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The annual Singapore Art Week (SAW 2024), held over two weeks from 19 to 28 January, kicks off this year with the city-state playing host to multiple art events across the country. There will be art fairs with international attendance such as ART SG to ground-up interactive exhibitions that aims to tickle your creative artistic fancy.
Apart from dropping by your favourite museums and galleries, here are seven events occurring within the month of January that proudly showcase the Singaporean identity, up-and-coming artists as well as our uniquely local neighbourhood charm. This list serves as an ideal Monday to Sunday guide for those planning to immerse themselves in the vibrant art scene during their visit.
Saturday: ARTWALK 2024
Photo: ARTWALK 2024
Organised by Lasalle College of the Arts and Singapore Tourism Board, ARTWALK 2024 is now in its 10th year running. Highlighting the heritage of Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat, the multidisciplinary public arts festival runs from 19 to 28 January.
Exploring the theme of Decennial for SAW 2024, ARTWALK 2024 looks back on a decade of history and culture in the streets of two of Singapore’s most vibrant neighbourhoods and the communities there.
At Little India, festivities start off with an opening party on 19 January at Lembu Road with performances by Indian drumming group Damaru, local bands Genesis Keefer and Bear The Remedy, and a fashion showcase by Lasalle’s Fashion Design and Textiles students.
Notable events include a street photography exhibition called Obscura at the Indian Heritage Centre, a street projection by Urich Lau at Campbell Lane called Momento Fatality Error, and cultural tour and experience with storyteller Kamini Ramachandran on 20 January.
While over at Katong-Joo Chiat, the Led Me Here roving tour performed by Shaifulbahri Mohamad and directed by Adeeb Fazah takes the public through the alleys of the old estate on 21 and 28 January. And in celebration of the art of poetry, the Dink Collective will hold open mic nights, poetry workshops on 27 and 28 January, along with an interactive poetry installation by Graceful Quills.
More information at https://artwalkfest.sg/.
Sunday: Eat Play Love by Tan Ngiap Heng
Photo: Eat Play Love
A rare look into the home of the late Dr Tan Kheng Khoo at C-1 Holland Park, this exhibition pays tribute to the mid-century modernist design of the building designed by architectural pioneer William Lim.
As the family prepares to sell the house, the Tan’s youngest son, artist Tan Ngiap Heng, offers the historical space during SAW 2024 as a gallery for six guest artists — Catherine Hu, Cynthia Delaney Suwito, Khoo Guo Jie, Lei Yuan Bin, Mike HJ Chang, and Susanna Tan — to muse on the “ordinary yet meaningful activities at home”.
Eat Play Love begins with an architectural tour by Ronald Lim of Docomomo SG and an artist talk on 20 January.
The event runs from 19 to 31 January. More information at https://eatplaylove.site/.
Monday: Together, Hue & Me by Elisa Liu & Cheng Jin An
Photo: Together, Hue & Me
Travel deep into the Buangkok neighbourhood this SAW 2024 for Together, Hue & Me, a project examining communal spaces at housing estates in Singapore and the relationship between residents there.
The Community Plaza at Buangkok Square Mall hosts a line-up of pop-up artmaking activities and artist tours by Elisa Liu and Cheng Jin An until 28 January. A range of artworks and soundscapes created by residents of Jalan Kayu will also be on display alongside a Jalan Kayu Fantastic Arts Festival at the Jalan Kayu Community Arts & Culture Club on 20 January.
More information at https://linktr.ee/togetherhueandme.
Tuesday: INTERWOVEN by Telok Kurau Studios
Photo: Interwoven
The first arts housing project in Singapore by the National Arts Council, Telok Kurau Studios is a residential estate-turned-art studio now occupied by 30 artists and two independent organisations.
This SAW 2024. its main exhibition, Interwoven, is held at the Telok Kurau Studios Art Gallery and will showcase 23 local artists including Yeo Chee Kiong, Ramli Nawee and Chan Choy Har, who have taken up residency at the location. The free admission event will offer a visual treat of paintings, sculptures, and multimedia art installations in the space.
Over the two weekends, four studios will open their doors to the public as well with live demonstrations and sharing sessions. The Singapore Watercolour Society at Studio 304 will hold a still life painting demonstration by its members on 21 and 28 January, and the Singapore Colour Photographic Society at Studio 108 will showcase its members’ works and competition.
More information at www.kssaw.wixsite.com/tkssaw2024.
Wednesday: Keys Under the Sofa
Photo: Yellow Thatchery
Drawing inspiration from furniture, the Keys Under the Sofa exhibition takes place at a family-owned second-hand furniture store named Hock Siong & Co. Curated by Kamilah Bandar for SAW 2024, five artists “explore and excavate the symbolic meanings and physical significance of furniture, unearth family and workplace narratives, play with spatial poetics and constructs, and understand the preservation and distribution of preloved objects”.
Apart from the main exhibition, which runs from 19 January to 18 February, the public can participate in a few activities scheduled in the four weeks.
There’s an artists’ tour, a Modern Kintsugi and Creative Repair Workshop by Yellow Thatchery where those who have signed up can bring their own broken ceramic ware to mend, and a still life drawing workshop with Shirly Koh.
More information at www.hocksiong.com.sg/keys-under-the-sofa/.
Thursday: Refraction Index by Daniel Chong
Photo: Refraction Index
Former English school and hostel, The Yards at Joo Chiat now lends its space to various learning institutions including Refind, a glass recycling studio. Its founder, Jane B. Cowie, leads the arts incubator programme, Refraction Index, which sees five local artists — Berny Tan, Daniel Chong, Marvin Tang, Xafier Yap and Zachary Chan — experiment with glass as a medium of artistic expression.
With the aim of educating the public and artists on glass making and the material’s potential as a canvas, the project has birthed some unique artworks with the likes of cyanotypes and vacuum-sealed meat casts.
More information at www.instagram.com/refractionindex2024.
Friday: 日舍 Nothing but a Day Dream
Photo: Nothing but a Day Dream
Studio rental space, Supper House, was created with the intention of offering a place where creatives from all industries could come together and collaborate. For SAW 2024, it has brought together 10 artists from different fields for its Nothing but a Day Dream programme to showcase a multidisciplinary exhibition.
Expect collaborative artwork ranging from digital art, visual art, movement, textile and scent design, exhibited at GRiD shopping mall at Selegie from now till 29 January. The founders of Supper House will also lead a walkthrough of the open studio where members of the public can meet participating artists — Benedict Yu, Cherine Wee, Damien, Liz Zhu, Liszu Tan, Siew Guang Hong, Natalia Tan, Masuri Mazlan, Nicholas Ong and Owen Tee.
More information at https://www.artweek.sg/events/nothing-but-a-day-dream.
