Petals Fall, Now and Then is the fifth edition of Art Encounters, presented by Art Outreach Singapore in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board at Bugis+ Outdoor Plaza from 21 August to 3 October 2021. The programme's travelling containers arrived in Bugis Town with a multi-sensorial installation by Singapore-based British artist Chloë Manasseh, exploring the strength of imagination, the relationship between individual and collective memory, and identity anchored within spaces.

Manasseh spent the first fourteen days of the exhibition live-painting a lush, floor-to-ceiling environment inspired by the centuries-old traditions of the Bugis seafarers and the wilds of her own creative vision. Upon completion, visitors were invited to step inside the immersive space and experience the sublime power of nature — heightened by a custom ambient scent designed in collaboration with homegrown fragrance label Scent by SIX. The adjacent container presented large-format botanical paintings alongside a participatory community canvas, inviting visitors to leave their own mark on the work.

Manasseh's practice explores the fragility of vision and our intrinsic attachment to landscapes that underpin our sense of identity. Holding degrees in Painting from the University of Brighton, Fine Art from the Slade School of Fine Art, and Art Psychotherapy from Lasalle College of Art Singapore, she brings both artistic rigour and therapeutic sensitivity to her immersive environments.

As organiser and presenting institution, Art Outreach commissioned and produced Petals Fall, Now and Then, bringing Manasseh's expansive, sensory-driven practice to public audiences in the heart of Bugis Town — reflecting the organisation's commitment to creating meaningful encounters between contemporary art and diverse communities across Singapore.