(W)AVE by Alina, Andy and Steve (2021)

Experience the best of Singapore’s diverse and vibrant arts community with the 10th edition of Singapore Art Week

What better way to start the year than by celebrating Singapore's vibrant arts community with the pinnacle art festival Singapore Art Week (SAW)? This year, SAW invites art lovers of all kinds to celebrate its milestone 10th edition, featuring over 130 sensational events happening physically and virtually, with close to 600 artists hailing from all across the globe, as a joint initiative by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Tourism Board.

So whether you’re an avid collector, local talent enthusiast or simply a fan of the visual arts, experience art in unexpected places. From tours to enlightening discussions and talks with renowned artists, take this chance to also revisit iconic art landmarks of Singapore—in the bustling streets of Joo Chiat, walking in the heartlands of Gillman Barracks, or under the open city night sky in the Civic District. Take part in this celebration in SAW’s decade of growth, as Art Takes Over from January 14 to 23. 

Read more: 9 Exciting Things to Do in Singapore in January 2022

1. Hawker! Hawker!

What: We Singaporeans love our food—and we are proud to have our hawker culture inscribed on the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Curators-artists Yen Phang and Oh Yam Chew collaborate with 13 Singapore- and New York-based artists across disciplines, including photography, performance and digital art, to shed light on the nation’s evolving hawker culture, with this hybrid exhibition held at Lau Pa Sat. 

When: January 7 to 28

2. It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, you would cry too if it happened to you

Tatler Asia
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, you would cry too if it happened to you
Above It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, you would cry too if it happened to you

What: There’s nothing curator Louis Ho loves more than a good party. But his collaboration with independent cinema The Projector at Golden Mile Tower is a project about unhappiness, featuring an exhibition of site-specific works and a retrospective of Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini in response to the theme of affirmative unhappiness. The screening programme presents three of Andini's films, The Mirror Never Lies (Laut Bercermin), The Seen & Unseen (Sekala Niskala) and Yuni

When: January 12 to February 6

Don't miss: Where Do Old Films Go? Karen Chan From The Asian Film Archive Tells All

3. If Forests Talk

What: If Forests Talk is an online programme that looks at the tropical rainforest away from the logics of consumption, recreation and education, and through a different light as a site of tradition, knowledge, temporary communities and choreography. Through a series of videos and audio pieces, available for an online screening on February 3, the artists share past works from which the new commissions stem. 

When: January 12 to 30

4. Light To Night 2022: New Ways Of Seeing, Thinking And Being

What: The sixth edition of this visual, literary and performing arts festival spearheaded by the National Gallery Singapore invites audiences to rejig their connection with art in new and engaging ways. This year's Light to Night festival features digital and on-site programmes and interventions that shake up the notions of the world we live in. 

When: January 14 to February 3

 

5. The Story of Calico

Tatler Asia
The Story of Calico
Above The Story of Calico

What: Marking the official launch of Critical Craft Collective Singapore, an initiative by artists Adeline Kueh and Hazel Lim to explore the relationship between traditional crafts and new technologies, this exhibition spotlights the humble calico material and its role in today’s context. Kueh and Lim, along with other artists such as Homa Shojaie and Zulkhairi Zulkiflee reclaim themes of intimacy and distance, domesticity, as well as aspects of upcycling and recycling.

When: January 14 to 28

Read more: Finalists of Singapore Stories 2021 Share Valuable Lessons They Learnt Along the Way

6. S.E.A. Focus

What: With the theme “Chance … Constellations”, this year’s edition of this showcase of Southeast Asian contemporary art and artists features a mix of in-person and digital experiences at S.E.A. Focus 2022. Artists explore shared histories, geographies and cultures, along with the ties that bind the arts community of the region. Presented by STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, in collaboration with Art Basel, at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

When: January 14 to 23

Don't miss: Singaporean Artist Dawn Ng Shares How Her Personal Journeys Inspire Her Works of Art

7. Diaspora

Tatler Asia
CometGirl for Diaspora
Above CometGirl for Diaspora

What: Diaspora is a visual art exhibition helmed by Artblovk pop-up gallery and co-curated by Lim Cheng Tju at the well-loved Basheer Graphic Books, the bookstore at Bras Basah Complex that has become a local institution for the arts and creative industry over the years. Time to schedule a visit to explore the evolving nature of visual arts from natural to digital territories and into uncertain spaces. The exhibition features the works of illustrators and artists such as A Good Citizen (Dan Wong), Comet Girl (Cherie Sim), and other young local talents.

When: January 14 to 23

8. Present Realms

What: Marking the conclusion of the pilot SAM Residency programme, Present Realms is a fluid project space for the mushrooming of ideas, works-in-progress, and lines of research. The three pilot Residents—Chu Hao Pei, Salty Xi Jie Ng, and Johann Yamin—present their continued explorations into varied topics of interest spanning rice, rituals, and gaming. As a joint presentation, this exhibition explores the exchanges the Residents had during their time in residence and as a space invites visitors to participate in developing their research.

When: January 14 to 23

Read more: 7 Singapore Art Galleries That Represent Local Artists

9. Antinodes

Tatler Asia
Antinodes
Above Antinodes

What: Explore this visual art exhibition, representing the progressions of urban art styles in Singapore as artists encounter the waves of changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This interdisciplinary exhibition maps the connections between these artists from diverse backgrounds, and in a refreshing take, encompasses within their works street culture, music, architecture, technology, fashion and spirituality. 

When: January 14 to 23

10. Creative Intersections

Tatler Asia
Creative Intersections In The Year Of The Tiger 2022 Funan
Above Creative Intersections In The Year Of The Tiger 2022 Funan

What: Usher in the year of the Tiger at Funan to witness Creative Intersections: In The Year Of The Tiger, curated by Chan+Hori Contemporary. Learn about Singapore’s unique connection with tigers within our history, mythology and folklore through this art-meets-retail activation. Experience the blending of art into the areas of fashion, food, lifestyle and more in this month-long programme. 

When: January 14 to February 13

11. (W)ave 2.0

Tatler Asia
(W)AVE by Alina, Andy and Steve (2021)
Above (W)AVE by Alina, Andy and Steve (2021)

What: Immerse yourself into the multi-sensory art installation using wearable technology combined with light and sound. Alina Ling and Artfactory experiment with the nature of space and place in (W)ave 2.0, making the most of the visitor's senses to navigate them through the story.

When: January 14 to 22

12. AliWALL Festival: The Dreamer

Tatler Asia
Above Image Courtesty of Zero, commissioned by the Malay Heritage Centre for the Singapore Heritage Festival

What: From breaking down the metaphorical walls dividing fantasy and reality to sharing stories through murals and street art, AliWALL Festival 2022 invites visitors to draw new imaginations with a myriad of interactive events. Explore the culturally-rich Kampong Gelam neighbourhood in D'Tour, presented by the artists RSCLS—get to try your hand at mural painting at the end of the tour too. Immerse yourself in the multi-sensory exhibit Permission to Dream, held at the Aliwal Arts Centre, in collaboration between artists Howie Kim, stage designer Akbar Syadiq, plus up and coming performers set against a soundtrack by acclaimed Japanese musician Takashi Kokubo

When: January 21 to 23

Don't miss: Is Art Truly Important to Singapore’s National Identity?

13. Horizons

Tatler Asia
Experience virtual meditation with Christine Peschek as part of Horizons
Above Experience virtual meditation with Christine Peschek as part of Horizons

What: Travel the world in 24 hours and engage with limitless forward-thinking visions with the 24-hour virtual programme, Horizons. Tuning in with global experts across art, business, technology, creative ventures, wellness and more, the journey is interactive, collaborative and nurturing. Commissioned by the National Arts Council in partnership with so-far, AORA and Metis Art, this international collaboration widens our sense of latitude—emotional, social and geographical—and furthers horizontal, collaborative, sensual and interdisciplinary crossovers.

When: January 22 to 23

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