It’s a great season for art lovers – there’s the recent Singapore Biennale (still ongoing, FYI) and now the eighth edition of Singapore Art Week, which runs Jan 11 – 19 and will take place in disparate spots all around the island. Yes, there are the more “traditional” spaces such as Gillman Barracks and the major museums around Bras Brasah, but unusual suspects include Little India and even a former ship repair warehouse in Jalan Besar. What this means: there’s space to appreciate art at every level, whether you’re a seasoned collector or just a casual observer.
Here, some of the highlights which caught our eye:
S.E.A Focus is one of the key events of Singapore Art Week and this buzzy boutique fair that focuses on Southeast Asian contemporary art is back for its sophomore edition with 20 local and international galleries participating. Notable SG names who are showing this year include minimalist painter Luke Heng, as well as mixed media artist Dawn Ng.
Jan 16 – 19, Gillman Barracks
Augmented reality technology is big business right now – those “which Pokemon are you?” filters on Instagram are a fine example. The MeshMinds Foundation, with support from Facebook, has collaborated with some major local artists (names include Han Sai Por and Robert Zhao) and technologists on AR.T Trail, an augmented reality walking trail of public sculptures in the Central Business District, lending the artworks a whole new interactive perspective to play with.
Jan 10 – 19, 90 minutes each, various timings
Sign up here
Beloved street art and culture festival Aliwal Urban Art Festival is back with a smorgasbord of activities for its seventh edition – learn how to make over your existing clothes/tote bags from the Japanese-inspired upcycling outfit Fincrafted Goods, dancers translating scents into sense through their bodies, live graffitti sessions, as well as performances by bad ass comedienne Preetipls.
Jan 18, 4pm – 12am, Aliwal Arts Centre
A former ship repairs workshop and warehouse turned exciting new arts venue in Singapore, Twenty Twenty is officially open to the public for the first time as a pop-up art destination. It’s massive – at over 20,000 square feet and we’re really looking forward to seeing how it’s utilised. The space will only be active for six months and with open with a predominantly-female artist line up featuring local artist Dawn Ng.
Jan 10 – Jun 30, 2 Cavan Road
Always a hit with the crowds, the Light to Night festival will be making over five of the Civic District’s most iconic institutions – National Gallery Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade. The organisers have enlisted a wide spectrum of artists and creatives to respond to the theme of Invisible Cities, which takes it name from Italian writer Italo Calvino’s seminal book of the same name. Best to check out each museum/institution’s website on what they’re offering for the festival; there are simply too many to list here. Pictured above: Floating City, an ethereal installation at the National Gallery Singapore by Singapore-based lighting company Nipek and interior design studio Knots.
Jan 10 – 19, Civic District, various timings
This exhibition features a wide variety of local and regional artists and it aims to look at how public spaces (beyond the traditional art confines of a gallery or museum) has been used in art, partially due to a dearth of exhibition venues, as well as to democratise art by bringing it to new, unsuspecting audiences.
Jan 11 – Feb 23, The Substation
Singapore may be small but how well do you really know its enclaves, beyond the usual city haunts? Explore the neighbourhood of Little India on guided tours by students at the nearby Lasalle College of The Arts – there’ll also be live storytelling by Kamini Ramachandran, dot-painting workshop by Kumuda Krovvidi, drama performances by Wisdom of Monkeys and more. Details here.
Jan 10, 11, 17, 18, 5pm and 7pm