PUBLISHED January 3rd, 2018 06:00 am
Is the upcoming Singapore Art Week part of your annual events calendar? If not, it really should be. The joint initiative by the National Arts Council, the Singapore Tourism Board, and the Singapore Economic Development Board returns from 17 to 28 January 2018, and as always, it just gets better and better. As our island’s premier celebration of the visual arts, you can expect a whole slew of first-to-launch exhibitions, festivals, enriching talks, as well as gallery openings that cement Singapore’s position as Asia’s top arts destination.
If you’re wondering how to get the most out of SAW 2018, here’s our list of highlights that will earn you maximum street cred.
A series of festivals in the Civic District and beyond
Regulars in the arts scene will relish the comeback of SAW’s holy trinity: Art After Dark, Light To Night Festival, and the Aliwal Urban Art Festival. The crowd-favourite Art After Dark at Gillman Barracks will see gallery openings and performances like PERFECT STRANGER, an installation by Singaporean artist Dawn Ng that transforms the Chan + Hori Contemporary gallery into an undulating sea of colour, as well as Transaction of Hollow, a live durational performance by Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo.
The Light to Night Festival, on the other hand, explores the sensation of colour with visual, literary, and performing arts, as The Padang transforms in a sprawling picnic ground, its surrounding roads turn into a Festival Food Street, and the facade of National Gallery Singapore becomes a giant screen. On the grungy side of things, the Aliwal Urban Art Festival celebrates all things street culture, from graffiti to graphic art, rock to afro-beat, and skateboarding to breakdancing.
When: 17 to 28 January 2018
Where: Various locations in the Civic District and Gillman Barracks
ArtWalk Little India and Waterloo Street Crawl
Few places in Singapore are as magical as Little India, which is why we love every edition of ARTWALK Little India. The fourth edition, aptly named ‘Urban Mythology’, unearths the secrets and long-lost tales of the neighbourhood through murals, public art installations, and free performances by the likes of ZERO, Izzad Radzali Shah, SOBANDWINE, and Kamini Ramachandran. Keep a look out for the puppetry programme, where you’ll be able to make puppets inspired by the various murals, as well as a film screening of The Day I Lost My Shadow by acclaimed filmmaker K. Rajagopal.
When: 18 to 27 January 2018
Where: Various locations in Little India precinct and Waterloo St
Art from the Streets
Surely you’ve heard of Banksy, the controversial England-based graffiti artist? See his creations right in front of you, along with nearly 200 other works by other well-known street artists like Shepard Fairey (aka OBEY), Futura, Seen, Space Invader, JR and Vhils, as well as their emerging Southeast Asian counterparts. As the first major retrospective of street art ever exhibited in Southeast Asia, Art from the Streets will trace 40 years of this artistic movement from its early beginnings to its rise as an urban art form – examining new technologies and the diverse artistic techniques used.
When: 13 January to 3 June 2018
Where: ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974
5 Rehearsals for a Wedding
Ah, the Chinese wedding – a ritual filled with so many cultural, social, and collective expectations. 5 Rehearsals for a Wedding is the latest project by 2018 Young Artist Award recipient Kray Chen, where the visual artist sheds a tongue-in-cheek light on the anxieties, clichés, and behaviours associated with weddings today. What happens when conditions surrounding a traditional Chinese wedding are given a twist? Find out in this playful video installation that challenges the way social practices are imbued in this otherwise commonplace ceremony.
When: 17 January to 11 February 2018
Where: Objectifs, 155 Middle Rd, Singapore 188977
Progress: The Game of Leaders
Singaporean artist Samantha Lo aka Sticker Lady is back in action with a fascinating interactive sculpture that takes a semi-satirical play on the city state’s current socio-political landscape. Based on a classic block-stacking game, Progress: The Game of Leaders is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining, the stacking of blocks – reminiscent of building skyscrapers – intended for us to think: are we compromising on the foundations of the nation as we continue to build up? Do we as citizens have a say in what is undermined and what is salvaged?
When: 2 to 28 January 2018
Where: The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Ln, Singapore 179429
ART STAGE Singapore 2018
Collectors and serious art enthusiasts, ART STAGE Singapore is the thing for you. As the flagship show of the Southeast Asian art world, ART STAGE has permeated itself in major cities in the region to develop a stronger and more unified Southeast Asian market. With the theme ‘Interactions’, the Singapore edition will focus on Thai and Thai-based galleries and artists such as Kamin Lertchaiprasert, Natee Utarit, Maitree Siriboon, and Teng Yen Lin.
Other highlights include an exclusive showcase by Singapore’s top art collectors, which will The Teng Collection by Teng Jee Hum, Samson’s Private Collection by Michelangelo and Lourdes Samson, and Nijerk’s Private Collection by Mr and Mrs Richard Nijkerk.
When: 26 to 28 Jan 2018
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 1 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018971
Singapore Art Week 2018 is running from 17 to 28 January 2018 at various locations around the island. For more details on events and programming, please click here.