Art Attack: 5 Standout Activities To Check Out During Singapore Art Week

Wanna check out a Wayang Spaceship? Now you can (Credit: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum)

If culture is identity, art is its expression. 2023 kicks off with Singapore Art Week, an annual celebration dedicated to the endless and liberating world of art from 6 to 15 January. The 11th edition runs the gamut with over 130 art events across the Singaporean landscape – from museums to heartlands – conveying the lexicon of art across all mediums and states. And in a glorious time when the pandemic seems like a distant memory, Singapore Art Week is the perfect opportunity to discover that the heart of art is very much alive. Here are five handpicked events to explore if you’re willing to set your mind free.  

Play! presents an interactive arts programme for all ages (Credit: Courtesy of Play!)

Play! with art in the heartlands

Organised by the Play! Collective – a unit of radicals who intend to inspire the community through interactive art – A Series Of Serious Parties takes over the heartlands of Ang Mo Kio with art pop-ups that salute the innocence and timelessness of childhood activities. Think storytelling sessions for children where books come to life, “Sticks and Stones” workshops for the elderly, and even void deck ‘dance battles’. This series also features a stuffed roster of music acts, including Kin Leonn, Fauxe, Kindergachy, Shak and Amanda Ling.

A Series Of Serious Parties, 6-15 January 2023, Blk 465 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10, Singapore 560455. Follow its Instagram page for the full programme.

Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark will be another hub for SAW activities (Credit: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum)

Head to a museum in the middle of a port

If the unique location of Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark doesn’t already attract you, its collection of programmes for Singapore Art Week will. Explore the multi-sensory habitat of Dance in the Destruction Dance, witness an out-of-this-world take on Chinese theatre at the Wayang Spaceship, and visit a crafters night market. Musical acts in tow include the indie euphoria of Eatmepoptart and the Brazilian percussions of Bloco Singapura. Visitors during this period will even clinch complimentary admission to Singapore Biennale 2022.

SAW at SAM, 6-15 January 2023, Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #01-02. 39 Keppel Rd, Singapore 089065. Follow its Instagram page for the full programme.

Wander through the sights and sounds of Light to Night

The annual Light to Night spectacle returns during Singapore Art Week with the theme of “Here and Now”, showcasing a spectrum of works that interact with the ebb and flow of time. Situated across different locations in the Civic District, these attractions include an installation inspired by the transient architecture of bubbles (“Ephemeral”) at The Padang, and a projection motion piece that resonates with the frequency of the universe (“PULSE”) at Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall. Gigs will fill the halls of National Gallery Singapore, featuring performances from Aisyah Aziz, Lalit Kumar and Sonia Kwek x Anise.

Light to Night Festival, 6-26 January 2023, Civic District. Follow its Instagram page for the full programme.

Introducing the inaugural ART SG (Credit: Courtesy of ART SG)

Witness a global gathering of art galleries

Need inspiration for your art collector journey? Then ART SG is the destination to check out. Making history at Marina Bay Sands, ART SG is billed as Southeast Asia’s largest art fair and the biggest art fair launch in APAC in a decade. Expect collectors and aficionados to flock to this affair where over 150 leading art galleries will congregate, showcasing artworks across a cornucopia of mediums such as sculpture, photography and even blockchain art.

ART SG, 11-15 January 2023, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956. Follow its Instagram page for the full programme.

Aliwal Urban Art Festival is making its comeback after two years (Credit: Courtesy of Aliwal Arts Centre)

Hit the streets of Kampong Glam for a dose of urban art

Art and street culture come together for the seventh edition of Aliwal Urban Art Festival. Located at Aliwal Arts Centre, the event brings buzz and colour to the heritage area of Kampong Glam, shaped by street-worn subcultures that transcend generations. Expect musical performances from math-rockers Woes and R&B mavericks Astronauts, live graffiti mural sessions, dance battles and unbridled improv comedy shows.

Aliwal Urban Art Festival, 14 January 2023, Aliwal Arts Centre, 28 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199918. Follow its Instagram page for the full programme.

For the full programme of Singapore Art Week, visit this link.