What to Check out at Singapore Art Week 2024

Get ready for Singapore’s grand celebration of the visual arts! From January 19 to 28, let art captivate you as you delve into the enchanting realm of creativity with over 150 events. Experience thrilling and groundbreaking presentations by both local and renowned international artists. Explore marquee SAW events featuring light installations, performance art, tours, trails, physical exhibitions, and more. This article will highlight the most exciting events of SAW. Explore the main attractions and immerse yourself in the week’s noteworthy events, featuring diverse activities that promise to leave a lasting impression.

Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons

Image Credit: Funan SG via Instagram

Funan is becoming an art destination with a mall-wide activation celebrating the Year of the Dragon. It will feature installations, performances, and interactive workshops aligning with Funan’s six themes: Craft, Chic, Fit, Play, Taste, and Tech.

Explore creations by 16 artists partnering with brands like Barehands, Chokmah, Lemonade, Liho Tea, The Green Capsule, Ray-Ban, PPP Coffee, and Wild Rice. It’s a vibrant showcase, bringing together art and diverse visitor experiences.

• When: Until 25 February 2024, 10 am – 10 pm
• Location: Funan, 107 North Bridge Rd., Singapore 179105
• Price: Free
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Journey to the Lobster Planet

Check out Philip Colbert’s cool lobster-themed sci-fi art at his new show, Journey to the Lobster Planet, at Whitestone Gallery. It’s his first solo exhibition in Singapore.

Philip, known as Andy Warhol’s godson, is famous for his vibrant and diverse paintings. This exhibit has been in Japan, Karuizawa, and Taipei, but now it’s in Singapore, offering a unique peek at Colbert’s newest creations and collaborating with a famous Japanese artist.

In these artworks, lobsters have big battles for their underwater world. Even though the paintings seem fun, Colbert is exploring how modern digital culture and art history connect.

• When: Until 3 March 2024, 11 am – 7 pm
• Location: Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Rd, #05-03/06, Singapore 089065
• Price: Free
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Our Children by Tang Da Wu

Image Credit: Artweek.sg

Art Outreach is featuring Tang Da Wu’s Our Children performance. A Chinese opera story inspired it. It’s about a boy learning values like respect and passing on knowledge. During Singapore Art Week, visitors can watch the artist perform and contribute to the original 2017 tapestry with embroidery. There will also be other artworks from private collections about tapestries, crafts, and parent-child relationships. It’s a great way to explore meaningful stories through art.

• When: Until 4 February 2024, 11 am – 7 pm
• Location: Art Outreach, Gillman Barracks, 5 Lock Rd. #01-06, Singapore 108933
• Price: Free
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Keys Under The Sofa

Visit Hock Siong & Co. in Tai Seng’s industrial area to see works by artists Cynthia Delaney Suwito, Geraldine Kang, Jaxton Su, Woong Soak Teng, and Yang Jie. This exhibition explores furniture’s meaning and physical aspects, delving into family and workplace stories, spatial poetics, and preserving preloved items. You’ll find various art forms like photography, kinetic sculpture, video art, installation, painting, and text. The exhibition also includes public programs like an artist talk, a film dialogue, and a kintsugi workshop focusing on creative furniture repair.

• When: Until 18 February 2024
• Location: Hock Siong and Co, #01-03 Junjie Industrial Building, 153 Kg Ampat
• Singapore 368326
• Price: Free
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Likeables by Studio Juju

Image Credit: Studio Juju via Instagram

Studio Juju’s founders, Priscilla Lui and Timo Wong, curated the Likeables exhibition. It shows their unique blend of new ideas, emotions, and practical design in six furniture collections. There’s also a unique bench inspired by one at the Peranakan Museum. The exhibition explores the importance of furniture that is both likable and meaningful. Studio Juju encourages visitors to think about lasting and beautiful pieces, promoting conscious consumption.

• When: Until 22 February 2024, Mon-Thu, Sat-Sun 10 am-7 pm, Fri 10 am-9 pm
• Location: Peranakan Museum, 39 Armenian St., Singapore 179941
• Price: Free
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S.E.A. Focus 2024

Image Credit: Seafocus via Facebook

S.E.A. Focus is happening again for the sixth time at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. This event will feature artworks from 22 galleries and over 40 artists in the region. The theme is “Serial and Massively Parallel,” making us think about what it means to be human in our digital world. John Tung curated the exhibition, exploring critical questions about how we are advancing technology.

• When: Until 28 January 2024, 1 pm – 8 pm
• Location: Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Rd, #05-03/06, Singapore 089065
• Price: Free
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Age of Innocence

Image Credit: Artweek.sg

This exhibition showcases well-known Japanese anime and manga artists Yumiko Igarashi and Takeru Amano. It’s the first time their original paintings will be displayed in Singapore. Yumiko Igarashi, a legendary artist, is famous for her girly manga style since the 1970s, particularly for her masterpiece Candy ♡ Candy. The show also features emerging painter Takeru Amano, who continues the girly aesthetic with vibrant depictions of big-eyed girls, drawing inspiration from Ppop art with a street-inspired classical twist.

• When: Until 20 April 2024, 12 am – 7 pm
• Location: Art Now, Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Rd, #02-28-32, Singapore 188719
• Price: Free
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In Memory of

Image Credit: Artweek.sg

“In Memory of…” is a clay workshop to help with feelings of sadness and loss. People will use clay to express their emotions without talking. The clay artworks will be carefully processed and ready to be collected two weeks later. It’s a way to work through feelings and create something meaningful.

• When: Until 28 January 2024
• Location: Clay Cove, #05-01 The Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238843
• Price: Free
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Ho Tzu Nyen: Time and the Tiger

Artist Ho Tzu Nyen showcases his works in the “Time & the Tiger” exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum. The exhibition features eight central installations highlighting his artistic journey over the past two decades. It explores the history of tigers in Asia, their symbolism during the Japanese invasion, and their connection to the ancestral memories of Malays. Ho Tzu Nyen sees time as an intricate web shaped by culture, ecology, and history. “T for Time” is a subjective collection of stories, not claiming universality but rooted in the artist’s specific moment and path.

• When: 24 January – 3 March 2024, 10 am – 7 pm
• Location: Singapore Art Museum, 39 Keppel Rd., #01-02, Singapore 089065
• Price: Free
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Mars: The Red Mirror

Image Credit: Artweek.sg

Get ready for the ArtScience Museum’s exciting final exhibition, Mars: The Red Mirror, where you’ll embark on a thrilling journey to the planet Mars. This epic exhibition packs 12,000 years of art, history, research, and cultural ideas about Mars.

Mars, often called the Red Planet, has always fascinated humanity. Throughout history, people have been studying its characteristics and potential. There are three ongoing rover missions on Mars, and more missions are planned. Companies like SpaceX are actively working towards transporting people to Mars for the first time. 

• When: Until 7 April 2024, 10 am – 7 pm
• Location: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 6 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018974
• Price: S$20 (Singaporeans and PRs), S$23 (Tourists)
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Textures 2024

Image Credit: Artshouselimited.sg

Don’t miss the upcoming Textures literature festival, celebrating Singaporean literature (SingLit) in its 7th edition. It’s a treat for literature lovers with art installations, exhibitions, theatrical productions, and pop-up bookstores. One highlight is “Thank You For Holding,” a show by poet Marc Nair that uses movement, monologues, and live music to tell its story. It is unique because the audience can interact and direct the show by choosing responses to each chapter. There are also must-see art installations, like “Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata” by Knuckles and Notch, an animated display inspired by pop culture, comics, films, anime, sci-fi, and philosophy.

• When: Until 28 January 2024
• Location: The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Ln, Singapore 179429
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Proof of Personhood: Identity and Authenticity in the Face of AI

Image Credit: Singaporeartmuseum.sg

The Singapore Art Museum’s new exhibition, “Proof of Personhood: Identity and Authenticity in the Face of AI,” tackles the question of human identity in the age of artificial intelligence. The showcase features diverse works by local and global artists, utilizing digital mediums like AI-generated imagery and biometric data. The exhibition explores how technology affects our sense of self. Artists like Cécile B. Evans, Christopher Kulendran Thomas, and Annika Kuhlmann present thought-provoking pieces, alongside captivating works by William Wiebe, Charmaine Poh, and Ang Song Ming. Programs include a performance lecture by Charmaine Poh and a curator tour with Duncan Bass. The event is a compelling exploration of the evolving relationship between human identity and technology.

• When: Until 25 February 2024, 10 am – 7 pm
• Location: Singapore Art Museum, 39 Keppel Rd., #01-02, Singapore 089065
• Price: Free
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Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America

Image Credit: Nationalgallery.sg

The National Gallery of Singapore has an exhibition called Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America. It compares how artists from these places faced challenges from colonialism and reclaimed their identities through art. The exhibition features 200 artworks by 70 artists like Frida Kahlo and Tarsila do Amaral, including paintings and sculptures. 

• When: Until 24 March 2024, 10 am – 7 pm
• Location: National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957
• Price: S$15 for SG/PRs, S$25 for tourists
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墨非: DEFY INK

Image Credit: Shihyunyeo.com

This exhibition is about Shih-Yun’s early art. It shows how ink changes from a simple mark to a part of rhythmic pictures. The ink becomes a tool for her creative rebellion. Arielle Lau put together this showcase, featuring works from collectors Koh Seow Chuan, Toh Ee Loong, Low Nguan Kiang, and Esmund Chua. There are over 20 works on display, some never shown before. The exhibition helps us understand Shih Yun’s early years. It looks at her art through the eyes of five supporters who liked her work. Their support was crucial for her creative growth.

• When: Until 4 February 2024, Wed-Sun, 1-8 pm (19 & 26 Jan, 1-10 pm)
• Location: Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Blk 39 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Rd, Singapore 089065
• Price: Free
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New Eden: Science Fiction Mythologies Transformed

Image Credit: Marinabaysands.com

If you want something different, check out New Eden: Science Fiction Mythologies Transformed at the ArtScience Museum. It’s about Asian female artists creating cool art with a science fiction theme. You’ll see different artworks, like artifacts and films.

The art explores Western sci-fi ideas and Asian myths. It discusses parallel universes, space adventures, mixing beings, mysticism, and going beyond human limits. It’s exciting and worth a visit!

• When: Until 3 March 2024, 10 am – 7 pm
• Location: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 6 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018974
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