I’ve been busy travelling recently, starting from England to Finland, Estonia, Naples, Greece and Hong Kong before coming back here. What hit me was that the world has shrunk so tremendously that we can occupy multiple spaces at any one time.

We’ve advanced so significantly in terms of science and bio-technology, but when it comes to human interaction and politics, it seems like we’ve frozen in time. So there is this sense of dislocation that I find dynamic yet problematic.

The Internet and cellphones have changed everything. On the plus side, it has given us physical freedom and more opportunities, but it has also created dissolution among the media, especially for print and magazines.

How do you create context? Everyone in the industry is telling me about the same problem; and now we have emails, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the list goes on and on.

We don’t pay attention to nature or causes that are more enduring as everyone is seeking instant gratification. We need to change our values system and seek a return to beauty.

Life is about the moment when you wake up and you’re able to feel the heat of the sun and you know you’re in it.

The world now is totally eclectic and fragmented.

With art and the gallery, I wanted to create an inter-cultural dialog between artists who are dealing with those issues today.

Singapore was not a player in the art world. When you’re in Europe, the first thing that comes to mind is Paris, and for Asia probably Tokyo. Today, everyone wants to be seen as an arts capital.

Someone once asked me if art should be an investment. I said “no”. She was baffled. I do not like to promote that idea because art has been a necessity form of commodity for expression and the creative process since the caveman. Artworks created then are still right there in front of us. There was no economy or trade then, yet they continued to produce, grow and move forward. Art, after all, comes directly from inner feelings and the interior.

Hollywood films sell like crazy because they’re made for 16-year-olds. Arthouse films like those by Truffaut, Tarkovsky, Rossellini, Godard and Wong Kar Wai still have a very small following. My point is that things that sell are not great art.

I started making films around 2002. I enrolled at the New York Film Academy for adults who are not advanced in the art of filmmaking, but who really wanted to learn the craft.

The tough part about filmmaking is that it requires a lot of money. The cumulative amount is a serious commitment.

Making film is like giving birth. That child is like a style and I would want to have a signature style. My first film was called Poets of Color, a non-fiction tale about an Indian artist living in Soho featuring the likes of Mark Rothko and artists in the scene. I am currently working on Louis Kahn: City of the Tiger about the American architect and why architecture matters. Space certainly dictates behaviour.

The thing about being in New York is that you’re constantly engaged. It may be dense but everyone walks there. No one walks in LA. Singapore is like being in the Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately, the whole world is beginning to look like New York.

I read just about everything; recent reads include Dave Eggers’ best-selling A Hologram for the King. Books that interest me are usually about history, culture, philosophy or globalization, which also explains why I do things in a certain way.

We keep on making the same mistakes over and over again as that is the essential part of the human race. But we’re extremely adaptable too. Human beings are very resilient by nature.

We do not inherit wisdom and experience—we gain it.
 

You mentioned choreography came along by chance. Why did you say yes to it?
I’ve always loved a challenge and it was something new for me to try.

Three things you look for in a dancer?
Strong technique, good style and to be a storyteller.

Tell us, what gives you an adrenaline rush these days?
Creating choreography for new musicals. It gets my juices flowing.

Weirdest gift you’ve received from a fan?
A doll that looks just like me. Weird.

Are you a perfectionist when it comes to work?
I’m very obsessive.

Starlight Express celebrates 25 years. What’s the most beautiful thing about this production?
The performers that fearlessly dance on skates.

The thing about choreography is having to keep yourself updated with the latest trends in entertainment. How do you do it?
I love working with dancers in all genres and I am always on Youtube!

If you were a character from the Mr Men & Little Miss series, what would you be?
Little Miss Bossy!

You’ve worked with so many different people in your life. What sets someone apart from the rest?
Star quality is the ability to connect with people with you heart and soul.

What’s your mantra in life?
Do unto others as you would wish to be done by.

Catch Starlight Express from Nov 13-24 at the Mastercard Theatres, The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands. Tickets at $65-$780 from Sistic.

Tell us about your most significant childhood memory.

I remember asking for my first cooking book when I was 8 years old. And every year for my birthday, my parents were bringing me to a new restaurant I had carefully chosen. I think I must have been born with this love for food, and I am fortunate to have this common passion with Singaporeans! My family and my trips over the years inspired me a lot. When I was a kid, I used to eat a lot of different cuisines, from traditional French to Asian, German and Polish.

What do you like about Singapore?

Our multiculturalism is a wonderful strength. It gives us a cutting-edge advantage compared to other nations. The unique combination of people from such a vast variety of backgrounds and cultures is exactly what I love about this country.

What aspects do you think can be improved?

There has been an increasing global demand for personalized services over the past few years. Tourists and businessmen are not only looking for a place to stay, a restaurant to eat or a casino to play in, they look for a good quality of service as well, which is lacking in Singapore. People want to be entertained and stimulated rather than just pampered. While spoiling was often a top priority, this is no longer the case. New expectations have emerged for more active holidays and experiential journeys; they are not new in Europe and North America, but have still to mature in Asia. If we want to be even better, we must work out on the quality of service provided. Grooming and attracting new and experienced talents is a national issue to me.

What inspires you to set up a new restaurant?

I draw my inspiration from everything I see, people I meet, but also travel, books and various moments. Passion has also served to inspire and drive me since the very beginning of my career. I have always been passionate about hospitality: some people were born with a passion for design, other for IT; I was born with this passion for F&B.

What kind of experience do you craft for your customers, and how do you do it?

When we think of a new concept, it’s always with our customers’ expectations in mind. As I said before, people are not only looking for good cuisine but also for a whole experience. From cooking, to the ambience and including the interior design, a restaurant must be in osmosis with the area it is in. Consumers are increasingly looking for an added benefit to their food: not only does it have to taste good, but the environment they sit in to eat must make them feel good. The rules have changed! Restaurants are not only places where you come to eat, but also unforgettable experiences to live.

Where is your favorite place to dine and why?

Any table around which I am seated with my friends and/or family enjoying a good meal with fine wines. The moments in I love most in life are the ones I spend at home around the dining table or in a restaurant. Good friends and good food is the best combination.

What advice would you give to a restaurateur who’s only just starting out?

"Don't start!" (haha) Well, jokes aside, I think a restaurateur developing her own unique concept has to be sure that it is strong and a concept that Singaporeans will be receptive towards. The F&B industry is very competitive, especially in Singapore, and being able to maintain the standard and sustain the business is the real key. She needs to consider not just the recipes and quality of food, but also the entire ambience of the restaurant, how the design echoes the food, the service and eventually the entire brand image. Too many interesting concepts had failed to hold on to one or more of these elements and ended up unable to sustain the business, which is such a pity.

Tell us how the idea was mooted for the Bloomberg Square Mile to be held here in Singapore.
Singapore is a young, vibrant city with an incredibly strong corporate community – it’s the perfect fit for an event like this. When we first started discussing expansion of the event with Bloomberg it was quickly identified as an ideal host city, and we’re really excited that it is going to stage the first Bloomberg Square Mile Relay outside the UK.

What do you hope to achieve with the race?
Lots of answers to that question. Firstly, we hope to stage a fantastic event that adds something new and exciting to the Singapore sporting calendar. There is a great sporting culture in Singapore and a real appetite for events like this. Secondly, we really want to bring a new sense of positive competition to the financial sector. Thirdly, we are working with SportCares to leave a real, tangible legacy in the form of two programmes which will not only unearth new sporting talent, but also engage, educate and inspire a new generation through running.

How will this race stand out?
One thing that makes the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay totally unique is the team feeling that comes from picking up that baton and passing it on to a teammate – people train together, race together and build really strong relationships through the race.

Singapore’s seeing many alternative races these days (The Zombie Run, The Color Run, The Green Corridor Run, Commando SG). Were you encouraged to have the Bloomberg Square Mile in Singapore because of this?
It’s very exciting to be involved in a strong sporting community and an exciting calendar of events that really does get people out on the streets running. So the answer is yes – but actually I think it’s more that these events have come to Singapore  because there is such a strong appetite for them.

What's your fitness regime like?
I grew up playing rugby and spent a lot of my life out on that pitch, but over the last ten years I’ve been playing more tennis, swimming and running a lot, including the London Marathon and Triathlon. If I don’t get out there and do something every day then I’m not happy – sport is a big part of my life.

Catch all the action of the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay 2013 taking place on October 24 at The Promontory, Marina Bay.