As the new year unfolds, Singapore Art Week (SAW) is set to return from 19 – 28 January 2024, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. For its 12th edition, SAW is once again taking the center stage, presenting over 130 visual arts experiences across the entire island, from the vibrant heartlands to the bustling urban core. As the longest-running art week in the region, it’s an event that art enthusiasts and collectors from all corners of the world look forward to.
A Visual Feast
Organized by the National Arts Council (NAC) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), SAW 2024 will offer a comprehensive showcase of Singapore’s visual arts scene. From international art fairs to museum exhibitions, world-class private collections to gallery openings, street art to brand activations, and exciting lifestyle and community art activities scattered all over the island—there’s something for everyone. SAW 2024 is set to redefine the visual arts experience for Singapore and the region, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds even closer to the world of art and creativity.
Singapore’s Artistry in the Limelight
In the spotlight for SAW 2024 is Singapore’s rich art history, coupled with fresh and innovative artistic intersections. It will showcase Open Call Projects and presentations from Singapore’s cultural institutions that aim to spark conversations about our place in the world today. Highlights include:
Boedi Widjaja’s Immortal Words: The Indonesia-born Singaporean contemporary artist collaborates with geneticist Associate Professor Eric Yap, creating a playful illustration of the connections between art and science. Oral and written traditions from Southeast Asian languages and beyond will be encoded in DNA, and visitors can even take home vials of DNA-encoded ink dispensed through gachapon machines.
Open Studio Sessions: These sessions will give audiences an exclusive look at established Singapore artists and their new works. You’ll get up close with artists who’ve played a significant role in shaping Singapore’s visual art history.
Light to Night Singapore 2024: An annual highlight in the Singapore cultural calendar, Light to Night Singapore 2024 will illuminate the Civic District with immersive projections, art installations, and engaging programs. Responding to the theme “Reimagine,” this event is organized by the National Gallery Singapore, in collaboration with five iconic cultural institutions in the Civic District.
Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America: This blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore takes a comparative approach, exploring both regions’ struggles against colonialism. It features over 200 artworks and 70 artists, including iconic figures like Latiff Mohidin, Frida Kahlo, and Diego Rivera.
Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger: Singapore Art Museum (SAM) presents the first mid-career survey exhibition of this acclaimed Singaporean artist’s practice, spanning two decades of diverse artistic expressions.
Charles Lim Yi Yong: The Sea is a Field: This exhibition at SAM features a collaboration between SAM curators and artists, chronicling the space between the artists’ homes between Port Dickson and Singapore.
Exploring Private Collections
SAW 2024 will also unveil more private collections, featuring showcases like The Pierre Lorinet Collection and a group exhibition by The Private Museum. These exhibitions feature notable Singaporean pioneers such as the late performance artist Lee Wen and contemporary mixed media visual artist Vincent Leow.
Celebrating Southeast Asian Art
Singapore, known as an arts hub in Southeast Asia, is the perfect meeting point for Singaporean, regional, and international artists, curators, collectors, and art enthusiasts. SAW 2024 will feature new programs, collaborations, and the return of international platforms.
The 5th VH AWARD Exhibition: NAC is partnering with Hyundai Artlab’s VH AWARD, bringing the exhibition to Singapore for the first time. The VH AWARD aims to support emerging media artists from Asia and has been doing so since 2016. The exhibition showcases works by international artists and filmmakers engaged with the context of Asia and its future.
Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics: At Gillman Barracks, The Institutum presents an exhibition that explores works from private collections of prominent modern and contemporary artists from across the African and Asian diasporas.
Exciting Art Fairs and Platforms
Two of the most prominent events in SAW 2024 are ART SG and S.E.A. Focus.
ART SG: The leading international art fair for Singapore and Southeast Asia is returning with its second edition from January 19 to January 21, 2024. It will feature an impressive lineup of regional and global exhibitors, alongside large-scale installations and insightful conversations.
S.E.A. Focus: The leading platform for Southeast Asian contemporary art will showcase established and emerging artistic talents from the region from January 20 to January 28, 2024. Commercial galleries across Singapore will be presenting new exhibitions by artists from around the world, and visitors can look forward to presentations featuring renowned artists at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.
