5 Things To Do in Singapore This Week: 18th January to 24th January 2021

Art comes in all its myriad forms this week, from film to augmented reality filters, theatre to rock music. With a wonderful new showing from Asian Film Archive, fascinating exhibitions from Singapore Art Week, a rock festival from Esplanade and theatre from the National Gallery, there’s something for everyone.

Catch The Woman Who Ran

This festival favourite from South Korea is director Hong Sang-soo’s latest work. This series of long, gently paced scenes and naturalistic performances turn the protagonist’s quite ordinary visits to her friends to a poignant collection of observations on human relationships. Catch the Asian Film Archive showing of this critically lauded work at Oldham Theatre.

The Woman Who Ran will be showing Sunday, 24 January, 5pm – 6.10pm at Oldham Theatre. Oldham Theatre is located at Level 3, 1 Canning Rise, Singapore 179868. Buy tickets here.

Rock Out With Rocking The Region

Pictured: Woes

After a brief hiatus in 2020 (for obvious reasons), Rocking The Region is back, featuring acts like Quite Quiet, Woes, Grrrl Gang and Saints Amongst Sinners. This free event will take place over two weekends, with recorded performances by artists in the larger South-East Asian region being released on 22 January and 29 January. You’ll also be able to catch live performances at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre.

Rocking The Region will be taking place 22 January – 24 January, and 29 January – 31 January. Catch live performances at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Find video releases from Rocking the Region on Esplanade Offstage.

Dip Into a Sci-Fi Paradise at State of Motion 2021

State of Motion 2021 returns for its sixth edition as a part of Singapore Art Week. Exploring science fiction through audio-visual technologies, this multidisciplinary series imagines and conjures alternate realities. This exhibition is particularly relevant in these times when the realities of the world collide with familiar themes in science fiction (pandemic fiction, anyone?).

State of Motion 2021 will take place at Marina One from 20 January – 21 February, 12pm – 8pm daily. Marina One is located at 7 Straits View, Singapore 018936. 

Livestream Museum-Themed, Reality Show Goodness

A compelling hybrid of reality show and theatre, So You Think You Can Work In A Museum? will have four colourful contestants. All will compete against each other to work in a museum as a curator, exhibitions manager and a security guard. Watch a panel of judges (made of real museum staff) determine the winner after putting the players through trials that show you what it really takes to work in a museum. This festival is part of the Light to Night Festival.

So You Think You Can Work In A Museum? will take place at the Auditorium of the National Gallery, 1 St Andrew’s Rd, Singapore 178957. The performance will also be livestreamed on YouTube, ArtsEquator’s Facebook Page and National Gallery Singapore’s Facebook Page.

“Catch” Endangered Augmented Reality Creatures

Augmented Reality (AR) meets imagined nature at Wild Critters. Drawing from the idea of endangered species being hidden from sight, five artists have collaborated to create new species of rare creatures to be spotted through an AR art installation. You can discover them by scanning a QR code with an AR filter on Instagram, then capture and share them through social media. It’s all very Pokemon Go.

The Wild Critters project will take place from 22 January – 30 January. You can find the QR codes at Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Rd, Singapore 108937. The project will live on through virtual AR filter links launched for the public after Singapore Art Week ends.  

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When not taking naps or reading books, Tessa is either lifting weights or playing video games. She loves animals, a cold beer, and above all, a good meal.