Singapore Art Week 2025: The art fairs, collector shows and creative collaborations to experience this edition

The never‑before‑seen works of 19 prominent artists such as Christo and Danh Võ are extracted from the collection of the Singapore‑based art collector and philanthropist Pierre Lorinet in his third collaboration with Art Outreach. Curated by Edward Mitterrand and exploring the notion of space, this showcase, held from January 10 to February 2, takes over the 8,000‑square‑feet Factory at New Bahru, Singapore’s latest creative cluster.

As founder of Richard Koh Fine Art, with galleries in Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, Richard Koh has spent more than two decades championing contemporary artists from the region and beyond—and at the same time quietly building his own art collection. In this second collaboration with The Private Museum, held from January 10 to March 9, he offers an exploration of his personal collection, anchored in minimalist and abstract works, and with a focus on memory and emotion.

Sotheby’s first 2025 edition of the Modern and Contemporary Art auction in Asia takes place on January 18—and for the first time during Singapore Art Week. Highlights of the sale include Marc Chagall’s La danse autour de la corbeille, painted in the final decade of his life as an anniversary gift in 1975 for his wife Vava.

The auction also spotlights two rare, fresh-to-market paintings by Raden Saleh, considered Indonesia’s first modern artist, capturing the landscapes of Java. Works by celebrated Singaporean artists such as Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Kim Lim are also up for auction. 

Also exhibited alongside the auction highlights from January 14 to 18, at 5 Jiak Kim Street, is Vincent van Gogh’s seminal work Jardin devant le Mas Debray, unveiled for the first time in Asia.

Fresh from its presentation at the Singapore Pavilion at Biennale Arte 2024 in Venice, Seeing Forest by Robert Zhao Renhui makes its homecoming at the Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark from January 15 to May 18. Curated by Haeju Kim, the immersive installation showcases Zhao’s accumulated observations over the past eight years on secondary forests in Singapore—the forests regrown on deforested land due to human intervention—and the new ecosystems that have developed within it.

In case you missed it: Biennale Arte 2024: ‘Seeing Forest’ by Singapore artist Robert Zhao Renhui explores secondary forests and the interplay between nature and humanity

Featuring 106 galleries from 30 countries and territories, international art fair Art SG returns for its third edition, from January 17 to 19 (VIP preview and vernissage on January 16), at Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands. This year’s programme includes four large‑scale, site‑specific artworks as part of the Platform section, by artists including Singaporean painter Khairulddin Wahab, alongside dynamic Film and Talks programmes in collaboration with cultural partners Bangkok Kunsthalle and Delfina Foundation respectively.

Read also: Art SG 2025: Discover the practices of three artists, from Southeast Asia and beyond, presenting at the art fair

Inspired by the traditional craft of ikat weaving and the energy of sound waves, multidisciplinary artist Yang Derong explores how diverse voices, cultures and narratives intertwine to create a unified social fabric in this digital display, on show at level one of The Annex at The Arts House from January 17 to 26. Meanwhile, the SATS Experiential Centre, in collaboration with private dining chef Patricia Chen of Sekel Kitchen and former Nouri head chef Russell Nathan, will present an exclusive food and art experience in response to Yang’s work at its private kitchen on level two of the same building from January 14 to 23.

Themed “Disconnected Contemporaries”, the seventh edition of S.E.A. Focus offers a compelling exploration of contemporary art development within Singapore and Southeast Asia through an exhibition of nearly 40 artists from 21 galleries. Curated by John Tung for the second year running, the showcase of painting, sculpture and installation highlights the interplay of local traditions and global influences. It will run from January 18 to 26 at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.

Set to illuminate the Civic District  from January 17 to February 6 with light projections, art installations and engaging programmes featuring artists such as Cultural Medallion recipients Han Sai Por and Goh Beng Kwan is the dazzling Light to Night Singapore festival. This annual visual arts spectacle, organised by National Gallery Singapore in collaboration with the Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, is meant to provoke reflections on identity with its theme, “Do You See Me?”.

Visit artweek.sg for more information.

NOW READ

Installation artist Donna Ong on crafting imagined landscapes through her artwork

Art of Our Time: Mary Rozell on UBS’s approach to collecting art and supporting artists

Rediscover the practices of pioneer artists Teo Eng Seng, Kim Lim and Lim Tze Peng at National Gallery Singapore