Uncover the magic behind Walt Disney Animation
Studios’ most beloved animated movies at Disney: Magic of Animation, opening at ArtScience
Museum on 26 October 2019.
The exhibition offers visitors the rare opportunity to experience over 90 magical years of
Disney animation. One of the highlights of the show is the debut of original artworks from the
highly-anticipated film, Frozen 2.
From Steamboat Willie (1928), the first Disney cartoon with a synchronised soundtrack, classic
films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and The Lion King (1994), to
blockbusters such as Frozen (2013), Zootopia (2016) and Moana (2016), the exhibition pays
homage to the artistry and technological innovation that have brought Disney’s worldrenowned characters to life.
Shown in Southeast Asia for the first time, this landmark exhibition features over 500
exceptional art pieces, including original drawings, paintings, sketches and concept art
curated by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. In keeping with ArtScience Museum’s
ethos of presenting captivating interactive exhibitions, the show also includes projections,
audio-visual displays, alluring exhibits that transport visitors into the world of Disney’s films,
and hands-on educational activities.
“Animation is an art form that literally brings still, static images to life. Whether it is a series of
appealing line drawings, shot in sequential order to create a believable character, or complex
digital imagery rendered to create a magical effect, animation has the power to transport the
viewer into a world of imagination and beauty. The filmmakers and storytellers at Walt Disney
Animation Studios have been creating, producing and pushing the boundaries of this medium
for almost 100 years. We are thrilled to share this exhibition, Disney: Magic of Animation, with
the people of Singapore and hope that the passion, creativity and artistry showcased in this
exhibit will instill in the viewer a greater appreciation for what we believe is a truly unique 20th
century art form,” said Mary Walsh, Managing Director of the Walt Disney Animation Research
Library.
“This exhibition explores both the art and the science of animation – a filmmaking technique
which Disney have pioneered and perfected for almost a century. The show reveals the
technologies and scientific innovations that revolutionised filmmaking throughout the 20th
century. At the same time, the exhibition tells the story of the artists who have been involved
in creating the magical worlds and iconic characters that we have grown to love. Featuring
hundreds of priceless historical artefacts plus an exciting selection of never-seen-before
artworks from contemporary films, this show is a timeless blend of the past and the present,
that instantly captures the imagination,” added Honor Harger, Executive Director of ArtScience
Museum.
The Disney: Magic of Animation Experience
Presented in five chapters, the exhibition begins with “Creating Believable Characters:
Bringing Drawings to Life” which reveals how early Disney animators pioneered new animation
techniques. Visitors will see how the characters we have grown to love start as twodimensional illustrations, and learn the ways that animators used innovative techniques to
portray movements naturally.
This section features original story sketches and animation drawings from some of the earliest
Disney films. This gallery also includes a physical recreation of the iconic steamboat from
Steamboat Willie (1928), the first Disney cartoon to have sound synchronised with the
animation on screen.
Bold technological innovations allowed Disney animators in the 1930s to explore and apply
new artistic principles to capture nuances of people and animals’ movements and
idiosyncrasies more accurately. Following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
(1937), the world’s first fully animated film produced in Technicolor, artists from Disney
Studios’ began developing a number of remarkable films including Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia
(1940), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942). The second gallery, “The Magic Begins: Continual
Research and Development” tells this story, through a series of concept artworks, sketches,
the display of the revolutionary technological tool, developed at Disney Animation, and the
multiplane camera.
The third gallery, “Producers of Magic: Creating Diversity in Expression and a Wider World”
celebrates the talented Disney animators who produced films that expressed a bold and
brilliant variety of artistic styles. Background paintings and concept art from films including
Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians
(1961) showcase the talents of artists who created diverse visual worlds. This chapter also
charts the scientific advances that Disney have become known for, highlighting some of the
new production technologies developed by the studio, enabled by advances in global
communications in the 1940s to 1950s.
The digital revolution in the 1990s provided an additional source of inspiration for Disney artists
who are constantly looking out for novel ways of making film. With the advancement of
computer graphics technologies, coupled with the involvement of leading Broadway
songwriters, Disney's films began to move beyond the world of animation to explore new
musical possibilities, evoking powerful emotions among its audience. “Towards New
Dimensions: Digital Advances, Musical Seas”, the fourth exhibition chapter showcases
artworks from the striking films of this era, including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and
the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998) and Tarzan (1999)
and their memorable soundtracks
As Disney’s animated films shift from pencil and paper to computer graphics, and as the world
continues to evolve, Disney films continue to incorporate the contemporary ideologies weaving
them into the narrative of the stories. This gallery includes recent animated titles, such as
Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014) and Moana (2016). The final section
of the exhibition, “Bringing People Together: Social Diversity, Messages for Our Global Future”
conveys impactful messages that build on social values, such as the importance of family
bonds, cultural diversity and respect for nature.
Disney: Magic of Animation will run from 26 October 2019 till 29 March 2020.
Standard Chartered Bank is the Official Card for Disney: Magic of Animation exhibition.
Tickets are available for purchase from 1 October 2019 at all Marina Bay Sands box offices
and website. Terms and Conditions apply.
For more information, please visit
https://www.marinabaysands.com/museum/disney-magicof-animation.html
