Singapore Art Week 2023 is an ambitious affair. From the city centre to the heartlands, various venues around the island will transform into artistic spaces—housing an array of creative exhibitions, thought-provoking dialogues and playful experiences. With over 130 events spread across the country, the 10-day program is as much a celebration of Singapore’s blossoming art scene as it is an invitation for people from all walks of life to step in and explore.
Singapore Art Week puts the best of our local talent on display. Multi-hyphenate artist Dawn Ng presents Forever Now, a conceptual and immersive site-specific installation that takes the form of an 11-metre theatre tunnel, while Genevieve Chua’s exhibition grrrraaanularrrrrrr cleverly explores the role of technology in the rhythms of the modern human experience. Offering a glimpse into the breadth and depth of work that Singaporean artists create, these pieces serve as testament to the strength of our local art scene.
As the world of art evolves with the introduction of emerging technologies, new conversations have also surfaced. Unpacking the complexities of AI art and the many different forms it can take, Generating / Iterating opens up the discussion on authenticity and authorship in this new age of artistic creation. For those at a loss as to where to begin, we’ve rounded up the best of art, design and tech on display at this year’s program. Below, find a curated selection of seven must-see events to check out at Singapore Art Week 2023.
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'Generating / Iterating' curated by Clara Peh
What does the rise of AI mean for the art world? As AI systems that can create realistic images and pieces of art from mere text descriptions grow in popularity, many urgent questions surrounding authorship and authenticity in the art world have emerged. Curated by Clara Peh, the founder of NFT Asia, the largest digital-native artist collective in the Web 3.0 ecosystem, Generating / Iterating brings together regional artists who utilise and collaborate with AI like DALL-E 2 in their craft while preserving their own agency. Expect to gain a deeper understanding of the new phenomenon, while grappling with the complexities and ethical questions that surround the field.
Generating / Iterating will run from 10 to 15 Jan 2023.
Gillman Barracks, 7 Lock Road, #01-13, Singapore 108935
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'Forever Now (2023)' by Dawn Ng
As one of the most striking voices in Singapore’s creative space, Dawn Ng has established a strong presence in the global contemporary art scene. Ng’s newest project is set to be unveiled at ART SG, the largest contemporary art fair in Southeast Asia. Commissioned by UBS, Ng will reveal an immersive, site-specific installation in the form of a 11-metre theatre tunnel that leads to a mirror-reflected timelapse film, documenting the 18-hour collapse of a monumental block of frozen pigment. Conceptual and ephemeral, this new exhibit seeks to pull viewers out of any distractions and into the now.
Forever Now (2023) will be shown from 11 to 15 January 2023 in the UBS Lounge.
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Ruinart Art Bar
The Ruinart Art Bar is the result of a collaboration between champagne brand Ruinart—the official champagne partner of ART SG—and British contemporary artist David Shrigley. Look forward to rediscovering Ruinart’s champagnes through art, with eight of Shrigley’s original drawings from his Unconventional Bubbles collection displayed for the first time in Southeast Asia. Serving as an artistic interpretation of the story behind Ruinart, his works invite art enthusiasts to view the champagne house’s legacy in a vibrant new light. Also touching on the topic of sustainability, a subject that matters deeply to the champagne house, the pieces are best enjoyed with a glass of Ruinart’s aromatic Blanc de Blancs in hand.
Ruinart Art Bar will run from 12 to 15 January 2023 as part of ART SG.
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956
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'grrrraaanularrrrrrr' by Genevieve Chua
A painter by training, decorated Singaporean artist Genevieve Chua’s new solo show at STPI puts on display a staggering 46 pieces of artwork done across mediums—from shaped canvases and sandpaper pieces to cement constructions. Texturally evocative with a subtle undercurrent of commentary on the growing role of technology in the art world, expect to spend a good amount of time wandering this exhibition, taking in the visual contrasts and complexities within each individual piece.
grrrraaanularrrrrrr will be shown from 14 January to 26 February 2023.
STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238236
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'The Pierre Lorinet Collection: from Western minimalism to Asian political abstraction' by Pierre Lorinet
Since starting his collection in 2012 with a focus on minimalism, Pierre Lorinet has challenged his relationship with art through intentional connection with works that provoke thought and emotion. After moving the collection to Singapore a few years later, his acquisition also broadened to include artists with Asian origins whose work have been influenced by minimalism in various ways. In the first-ever exhibition of works from his private collection, expect to see pieces from internationally renowned artists like Josef Albers, Yayoi Kusama and Nam June Paik. Curated by Edward Mitterrand, the exhibition is the result of over a decade of art collection, serving as a bridge between the founders of western minimalism and the 21st century’s most prominent Asian artists—many of whom have practices shaped by modernism and Asian political or philosophical concepts.
The Pierre Lorinet Collection: from Western minimalism to Asian political abstraction will run from 6 to 29 January 2023.
9 Lock Road, #02-21, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108937
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'Worthington’s An Auction of Fine Art' by Anak
Art should not be something that only the privileged can enjoy. Presented as the most informal art auction at Singapore Art Week, Worthington’s aims to make the elusive world of art a more inclusive and accessible space. A clever play on exclusive auction houses, the three-day exhibition and auction of unexpected artworks invites guests to question the true worth of fine art and the formalities of the scene. Featuring works by a multi-disciplinary group of local and regional artists, proceeds from the auction will go towards both the artists as well as the Anak Book Prize, which supports less privileged art students.
Worthington’s An Auction of Fine Art will run from 11 to 14 January 2023.
The Secret Little Agency, [email protected], 407 Havelock Road, #03-01, Singapore 169634
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'ART SG: After Dark' by Soho House
To close ART SG 2023 with a bang, Soho House—a diverse membership club catered to global creatives—is throwing a chic, insider-only party at Warehouse Hotel. With a host of artists, gallerists and creatives from around the world in attendance, the night is set for an energetic melange of art, potent cocktails and transportive live music performed by multidisciplinary British artist Shygirl and Shanghainese vocalist Charity SsB, as well as buzzy DJ sets by Tom Yeti, Elli Rose and Muto Masashi. Guests will also be some of the first to view a new artistic commission by Valentino—Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak’s Breast Stupas Valentino, 2023, which reimagines the luxury fashion house’s Toile Iconographe through an awe-inspiring sculpture.
ART SG: After Dark will run from 9pm till late on 14 January 2023.
320 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay, Singapore 169628
