Returning this month for its seventh edition, Singapore Art Week will once again present a diverse and captivating suite of world-class art experiences to creatively kickstart the new year.
Taking place from 19 to 27 January, this celebration of the visual arts will be seen citywide, from art precincts, museums and galleries to outdoor and independent spaces. Singapore Art Week 2019 will showcase works from some of the most exciting artists from Singapore and around the world through a plethora of art-themed events, ranging from exhibitions and walking tours to large-scale art fairs and symposiums.
Here are the must-see events at Singapore Art Week 2019:
Light to Night Festival returns to the Civic District for a six-week run this month. The annual urban art event celebrates the stunning Civic District of Singapore, and comprises two editions this year, spanning the indoor and outdoor areas of National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Asian Civilisations Museum, the Esplanade Park, Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall.
From 18 to 27 January, The Art Week Edition explores concepts of nature, order and chaos. The festival offers a contemporary lens that explores and references art and ideas that are closely linked with the Civic District site, inspired by histories and stories and in response to the theme Traces and Echoes.
From 28 January to 24 February, The Bicentennial Edition reflects on the nation’s journey through artworks that reimagine Singapore’s past. These works offer new perspectives on significant moments in Singapore’s history that remain deeply emotional for many. The brand-new, indoor art installations and specially curated art programmes will keep visitors intrigued from day to night, and kick-start the city’s 200-year anniversary celebrations.
Light to Night Festival 2019, 18 January to 24 February, 5pm to midnight, Civic District and Marina Bay; www.nationalgallery.sg
Presented by the National Museum of Singapore and The Ryan Foundation, Unhomed Belongings presents artworks by American actress Lucy Liu and Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao, who are exhibiting together for the first time. The artists, who have never met in person, became ‘visual penfriends’ through an exploration of their respective works. Their discourse unveiled similar themes in their practices, with Liu and Rao sharing an interest in examining and dissecting cultures, histories, identities and relationships through their work. Liu will also make her first visit to Singapore to commemorate the opening with a vernissage. The exhibition is free to the public and will run from 11 January to 24 February 2019 at the historic Stamford Gallery in the National Museum of Singapore.
Lucy Liu and Shubigi Rao: Unhomed Belongings, 12 January to 24 February, National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897; www.nationalmuseum.sg
Frieze Academy makes its debut during Singapore Art Week 2019, with an event which sees local and international creatives exchanging insights on contemporary art in Southeast Asia. Bringing together international museum professionals of diverse backgrounds, this panel discussion will focus on the burgeoning private museums and foundations across Southeast Asia. The event will also consider the many ways in which public institutions internationally are engaging with private organisations, as well as emerging forms of collaboration between sectors.
Speakers include Dr June Yap, Director of Curatorial, Programmes and Publications, Singapore Art Museum; Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran, Director, Post Vidai Collection, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Geneva, Switzerland; Richard Parry, Director, Glasgow International; and Inti Guerrero, Artistic Director, Bella Artes Projects, Manila, Philippines. The public talk will be hosted by National Gallery Singapore and moderated by Russell Storer, Deputy Director, Curatorial and Research, National Gallery Singapore.
Frieze Academy Series: Public vs Private Museums – Bridging the Divide?, 25 January, National Gallery Singapore; frieze.com
This January, Gillman Barracks contemporary arts cluster (pictured above) will host the inaugural S.E.A Focus, a new platform that seeks to foster deeper appreciation and increase demand for Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art through meaningful collaboration between international and local galleries. The diverse line-up of events includes curated exhibitions, public art displays, industry dialogues and multidisciplinary lifestyle events.
Exhibiting galleries include international institutions such as 47 Canal (New York), The Columns Gallery (Seoul), Nadi Gallery (Jakarta) and Gallery VER (Bangkok). Approximately half of the galleries will be from Singapore, including stalwarts Art-2 Gallery, art commune gallery and Art Seasons. Several participating international galleries, such as Jan Manton Art (Brisbane), Niagara Galleries (Melbourne) and RUCI Art Space (Jakarta), will make their Singapore art fair debut, highlighting the city’s growing presence on the international art stage.
S.E.A. Focus, 24-27 January, Gillman Barracks; seafocus.sg
ARTWALK Little India is an annual, multidisciplinary public art project set in the vibrant Little India precinct. Presented by the Singapore Tourism Board and LASALLE College of the Arts with the support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, works for the 2019 edition of ARTWALK Little India have been guided by the theme ‘Image and Sound of Fragrance’.
From wall murals to exhibitions to street performances, ARTWALK will excite visitors’ senses while immersing them in the rich heritage and culture of Little India, with a diverse line-up that includes live storytelling by Kamini Ramachandran, performances by Kathak guru Jyotika Joshi, an exhibition by various artists at UltraSuperNew Gallery, mural paintings and artworks by students of LASALLE.
ARTWALK Little India, 18 January to 2 February, Little India; artwalklittleindia.sg
For more information on Singapore Art Week 2019, head to www.artweek.sg
1 Mar 2018
Live urban art, an art exhibition accompanied by live music and an artistic MTR takeover form part of the world-class art programme presented by Swire Properties across Hong Kong this March.
16 Oct 2020
Swire Properties kicked off the highly anticipated tour of “Please Be Seated” in the Chinese mainland, in collaboration with British design firm Paul Cocksedge Studio. From now till 1 November 2020, the large-scale installation will be open to the public at the Temple Plaza of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu, engaging the community through an interactive art experience.
20 Dec 2017
A vast body of works by Rene Magritte, one of the 20th century’s most important artists, will be displayed for the first time in Asia or Europe this January
