The best things to do in Singapore this weekend (Jan 10-13)

Heard of ‘visual pen-friends’? That’s what American artist Lucy Liu – who also happens to be the Hollywood star – and Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao are. Like pen-pals, the two critic individuals became friends through an exploration of their respective artworks without meeting in person. The exchange unravelled shared interests and themes that are incorporated into their practices. Both artists are known for analysing cultures, histories, identities and relationships through their works. Intrigued? Check out the visual dialogue presented by the two artists for the very first time at the National Museum of Singapore.

Skip your regular electronic stores and repair technicians, and head up to level six for some hybrid art – we’re talking creating visual art pieces with technology. The residency transforms into an open studio, workshop and exhibition – all at once – for the month of January. Witness artists come together on the opening night for panel sessions and guided tours to kick off the residency experience. For a free-and-easy viewing, the open studio is available from noon to 6pm for visitors to engage in conversations with each artist, allowing them to understand the processes and means of making art with the use of technology.

For an art experience that transcends borders of time and space, delve in the world of Chinese artist Cheng Ran. The solo exhibition showcases a variety of video works, as well as the artist's body of mixed-media installations that are inspired by western popular culture and literature. The first video installment of the Lament: Mountain Ghost draws inspiration from the ghostly imagery present in Qu Yuan's poem and features a man moving slowly as if performing a ritual. Through the mysterious ritualistic dance, the artist also presents his attitude towards a fast-changing city and the dilemma between ideals and reality.

Founded by Executive Director of Mizuma Galleries, Sueo Mizuma, as well as curator Hermanto Soerjanto and artist Angki Purbandono with the vision of creating a space that champions a cultural and art exchange, Rumah Kijang Mizuma opens its doors at the southern part of Yogyakarta in 2014. Bringing a slice of Rumah Kijang Mizuma, this exhibition at Gillman Barracks' Mizuma Gallery showcases new works by the Indonesian and Japanese artists that focus on their experiences with the art scenes, cultures and social lives of Yogyakarta, as well as the influence the studio has had on their views of art, art-making and life itself.

See how Koh Nguang How's creative mind works with his project of print accumulation that features news clippings, print ephemera, catalogues and documentation across the span of nearly four decades. The artist also has a dig at environmentally engaged art which is an eco-sensitive practice that draws attention to ozone depletion, global warming and climate change. This exhibition focuses on this practice of his, arguing for Koh's crucial, early artistic position on some of the most pressing environmental crises and traumas of our day. The exhibition also showcases archival works as well as new recreations of previously destroyed or unavailable work and material.

Boho-chic French resto Merci Marcel is setting up another round of art exhibition, this time featuring Singapore-based, French artist Gabriel Dufourcq. Known for creating legendary icons out of newspaper clippings and more, the month-long showcase features unique, one-of-a-kind artworks from the artist's Find a Word for It collection. His thought-provoking artworks are made to encourage guests to think of the media's influence on the general public's perception of political and contemporary icons. Art collectors can also bag the artist's pieces ranging from $1000 to $4000, with original artworks available for $10,000.  

See art in nature as NTU Centre of Contemporary Arts Singapore showcases the late Belgian artist Jef Gey's debut institutional exhibition in Asia. The artist is known for his belief that art should be incorporated into everyday life, and that his practice adopts an interdisciplinary and collaborative process of extensive research and knowledge-formation. The exhibition introduces thought-provoking artistic executions that raise questions regarding hierarchies and the adaptability of nature and society, and whether conceptual artworks can go further after an artist's passing. Besides elements from Gey's Quadra Medicinale series, the exhibition also showcases two painting from Geys’s Seed-bags series, a long-term project where he discovered that the images of veggies or flowers pictured on the bag did not match the actual plant he grew. Through the paintings, Geys challenged the accuracy and truth of commercial photography.

Championing the art of 'less is more', National Gallery Singapore and ArtScience Museum team up to debut the biggest minimalism exhibition in Southeast Asia from November 16 2018 to April 14 2019. Held within the confines of the two iconic museums, the experiential exhibition gives visitors the freedom to view, interpret and experience the immersive displays in a variety of ways – allowing for different ways to appreciate the aesthetics of Asian and Western minimalist art. A far cry from the bold and eccentric showcases that usually dominate the galleries, the exhibition tones it down a notch by illustrating minimal art that emerged from its birthplace of New York and how it has developed in the US West Coast and Asia through to the rest of the world. This contemporary take on avant-garde art considers the spatial, social and political contexts of the subject matter, and has influenced some of the best unconventional creations in music, performances, fashion and design history – think musician Steve Reich, artist Tony Smith and fashion designer Jill Sander, among others.  Feed your curious mind with captivating paintings, impressive sculptures, spatial installations and other masterpieces by key artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Robert Morris, Frank Stella, Kim Lim, Mona Hatoum, Anish Kapoor and Ai Wei Wei, as well as special commissions by Sopheap Pich and Jeremy Sharma.  The exhibition's special programmes also invite visitors to tap into the wo

The culture of now has never been so prevalent in this digital age of technology where instant services and smartphones are glorified. Tracing back to its roots in the late 1940s leads us to what was a breakthrough in the world of photography, the Polaroid camera. Inspiring artists and photographers alike, the exhibition offers insight into the story behind Polaroid photography and how the process of being able to memorial a special and specific moment in time has impacted the social phenomenon we have today.

Delve deeper into the world of Chinese cartoons in Singapore and discover the correlation it has with the 1911 Revolution in China. Early Chinese cartoonists captured China at one of its lowest points in the late 19th century through satirical sketches, which then served as an activist for the revolutionary political movement against the corrupt regime, ending imperial rule in China. This transpired into the first Chinese cartoons appearing in our local newspapers representing political and social commentary. With over 150 Chinese cartoons, artefacts and images, trace the history as you get warp into the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

Commemorating the global celebrations of Richard Feynman's 100th anniversary, ArtScience Museum is presenting a brand new exhibition, casting the spotlight on the astonishing, multi-aspect life and achievements of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Known for his pioneering work in quantum mechanics and the basis of modern physics, be inspired and awed as you're drawn deeper into the science through art, understanding how he paved the path for many of the technological advances that support us in our everyday lives today. The exhibit features Feynman's personal items, documents and letters from across the globe. Contemporary artworks that have drawn inspiration from Feynman's thought process are also presented to aid your understanding through visual representations of the six scientific topics at the core of his work, giving you a peek into the realm of quantum mechanics.

Singapore’s premier and only mentoring, commissioning, and award programme is back for their seventh edition. Recognising talented artists aged up to 35 years old, President's Young Talents (PYT) has defined the start of an outstanding artistic journey for many youths such as Boo Junfeng, Heman Chong, Charles Lim, Vertical Submarine and many more. As the last exhibition before the Singapore Art Museum temporally closes for a major revamp, come on down and show your support as Singapore’s next up-and-coming generation of contemporary artists takes centre stage.

Considered to be one of the city's finest watercolourists, see Singapore through Lim Cheng Hoe's lenses as he showcases 60 distinctive works of art which beautifully capture the evolving scenes from the 1930s to the 1970s. The artist's dedication towards plein-air painting influences the elements featured in his art, including the effects of light and weather on the landscapes of the city, as well as motifs such as kampongs, boat traffics, hilltop views and more that oozes a sense of local identity.      

Trace the evolution of photography in Southeast Asia through the lens of the Peranakan community as you admire the collection of over 200 photographs, donated by Mr and Mrs Lee Kip Lee, that runs the gamut from old school monochrome images to dazzling digital displays. Through its exploration of the candid and intimate moments shared by early Peranakan families, the exhibition also brings forth issues surrounding identity and connectedness.

To mark – not commemorate – the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore, there'll be an exhibition set in the Old Ford Factory, which was where the British surrendered to the Japanese forces on February 15, 1942. Spread across four zones, take in the diary entries, identity cards and war campaign documentary paintings on display, then reflect on the solemn beginnings of our nationhood.