This week, make a beeline for the Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, where the Singapore Art Book Fair, now in its 10th year, is back for its biggest edition to date – expect a wide assortment of artworks, publications and other printed ephemera from local and international designers and artists. More details below.
For design and print lovers, there’s no place better to be this weekend than the Singapore Art Book Fair (SGABF); it’s basically the premier event in Singapore for celebrating contemporary art books, zines and other printed materials. Now in its 10th year (read more on that in Female‘s April 2023 issue), SGABF will be unveiling its largest line-up to date — expect a vast and colourful array of works from more than 100 local and international artists, photographers and designers, such as Singapore graphic design legend Theseus Chan (who’s making his debut at the fair), as well as the launch of photobook Damnsel by emerging photographer Joseph Koh aka @badsoju.
The fair will also be presenting Scaffolding, an exhibition by US-based artist Tricia Treacy. The exhibition uncovers a collection of printed grids, patterns and geometric frameworks from our constructed and natural environments that can be found everywhere and all around us. Aside from the main event, there are also various workshops (such as a drawing one by the visually impaired painter Kok Choon Choo), as well as a series of book discussions and artist talks.
Get your tickets here.
April 14-16, noon to 8pm, at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #01-02 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road
This might just possibly be the most whimsical place to work up a sweat in town: HermesFit is an ongoing global series that invites friends of the maison to break a sweat in a bespoke pop-up Hermes gym, and this weekend marks the launch of the Singapore edition. The space features a weights wall (complete with custom Hermes barbells and kettlebells), a silk-inspired callisthenics course, a circle-shaped ping-pong table with rackets adorned with silk motifs, a boxing ring that doubles as a photo booth, a juice bar and more.
At HermesFit, you’ll get to take up typical classes such as yoga or HITT (high-intensity interval training) – but this being Hermes, these sessions naturally come with an elevated twist. The yoga classes, for instance, incorporate the maison’s famous carres (silk scarves), while the weights used for HIIT are actually Hermes shoes. Like we said – this is no ordinary gym.
Register for a sessions here.
April 14 -23, 11am to 8pm, at 16 Orchard Road
Ever since pandemic restrictions lifted last year, there’s been a noticeable uptick in parties — and not just the ones inside the usual clubs. One such stalwart in the underground scene is Escape 56, the long-running party series birthed by a tie-up between premier music consultancy Blackout Agency and the German spirits brand Jagermeister that’s well-known for melding unconventional venues (defunct warehouses, rooftops, carparks and beyond) with the best audio and visual equipment.
Escape 56 is back for its sixth instalment, this time at Haw Par Villa and headlined by Spanish DJ-Producer powerhouse, John Talabot, who is making a highly-anticipated return after a sold-out performance here in 2018, alongside local bold faces like Sivanesh of Sivilian Affairs and A’alely of Strange Weather.
Get your tickets here.
April 15, 10pm till late, Haw Par Villa, 262 Pasir Panjang Road
Film buffs will be glad to know that the tender Canadian family drama Riceboy Sleeps is finally here in Singapore. The story of a Korean widow who uproots from her home country to the suburbs of Canada in the ’90s to give her young son a better chance at life, Riceboy Sleeps has been critically acclaimed since it debuted last year, scooping up multiple awards internationally, including the top gong at the Toronto Film Festival, the Busan Film Festival’s Audience Award and Canada’s most prestigious film prize, the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.
Often compared to Minari (the Oscar-winning 2020 film about a Korean immigrant family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their version of the American dream), Riceboy Sleeps focuses on the mother-son duo, as the child grows into an increasingly distant teenager, grappling with the difficulties of being the only Asian kid in his environment and a mother who’s determined to shield him from their past.
Get your tickets here.
Opens April 13 at The Projector exclusively, Golden Mile Tower, #05-00 Golden Mile Tower and Projector X: Picturehouse, #05-01 The Cathay