Art fairs, such as this year’s noteworthy ART SG that premiered during Singapore Art Week 2023, make big headlines. However, stalwarts like the Affordable Art Fair have been dedicated to the Singapore scene for 16 years.  Showcasing a diverse array of artworks from 81 galleries representing 20 countries, the fair highlights both local and international talent. The majority of artworks are priced under $7,500, emphasizing the belief that art should be more accessible. There’s also a special segment is dedicated to new artists who have never been showcased at the Singapore edition of the fair, making it an excellent platform for discovering emerging names.

In addition to the artworks, various programs, such as art psychotherapy and well-being workshops, underscore the therapeutic role of art. These programs also contribute to a noble cause, as proceeds go towards aiding the Singapore Cancer Society.

Get your tickets here.

Nov 10-12, 11am-6pm (7pm on Nov 11), at F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard

Party organizers Outer Bounce are back with the third edition of their well-received raves, typically staged in offbeat locations – remember the first one at Haw Par Villa? This time, the setting is Peace Centre, yes, that 1970s mall on Sophia Road that will be renovated next year. But before the mall disappears, the Outer Bounce folks will be putting on a night to remember, bringing in a bevy of cult DJs from around the region, such as Taiwan’s dark acid maestro Jing Lekker and Japan’s cosmic balearic savant Yuzo Iwata, with Strangeweather’s Kindergachy and 19A’s Brian representing Singapore. Get your tickets here. Get your tickets here.

Nov 11, 8pm-4am, at Peace Centre, 1 Sophia Road

Singapore’s longest-running foreign film festival is back. Now in its 39th edition, the vOilah! French Film Festival presents a massive lineup of 38 films across multiple genres. Highlights include Anatomy of A Fall (this year’s top winner at Cannes Film Festival), a courtroom drama where a woman is suspected of her husband’s murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

There’s also a mini-retrospective dedicated to the late French actress, singer, and fashion icon, Jane Birkin, who passed away earlier this year. Screenings include Jacques Deray’s 1969 psychological thriller The Swimming Pool and Jane B. for Agnes V, a 1988 experimental documentary directed by French legend Agnes Varda.

In a move that reflects the growing global concern for climate change, the festival has curated a special segment to showcasing films that delve into this critical issue. These thought-provoking films aim to raise awareness and spark important conversations about the impact of climate change and the need for collective action. There’ll also be 10 free screenings of family-friendly French films at various community clubs and integrated hubs across Singapore, driving home the message that cinema is something for everyone.

For more details, head here.

Nov 9-21, various times and locations

Billed as “DJing and VJing nonsense”, the debut of Sorry No Cure wants you to leave your seriousness (and outside drinks) at the door. The new night takes over a KTV pub (FiveTen Bar on Neil Road) for its maiden bacchanal, which will be headlined by talents such as Syndicate DJ Darren Dubwise, GayRage (aka Daniel Hui, the acclaimed director of films such as Snakeskin and Demons), Endless Return producers Mervin Wong x Baben Shin, and experimental audio-visual artists Tzechar. From trance and gabber to K-pop and drum & bass – this party might be the sickest, most audaciously chaotic, anything-goes party happening this month.

Get your tickets here.

Nov 11, 9.30pm-2am, at FiveTen Bar, 15 Neil Road

Independent art space Starch‘s latest show is an interesting one. Titled Across the Way, it’s an interdisciplinary show curated by Kimberly Shen and conceptualised by artist Salty Xi Jie Ng, who’s known for exploring themes of aging, intimacy, food, lineage, identity, and rituals. The show is positioned as a multiverse of sorts – an imagined portal to various realms, blurring the lines between the living and the dearly departed; the artist we invites us to engage in acts of remembrance.

The opening weekend of the show will include special performances by various artists, such as butoh performer XUE, movement artist Ruby Jayaseelan, and artist Zheng Jialei, as well as workshops where traditional worship apparatuses like joss paper are re-imagined as mobiles and sculptures instead.

Visitors are invited to bring tea leaves and sweets (not standard ones from religious goods stores) as an offering for an installation that’s part of this show.

More details here.

Nov 11-26, open on Fridays (4pm-8pm), Saturdays and Sundays (1pm-8pm), at Starch, 81 Tagore Lane