Sesame Street Gets A Contemporary Art Makeover At Magical Art World Chapter 2

By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)

Sesame Street has always been colourful. But I’m not sure I have ever seen Cookie Monster quite like this.

Following the first chapter in June, Sesame Street Magical Art World returns to Marina Square with a new group of artists and an entirely different set of works. Chapter 2 moves the characters further into contemporary art, with paintings, sculpture, large-scale inflatables and interactive installations spread across the mall and a dedicated exhibition space on Level 3.

And yes, there is a seven-metre Cookie Monster. That alone is rather difficult to miss.

The enormous inflatable sits above the Roof Top Garden, while Count von Count appears at the Linkbridge Atrium and Elmo and Bert make appearances elsewhere around the mall. Created by artists including Edgar Plans and Jun Oson, the sculptures take characters that are instantly recognisable and put them through very different artistic personalities.

Edgar Plans, in particular, brings his familiar playful figures into the Sesame Street universe through Count von Count and Bert. The characters become oversized sculptures rather than simply enlarged versions of the originals, giving them the slightly surreal quality that makes large-scale public art so much fun.

Inside the exhibition space, the experience becomes considerably more hands-on.

The first chapter put the artists’ interpretations of Sesame Street firmly in the spotlight, with paintings and monumental sculptures transforming familiar characters through different visual styles. Chapter 2 takes a more immersive route. Instead of simply standing in front of the artwork, visitors are surrounded by it, with light, mirrors, sound and interactive elements becoming part of the experience.

Reflections of Neon places visitors in a dark room filled with bright neon lights, a full-length mirror and floating words that seem almost designed to encourage a selfie or two. Infinity Lens goes even further, using fisheye mirrors to multiply and distort reflections until one person suddenly becomes several.

Then there is Colourful Shadow Play, where coloured lights turn your shadow into something rather more psychedelic. It is playful, but there is an art-school experiment hiding underneath the fun.

Light changes colour. Mirrors change perspective. Shadows become images. Familiar things suddenly behave differently depending on how you look at them. And then you get to make the work yourself.

Doodle Wonderland gives both children and adults a wall, some chalk and permission to draw all over it. It is perhaps one of the simplest installations in the exhibition, but also one of the most effective because there is no preciousness about it. You are not being asked to stand politely in front of the artwork and admire it. You are invited to leave your own mark.

The same spirit runs through Pipe Beats, where visitors can play xylophone-like pipes with sticks or listen through the openings to discover the different sounds.

Geoffrey Bouillot’s artwork appears alongside the installation, bringing his own pipe-inspired interpretation of Sesame Street characters into the space. Here, the artwork is not simply something hanging on a wall. Sound, movement and sculpture become part of the experience.

And then there is Floral Fantasy.

This may be the most visually extravagant room of the lot, with giant flowers, vibrant pink walls and the distinctive work of artist RORI HEE filling the space. Her colourful paintings sit within an equally colourful environment, creating the sort of room where it is almost impossible not to stop and take photographs.

But beyond the Instagram appeal, the exhibition still gives the artists room to be artists.

The Painting Gallery strips things back considerably. Against clean, minimalist walls, the works can be seen without giant props or interactive elements competing for attention. This is where the exhibition becomes closest to a conventional contemporary art presentation, allowing visitors to look at how each artist has interpreted the Sesame Street characters through their own visual vocabulary.

Sesame Street is such a familiar visual language that it would be very easy for an exhibition like this to become a parade of colourful character merchandise. Instead, the artists use those characters as raw material.

A character can become a sculpture. A painting can distort its proportions. A familiar face can become part of an entirely new composition.

That was already apparent in Chapter 1, but Chapter 2 pushes the idea further by changing the way visitors encounter the work.

You look at it. You walk through it. You touch it. You hear it. You even become part of it.

The Finale Experience brings the artists back into focus through projected videos showing their creative journeys and Sesame Street-inspired works, giving visitors a little more context before they leave.

There is also merchandise featuring selected artworks available at the retail counter, although the more interesting souvenirs may well be the photographs you take inside the exhibition.

Because, really, when was the last time Cookie Monster was seven metres tall and watching over The Esplanade?

Sesame Street Magical Art World Chapter 2 runs from 1 October to 31 December 2026 at Marina Square, with Chapter 3 following from 8 January to 21 March 2027.

Admission is available through Marina Square’s receipt redemption programme, with one 30-minute pass for every S$20 spent from Monday to Thursday or S$30 from Friday to Sunday, subject to availability.

There is also an activity booklet for visitors, with a limited-edition artist-designed sticker given upon completion.

And from 1 October to 8 November, Marina Square Rewards Members who spend S$100 can redeem an exclusive artist-designed thermal flask, while stocks last.