SINGAPORE – The beauty of Singapore Art Week, running from Jan 19 to 28, is that it is a nominally coordinated art surge across the island. The Straits Times picks five events outside the main hard-hitters that deserve attention too.
1. Meditations On Shadow Libraries
Curated by Mr Brian Kuan Wood, co-curator of Taipei Biennial 2023, this is a solo exhibition for Singapore-based Heman Chong, who has been preoccupied with the idea of libraries over the last two decades.
Nine bodies of his work, from a library of unread books to geometric repetition on canvas, are brought together to stimulate viewers’ thinking on how people archive, exchange and censor information.
It is probably for the more conceptually inclined, with shades of Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao in this multidisciplinary exploration.
Where: STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery, 31 Robertson Quay
When: Jan 17 to March 10, Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 7pm; Sundays, 11am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Info: stpi.com.sg
2. Between Systems: In Practice
This showcases the fruitful collision between veteran artists Kumari Nahappan, Valerie Ng and Jeannie Ho, and the 21st-century digital techniques of visual programming, generative artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D visualisation.
The trio has taken part in a two-month residency organised by creative technology studio Serial Communication, which helps artists incorporate computational logic into art-making.
The artists draw from their practices of sculpture, painting, installation and photography, and will also lead a hands-on workshop for interested participants on Jan 20.
Where: UltraSuperNew, 168 Tyrwhitt Road
When: Jan 17 to 28, noon to 8pm; workshop on Jan 20, 2 to 3.30pm
Admission: Free, registration required for workshop
Info: themigration.serial.sg
3. Artwalk 2024
The annual multidisciplinary public arts festival in Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat is back in its 10th edition. Look forward to new murals, workshops, live music and performances.
Aimed at telling stories of Singapore’s heritage, Artwalk’s opening night on Jan 19 will feature music performances by local artistes Poncho Group and Genesis Keefer, leading up to a fashion showcase titled Porcelain, by students from Lasalle College of the Arts.
Where: Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat
When: Various timings
Admission: Free
Info: artwalkfest.sg
4. Prix Pictet Human
The world’s leading award for photography and sustainability Prix Pictet is exhibiting in Singapore for the first time.
The Human cycle showcases the works of 12 photographers shortlisted for the 10th edition of the award, exploring the plight of indigenous peoples, conflict zones, the collapse of economic processes, migration and gang violence, among others.
The winner, announced in 2023, was Indian photographer Gauri Gill, whose work engages with the communities in the desert of western Rajasthan, northern India, and indigenous artists in Maharashtra.
Where: Art Gallery, 05-01 Administration Office, School of the Arts, 1 Zubir Said Drive
When: Till Jan 29, Mondays to Fridays, 8.30am to 6pm, closed on Saturdays and Sundays
Admission: Free
Info: prix.pictet.com
5. Immortal Words
A bio-art project by Singaporean contemporary artist Boedi Widjaja, this exhibition in 42 Waterloo Street encodes South-east Asian written and oral traditions into DNA, and is designed in collaboration with geneticist Eric Yap.
Visitors can collect some of these DNA-spiked capsules that will be dispensed from gachapon machines. There is also an exhibition on AI in the same building, and another on time in nearby Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film.
Where: Black Box, 42 Waterloo Street
When: Jan 19 to Feb 20, Mondays to Fridays, 10am to 6pm, closed on Saturdays and Sundays
Admission: Free
Info: str.sg/N9j2
