A new walk-through experience in Singapore invites visitors to journey through the creative roots of fantasy, science fiction, and gaming. The Portals Experience, produced by The Imaginariad, opens June 1 and runs through September 2, 2026, occupying a 13,000-square-foot space that houses more than 300 original artworks, over 10,000 books and miniatures, and eight distinct immersive realms. This marks the world-first public showing of a private collection drawn from iconic speculative fiction universes including Middle-earth, Dune, and Warhammer 40,000.
A Celebration of Tangible Art
But don’t expect mere reproductions. The exhibition presents original book cover paintings created in traditional mediums such as oil, acrylic, and gouache—many of which defined what enthusiasts call the Golden Age of science fiction and fantasy publishing. Alongside these, visitors will find hand-painted originals from established role-playing game (RPG) and trading card game (TCG) worlds. The curators emphasize that everything shown is an authentic physical work, not a print or digital replica.
“We wanted to strip away the digital screens and return to what is tactile and real,” says Shona Graham, Exhibition Director for The Imaginariad. “In an era of AI-generated imagery and constant digital consumption, handcrafted works offer a distinct sense of permanence and engagement.”
Singapore Gets a Futuristic Makeover
The exhibition also taps into local creative talent. Singapore-based illustrator Kristal Melson has created a series of three bespoke artworks titled “Future Singapore: 2126,” commissioned exclusively for this venue. The pieces imagine the city-state a century from now, blending local cultural references with science fiction and fantasy aesthetics.
Preserving a Legacy
The Portals Experience serves as the flagship project for The Imaginariad, an organization founded by father-daughter duo Scott and Shona Graham. The group’s mission centers on preserving the legacy of speculative fiction across literature, art, and gaming—fields that increasingly risk being overshadowed by digital and AI-driven production.
The exhibition carries an Advisory 16 classification due to some nudity and mature thematic content. Younger visitors are allowed but should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Planning Your Visit
Tickets are available now through the official experience website. Pricing tiers include:
- Children (ages 4–12): $17 to $20
- Adults (13+): $26 to $30
- Students and seniors: $22 to $26
- VIP: $40 — includes open-entry, skip-the-queue access, and an exclusive goody bag
- Collectors Ultra-VIP: $58 — includes open-entry, skip-the-queue access, and an artist-signed print
For fans of speculative fiction, this exhibition offers a rare chance to see foundational works of the genre up close—before digital archives replace physical canvases entirely. As generative art and screen-based experiences multiply, experiences like The Portals remind audiences that imagination, like a painted skyline of a future Singapore, still begins with a hand and a brush.
For more information and tickets, visit the official Portals Experience website.