This new Disney exhibition takes you through 90 years of animation artworks and magical moments

Hawaiian Holiday, 1937, Concept art, Disney Studio Artist. Photo: Disney
Hawaiian Holiday, 1937, Concept art, Disney Studio Artist. Photo: Disney

Heads up, Disney fans. The studio behind some of your favorite animated flicks is bringing its behind-the-scenes artwork exhibition to Southeast Asia for the first time, and we’ve got the lowdown on what to expect.

Opening at the ArtScience Museum in October, Disney: Magic of Animation will take you through more than 90 years of films, harking all the way back to 1928’s Steamboat Willie, the first ever Disney cartoon with a synchronized soundtrack.

Frozen 2, 2019, Concept art, Lisa Keene. Photo: Disney
Frozen 2, 2019, Concept art, Lisa Keene. Photo: Disney

Other classics that’ll make an appearance at the showcase include Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Bambi (1942), and The Lion King (1994), as well as newer hits like Frozen (2013), Zootopia (2016), and Moana (2016).

Oh, and if Let It Go is still your jam, you can look forward to checking out original artworks from the upcoming Frozen 2 before it comes out in cinemas this November.

The Lion King, 1994, Concept art, Kelvin Yasuda. Photo: Disney
The Lion King, 1994, Concept art, Kelvin Yasuda. Photo: Disney

Expect to see more than 500 art pieces in the gallery, from original drawings and sketches to concept art and paintings from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. To keep things interactive, there’ll be projections, audio-visual displays, and hands-on activities as well.

Everything’s spread across five chapters, starting from how early Disney animators brought their drawings to life, from two-dimensional illustrations to the techniques used to create natural movements. As you stroll through each section, you’ll learn more about the various artistic styles of each film and how the artists created such visual worlds, with glimpses at the likes of Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).

The Little Mermaid, 1989, Concept art, Michael Peraza, Jr. Photo: Disney
The Little Mermaid, 1989, Concept art, Michael Peraza, Jr. Photo: Disney

When the ’90s rolled around, and with it, the digital revolution, Disney moved beyond animation to explore musicals. We all know (and continue to love) the works that came out of this era — The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999).

And in more recent times, the stories told have grown more sophisticated and modern with the likes of Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Big Hero 6 (2014).

Ralph Breaks the Internet Wreck-It Ralph 2, 2018, Concept art, Mingjue Helen Chen. Photo: Disney
Ralph Breaks the Internet Wreck-It Ralph 2, 2018, Concept art, Mingjue Helen Chen. Photo: Disney

It’s a lot to look through and appreciate, especially if you’ve always wanted to know Disney’s artistic process behind its hit films. Before you geek out at the exhibition, you can plan your visit and purchase tickets from Oct 1.

 

FIND IT:
Disney: Magic of Animation is on from Oct 26-Mar 29, 2020 at ArtScience Museum. 

Adults $16-$19, seniors/children $12-$14.
MRT: Bayfront



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