photo!
Till 18 May 2026.
And I am looking forward to the many thought-provoking exhibitions still to come.
#BoteroInSingapore #GardensByTheBay #VisitSingapore
A new chapter unfolds — Singapore now has a new home @be.imba for immersive storytelling, everything arts and culture for everyone.
The journey was never easy, and I’m deeply grateful to the believers who saw what this could become before it existed. The ones who backed the vision, took the leap with us, and stayed the course through uncertainty.
We started building our dream last June after multiple obstacles and finally launched earlier this year. The fight isn’t over and we will never back down; this is just the beginning. 🚀
Flow as a State of Being: the Genesis and Revelations of Authenticity of Imagination
Season One of a Four Seasons
Exploration of Our vision of AI
- Authenticity of Imagination
IMBA - immersion & imagination
for our future,
creatively, joyously
Botero has arrived — outdoors, in the heart of the city.
Six monumental sculptures.
A garden transformed.
Now inviting the public to discover them up close.
Botero in Singapore – Garden Grandeur launched yesterday at Silver Garden, Gardens by the Bay, marked by the unveiling of Horse as we look towards the Year of the Horse.
Proud to shape the opening moments — and this is only the beginning for IMBA.
—
Unveiling of Horse with Gardens by the Bay, Fernando Botero, Ambassador of Mexico to Singapore, Agustín García-López Loaeza, and Ambassador of Colombia to Singapore, Margarita Manjarrez.
#BringingPeopleCloser #HustleBustleSG
Day 1 - 11:00 AM – Future Forward Talk 3
⚡ Michael Lee (CEO, Hustle & Bustle) on Immersive Tech Meets Experience. See how tech creates unforgettable moments.
