PUBLISHED July 6th, 2017 05:00 am
With all its ambitions of being an arts hub for Southeast Asia, it’s no wonder that Singapore is seeing a steady growth of contemporary art spaces all around the island. But when it comes to the truly avant-garde art – which is to say, all things experimental, innovative, and unorthodox – there aren’t many galleries here that pick that up. As more artists align themselves with the risk-taking movement and seek to be the Vincent van Gogh or Salvador Dalí of our era, we find five galleries in Singapore that have started to take notice.
Taksu Gallery
Located within the cosmopolitan quarters of Holland Village, Taksu is all laid back and quirky, perfect for the trendy neighbourhood. It’s also one of Southeast Asia’s leading contemporary art galleries, with two other locations in Kuala Lumpur and Bali. From young emerging talents to well-established veterans in the region like Anton Subiyanto, Ching Wei Hong, Dzaki Safaruan, and Hanh, you’ll find everything from sculptures and pieces to paintings and installations – all with a unique Taksu signature that shouts avant-garde.
Taksu is located at 43 Jalan Merah Saga #01-72, Workloft @ Chip Bee, Singapore 278115, p. +65 6476 4788. Open Tue-Sun 10am – 7pm, Sun 12pm – 6pm. Closed Mon.
Barnadas Huang
Another innovative gallery making waves in Singapore’s avant-garde art scene is Barnadas Huang, founded by lawyers-turned-gallerists Abigail Wong and Benjamin Ng together with Jordi Barnadas of Barcelona’s Galería Jordi Barnadas. A regular participant in shows like Affordable Art Fair and Malaysia Art Expo, Barnadas Hung currently represents the more edgy artists to enter the European contemporary art scene, including Barcerlona hyperrealistic painter Xavier Visa, Vanessa Linares, and Madrid-based sculptor Jesús Curiá.
Barnadas Huang is located at 61 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089525, +65 6635 4707. Open Mon-Fri 12pm – 7pm. Sat & Sun open by appointment only.
ARNDT Singapore
Run by owner Matthias Arndt, a pioneering connoisseur of the Berlin art scene and respected authority on contemporary art, for the last four years, ARNDT Singapore presents a programme of solo exhibitions and curated group shows by both Asian and international artists. Notable shows in the past include works by Italian-British duo Gilbert and George, Filipino interdisciplinary artist Alwin Reamillo, and Indonesian contemporary artist Entang Wiharso. In 2018, German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol – known for his wooden painted sculptures – will present new figures and reliefs in his second solo show with ARNDT.
ARNDT Singapore is located at 9 Lock Rd, Gillman Barracks, Singapore, p. +65 9030 7200. Open Tue-Sat 11am – 7pm.
FOST Gallery
After expanding and relocating to Gillman Barracks in 2012, FOST has quickly built a reputation as one of Singapore’s most progressive galleries, presenting cutting-edge works by established and up-and-coming innovative artists both locally and abroad. Its exhibitions in recent years include conceptual artists Heman Chong and Song-Ming Ang, and now, the gallery represents well-known local artist Jimmy Ong, installation artist Donna Ong, and emerging sculptor Grace Tan, alongside international artists Rodney Smith, Adeel uz Zafar, and Phi Phi Oanh.
FOST Gallery is located at 1 Lock Rd, #01-02 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108932, p. +65 6694 3080. Open Tue-Sat 11am – 7pm, Sun 11am – 6pm. Mon open by appointment only.
Ikkan Art Gallery
Since 2011, this boutique gallery has been showcasing museum-quality artworks from the likes of Japan, Europe, and America, including established blue-chip artists such as Naoko Tosa, Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst, and Tracey Emin, as well as the immortalised Andy Warhol. Featuring an impressive eight thousand square feet of gallery space divided between five rooms, Ikkan caters to the higher end of the market and sees everything from international corporate dealers to auction houses and private collectors.
Ikkan Art Gallery is located at Tanjong Pagar Distripark #01-05, 39 Keppel Rd, Singapore 089065. Open Tue-Sat 12pm – 7pm. Closed Sun & Mon.