Singapore's mega art event Singapore Art Week (SAW) returns from January 6 to 15 with the theme of Play. Expect over 130 diverse arts events across Singapore, taking you from the familiar four walls of museums and right into the heartlands. From renowned arts fairs and exhibitions to smaller – but no less interesting – events, experiential trails, tours, and talks across the 10-day event, SAW is a sprawling showcase of Singapore's vibrant arts scene.
Marquee events include Light to Night Festival, which will see beloved cultural institutions in the Civic District illuminate in colourful, projected 'skins' alongside commissioned installations and multidisciplinary programmes. Other highlights include Aliwal Urban Art Festival, which celebrates the street culture movers and shakers through workshops, dance battles, and an art market.
There's something for the serious art collectors too. Don't miss the inaugural ART SG, Southeast Asia's largest art fair presenting more than 150 leading galleries from around the world. Meanwhile, SAW's anchor event S.E.A. Focus shines the spotlight on Southeast Asian contemporary art through a curated exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, alongside a film programme of artists' video works.
Besides its blockbuster programming, SAW is also surfacing a number of unconventional and independent arts experiences. See familiar things anew with Process: Roving Ideas, a self-guided experience around Singapore where you're invited to carry out site-specific instructions contributed by participating artists. Or you can enjoy a night of joyful and relaxing artistic exploration at after/party, a collaboration between Supper House and Starch inspired by nightly affairs around world.
Then head into the heartlands – Radin Mas, Yew Tee, Bukit Gombak, among others – for community-inspired art projects. An example is Kuti Kuti? which transforms the traditional children's game into an interactive, life-sized soft sculpture playground that young and old can co-create. Play with slime at If life gives you slime, a series of workshops in Bedok where adults can reconnect with their imagination to create 'dream slime landscapes' that will go on display in the neighbourhood.
For the full programme, visit artweek.sg.
