Last Sept, the National Gallery Singapore kicked off its egalitarian-minded initiative called The People’s Gallery – a project meant to extend the positive impact of art by bringing it (literally) closer to people’s hearts and everyday lives through scannable codes printed on walls of selected HDB blocks.

To date, the project has transformed more than 25 void decks across eight heartland neighbourhoods into outdoor augmented reality “art galleries” for the public to encounter art beyond the usual museum walls. Thankfully, it was no one-off experiment: The People’s Gallery continues this month at the mall Bugis+, where the public will be able to encounter works by acclaimed artists such as video art titan Nam June Paik, Chua Mia Tee and others from the region.

It will be a rare chance to encounter Paik’s riot of vision, colour and sound in a busy mall and thoroughfare that serve as a backdrop for his pioneering art. Audiences will also get to witness the masterfully painted works by Chua Mia Tee – one of the leading realist artists in Singapore’s art history – which depict vivid scenes and portraits of life and people in the country from the ’50s to ’80s.

Read more about The People’s Gallery here.

Ongoing at Bugis+, 201 Victoria St

Singapore artist Wong Lip Chin‘s work delves deeply into the intricacies of Chinese culture and history and his latest piece brings that fascination to life vividly.

Titled The Gathering, it’s a site-specific installation in Chinatown that is produced and curated by Singapore curator and exhibition-maker John Z.W. Tung who was inspired by winding stream parties – an ancient practice dating back more than 1,600 years when Chinese scholars would seat along the banks of a coursing stream and compose poems as cups of rice wine float down to reach them.

Wong has re-created this elegant ceremony for contemporary audiences of all faiths and cultures, where he’ll be hosting tea and incense pairing experiences weekly. The artist has blended and crafted the tea selection himself and will serve them on a set of exclusive teaware, made from Singapore clay specially crafted for the programme by Kim Whye Kee of Qi Pottery. Book a slot here.

Aside from the ceremony itself, there are also other activities such as walks around Chinatown that are meant to spotlight Singapore tea culture, as well as a guided tour by established local photographer Ken Cheong to uncover new ways of experiencing and understanding the streets of Chinatown through the camera’s viewfinder. Find out more here.

On now till March 25, at Kreta Ayer Square, 21 Banda Street

Premier independent arts organisation The Substation has kicked off its first fund-raising event of the year. Titled Objects of Affection, it sees artworks contributed by 20 emerging and established artists to support The Substation’s artist development and arts education programmes and workshops throughout the year.

Various original artworks including sculptures, ceramics, paintings, tapestry and photography will be available for online purchase on The Substation’s Instagram and Facebook page daily at 12pm – for a reasonable price of $500 each.

Among the participating artists taking part in the event are visual artists Ahmad Abu Bakar, Tang Ling-Nah, Vincent Leow, Oscar Ng, illustrator/artist Mary Bernadette Lee and filmmaker Sun Koh, and emerging names such as Shamsa Smiha Kapoor, Dylan Chan and Sarah Lin.

“Objects of Affections would not have been made possible if it wasn’t for the generosity of the artists who had kindly donated their unique artworks and memorabilia,” says The Substation’s new artistic director, Ezzam Rahma. “This fundraising event reflects the ongoing relationship between art makers and The Substation, a community that is ever-willing, ever-giving and generous. This event is also an opportunity for art lovers and collectors to acquire original works by our local artists at an affordable price. Hence, it is great timing to continue or start your very own art collection!”

On now till March 20