Singapore Art Week (SAW) invites you to explore the myriad of quality art experiences from 17 to 28 January 2018. The twelve-day celebration of the visual arts will be taking place in venues across Singapore, from galleries and museums to art precincts and non-profit spaces. Guests are sure to be amazed by SAW’s diverse array of state-of-the-art art experiences which includes first-to-launch exhibitions, festivals and art fairs, gallery openings and enriching discussions at various art venues and public spaces across the island. Which so much to see within so little time, we’ve selected 6 must go highlights that you’d not regret.
For those who want to DISCOVER
What: IMPART Collectors’ Show
When: 18 – 28 January 2018
Where: Gallery, Level 2, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
How much: Free Admission
The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and Art Outreach proudly present The IMPART Collectors’ Show, featuring international and local art from the exclusive and private collections of two prominent Singaporean private collectors. Curated by IMPART Curatorial Award Winner Kamiliah Bahdar, the works of Affandi, Cheong Soo Pieng, I Made Djirna, I Nyoman Sukari, Popo Iskandar, Srihadi Soedarsono, Tang Da Wu, Widayat, and Zhuang Sheng Tao will be on display at this arresting exhibition.
What: Kim Lim’s Sculpting Light
When: 13 January – 3 March 2018
Where: STIP – Creative Workshop & Gallery
How much: Free Admission
Across the mediums of wood, stone, marble and paper, Kim Lim’s sensitivity and respect for each material shaped her approach – what she did in sculpture heavily influenced the way she perceived paper as material and surface, and together with key active agents of light and shadow, Kim sculpted lightness and weightlessness into being. Against the parallel practices of prominent Western sculptors at the time—Kim’s graceful, lightness of touch remains distinct and resolute; her poetic works reveal an aesthetic of simplicity and fluidity, and they write a new narrative for Asian sculptors in the global art sphere.
For those who want to EXPERIENCE
What: Art Stage Singapore 2018
When: 26 – 28 January 2018
Where: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 1 Hall A – C
How much: Ticketed
ART STAGE Singapore returns in 2018 for its eighth edition. As the flagship show of the Southeast Asian art world, ART STAGE continues to develop and bridge regional art scenes to create a stronger and more unified Southeast Asian market. Positioned as the region’s key player in representing the interests of Asian art in the global arena, the Fair also acts as a catalyst for driving international interest in and understanding of Southeast Asian art and igniting heightened market activity. In long-standing recognition of Asia’s dynamism and artistic excellence, ART STAGE continues to innovate with special projects and showcases and encourage dialogue between markets.
What: Light to Night Festival 2018: Colour Sensations
When: 19 – 28 January 2018
Where: Various locations around the Civic District and Marina Bay
How much: Free admission
Light to Night Festival is an annual urban art event that celebrates the stunning Civic District of Singapore. This second edition explores the sensation of colour through the visual, literary, and performing art forms, and transforms major cultural institutions and parks into spectacular works of art. The Padang will turn into a sprawling picnic ground complete with a Festival Food Street. Sit back and enjoy a multimedia projection show unfolding across the façade of National Gallery Singapore. On the weekends, the precinct’s cultural institutions will stay open till late with programmes to tease the sensations and bring the experience of colours alive. Four artists––Ho Tzu Nyen, Lee Mingwei, David Medalla and Pinaree Sanpitak––will also unveil new artworks created especially for the Gallery.
What: Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission Series 2018: Rirkrit Tiravanija
When: 24 January – October 2018
Where: National Gallery Singapore
How much: Free admission
Drawing on regional materials, traditions of craft and architecture, Rirkrit Tiravanija presents a site-specific installation in the form of a large-scale bamboo maze with a wooden tea house at its centre. It embraces his interest in collaborative art practice by inviting visitors to spend time in the space and participate in interactive programmes including tea ceremonies conducted by local and international tea masters. This is the second showcase of the Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission series, which invites leading international artists to create site-specific installations that explore the definition of Southeast Asia as a region, place and concept. Each showcase runs from January to October, accompanied by a line-up of public programmes. The first commission was by Vietnamese-born Danish artist Danh Vo (2016–2017).
For those who want to be ENGAGED
What: State of Motion 2018 Sejarah-ku
When: 12 Jan – 11 February
Where: National Library Building / Malay Heritage Centre
How much: Free admission to the exhibition. Ticketed talks and tours.
Sejarah-ku explores film as a site of cultural and ideological production in the last decade of pre-independence Singapore. Revisiting and reactivating snippets of our national past, ‘Sejarah-ku’ (Malay for ‘my history’) comprises a selection of seminal Malay- language films produced by the now-defunct Shaw Malay Film Productions Ltd, as well as a diverse line-up of artworks and performances made in response to the films.
What: ARTWALK Little India
When: 18 – 27 January 2018
Where: Various locations in Little India
How much: Free admission
Long-lost tales found in and around Little India are resurrected through murals, public art installations and free performances for the fourth edition of ARTWALK Little India, aptly themed Urban Mythology. Presented by LASALLE College of the Arts and Singapore Tourism Board with support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA), this year’s edition features a Singapore-based line up of artists such as ZERO, Izzad Radzali Shah and SOBANDWINE, and performers such as Kamini Ramachandran, to explore, narrate, celebrate and relive its stories. Look out for the puppetry programme, where visitors will have a hand at making puppets inspired by the murals around Little India, as well as a film screening by acclaimed filmmaker, K. Rajagopal’s trilogy “The Day I Lost My Shadow”.
