Proactive aesthetes can attest that Singapore’s burgeoning arts scene is well-documented at the 10th edition of Singapore Art Week (SAW). Having kicked off on 14 January, the event has since garnered buzz for its visually-impactful works and performances. Think discussions, tours, and exhibitions detailing the perspectives and growth of local artists; a unique look at how said creatives interpret universal themes of love, history and joy.
For those who are at a loss as to where to begin before Singapore Art Week wraps up on 23 January, we’ve curated 18 must-see exhibitions to check out—ranging from multi-sensory installations to video presentations. Peruse them all, below.
1. S.E.A. Focus
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When: 15—23 January
Opening hours: 1pm—8pm from 15—22 January, 1pm—5pm on 23 January
Where: #01-05, Blk 39 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Admission fees apply
Southeast Asian contemporary art takes centerstage at S.E.A. Focus. Totalling 24 galleries displaying more than 170 works by 50 artists, it also includes illuminating talks by industry leaders alongside an Asian-centric NFT showcase. Centred around the theme ‘chance…constellations’, visitors can expect pieces highlighting “shared histories, geographies and converging cultures.”
2. Brand Love
When: 14 January—14 February
Opening hours: 12pm—7pm from Monday to Sunday
Where: #02-32, 328 North Bridge Rd, Art Now, Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719
Admission: Free
Caracas-born artist Eduardo Enrique presents a tongue-in-cheek presentation centering around branded goods. More specifically, the relationship and human condition to “consistently connect” with such luxury items. Think Nike basketballs, hyped sneaker drops and more.
3. Happy House
When: 14—23 January
Opening hours: 11am—8pm from Mondays to Sundays
Where: #05-04, Blk 39 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
This multimedia installation aims to answer the question: ‘Is there happiness in pursuing happiness today?’ This translates to a striking audiovisual experience created by 20 emerging visual artists, film-makers, animators and musicians that encourage visitors to delve deep into their own personal states of happiness. Interestingly enough, it also includes an interactive element where people are able to submit a happy memory—chronicled via photo or video— to Happy House through Instagram DMs. Curators, Tulika Ahuja and Eileen Chan, will then review them to see if any interesting patterns come from it.
4. (W)AVE 2.0.
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When: 14—22 January
Opening hours: 3—10pm on weekdays, 2—10pm on weekends
Where: 42 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187951
Admission: Free
Haptic gloves and vests are provided so visitors are able to interact with light and sound in an engaging new manner. This creates the impression that light can be touched, held and felt, with its unstructured format granting users autonomy to discover it for themselves at their own time and pace.
5. It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To, You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You
When: 12 January—6 February
Opening hours: 1—10.30pm from Mondays to Sundays
Where: #05-00, Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Rd, Singapore 199589
Admission: Free
Executed in collaboration with The Projector and curator, Louis Ho, It’s My Party And I’ll Cry If I Want To, You Would Cry Too If It Happened To You displays works that highlight a theme of affirmative unhappiness. This includes a screening component where visitors will be able to watch Indonesian film-maker Kamila Andini’s works: ‘The Mirror Never Lies’ (Laut Bercermin), ‘The Seen & Unseen’ (Sekala Niskala) and ‘Yuni’.
6. Bad Imitation
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When: 14—23 January
Opening hours: 11am—8pm from Mondays to Sundays
Where: #05-04, Blk 39 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or in this case, at least, it is the most interesting form. Bad Imitation is all about copies “that are imprecise, flawed, and intentionally adjacent to the original,” with eight artists working to convey this through essays and sculptures.
7. Artwalk 2022: Looking back, going forward
When: 14 January—22 January
Opening hours: Register here
Where: Little India and Katong Joo Chiat
Admission: Admission fees apply
Explore the diverse and culturally-rich neighbourhoods of Little India and Joo Chiat with a guided tour. Presented by LASALLE College of the Arts and the Singapore Tourism Board, participants will be able to check out outstanding murals as well as performances throughout their session. Special workshops are available, too—all of which are conducted to help visitors understand the process behind artworks that pay homage to the traditions followed by multi-ethnic communities.
8. Diaspora
When: 14 January—23 January
Opening hours: 10am—8pm on Mondays to Saturdays, 11am—7pm on Sundays
Where: #04-19, 231 Bain St, Singapore 180231
Admission: Free
Hosted by one of Singapore’s oldest bookstores around, Diaspora looks at how visual artists evolve in the wake of turbulent times teeming with insecurity. Said illustrators and visual artists will explore challenges such as changing audience as well as privacy issues, documenting the “movement of visual art from natural to digital territories and into uncertain spaces.”
9. fated love sky
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When: 14 January—23 January
Opening hours: 12pm—7pm on Tuesdays to Sundays, 12pm—9pm on Fridays
Where: #02-09, 6 Lock Road, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108937
Admission: Free
Identity, communality, pleasure and collective histories are the key tenets behind this exhibition. This is told through films, objects, and installations from six established artists: Diana Rahim, Divaagar, Jaya Khidir, Mysara Aljaru, Nelly Tan and Farizi Noorfauzi. It should be noted that this presentation contains mature content.
10. Refuse
When: 14 January—17 April
Opening hours: 10am—7pm from Mondays to Sundays
Where: #01-02, 39 Keppel Road, Gallery 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
Waste and detritus are utilised to craft an imaginative world inspired by the word “refuse.” The brainchild of experimental rock band, The Observatory, is largely inspired by their love of fungi and mycelial networks, where the ideas of “decomposition and composition from both biological and musical perspective” are presented to visitors.
11. Present Realms
When: 14 January—23 January
Opening hours: 10am—7pm from Mondays to Sundays
Where: #03-07, 39 Keppel Road, Main Deck, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
The pilot Singapore Art Museum Residency programme is coming to an end. Artists and residents Chu Hao Pei, Salty Xi Jie Ng and Johann Yamin aim to honour that through a fluid project space that shows off their intriguing works-in-progress, ongoing investigations and more. Their unfinished pieces are designed to invoke conversation while getting participants to assist in developing the Residency’s research.
12. Peripheral Spaces
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When: 8 January—20 February
Opening hours: 11.30am—5.30pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, 11.30am—7pm on Saturdays to Sundays
Where: 1 Nanyang Walk, NIE Art Gallery, Singapore 637616
Admission: Free
This artistic experience addresses temporality and changes of nature, of which is enhanced by digital interfaces created by designer Lim Shu Min. According to a press statement, it also talks about the urbanisation of spaces that leads to “commodified forms of nature.”
13. Light to Night 2022: New Ways of Seeing, Thinking and Being
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When: 14 January—3 February
Opening hours: Various timings
Where: Civic district
Admission: Free
Light projections and live performances will be spanning multiple locations ranging from the National Gallery Museum to Victoria Theatre. This year, audiences can expect new programmes and more diverse voices than ever, with the focus being turned to emerging talents and the visually impaired community.
14. Aliwall 2022: The Dreamer
When: 21 January—23 January
Opening hours: 6pm—9pm on 21 January, 11am—9pm on 22 and 23 January
Where: 28 Aliwal St, Singapore 199918
Admission: Free
Utilising both outdoor and indoor spaces, Aliwall 2022: The Dreamer invites guests to collectively ponder what urban living is in the present as well as in the future. Curated by Tulika Ahuja, the exhibit also provides a roster of special activities on the weekend designed with the intention to uplift visitors.
15. Korakrit Arunanondchai: A Machine Boosting Energy into the Universe
When: 14 January—3 May
Opening hours: 10am—7pm from Monday to Sunday
Where: #01-02, 39 Keppel Road, Gallery 2, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
The Bangkok-based artist delves deep into the “togetherness of human, machine, and spirit” in his latest exhibition. There’ll be large-scale video installations, re-creations of Arunanondchai’s interpretation of a post-apocalyptic wasteland and more to look forward to.
16. Compartment
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When: 14 January—23 January
Opening hours: 11am—8pm from Monday to Sunday
Where: #05-03, 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
Admission: Free
The concept of seeking shelter takes on new meaning with this exhibit. Think an immersive haven of different rooms that audiences will be able to interact with to create their own personalised journeys; an amalgamation of digital mediums and interactive mixed media devised to help folks grasp the quandary of the abodes we, as humans, have built to shield and surround us.
17. Islands Time-Based Art Festival
When: 14 January—23 January
Opening hours: 10.30am—7pm from Monday to Fridays, 12pm—10pm from Saturdays to Sundays
Where: 28 Aliwal St, Singapore 199918
Admission: Free
This artist-initiated affair started by Kai Lam and Angie Seah encompasses sound art, performance art and live improvisations to foster a feeling of spontaneity and impulsivity. There will also be talks and discussions led by curators and cultural writers grounded on resilience, performance art, self-care, creative processes and more.
18. We’re Young Once
When: 8—30 January
Opening hours: 10.30am—7pm from Wednesdays to Sundays
Where: 63 Spottiswoode Park Rd, Art Agenda, Singapore 088651
Admission: Free
Vigour meets audacity at curatorial concept space, Art Agenda, this month. The focus being youth and its various associations. Encompassing more than 20 works across different mediums and periods, 15 intergenerational creatives have been selected to convey their experiences about the ‘art scene’ they grew up in. Involved artists include Song-Ming Ang, Genevieve Chua and Amanda Heng.
