Singapore Art Week 2026 Set to Transform the City with Southeast Asia’s Best in Visual Arts

Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026 will take over the city from 22 to 31 January 2026, igniting a dynamic 10-day showcase of exhibitions, art fairs, immersive activations, and experiences across the island. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), SAW continues to cement Singapore’s position as a leading hub for visual arts in Southeast Asia.

Spotlight on Southeast Asian Art & Artistic Exchange

As a key meeting point for artists, collectors, curators, and thought-leaders, SAW 2026 strengthens Singapore’s role as a gateway for artistic exchange in the region.

A headline highlight is the Southeast Asian edition of Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait, presented by ART SG and Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai). Curated by X Zhu-Nowell, this exclusive showcase at The Warehouse Hotel blends art with hospitality, turning its lobby into an immersive exhibition featuring Southeast Asian artists through film, installations, performances, and site-specific works.

SAW also marks the Southeast Asian debut of celebrated Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama with Digging Stars, presented by Art Outreach. Expect fabric-based works, collages, video, and photography that explore labour, trade, and memory.

Other major Southeast Asian-focused exhibitions include:

• Isang Dipang Langit: Fragments of Memory, Fields of Now – 10 Filipino contemporary artists on memory, identity, and place
• chapalang – exploring art and technology through the lens of 10 regional artists
• Singapore Biennale 2025: pure intention – continuing into SAW 2026, reimagining the city through contemporary art across malls, heritage sites, estates, and green spaces

Where Art Meets Technology & Immersion

SAW 2026 will push the boundaries of art and tech, offering cutting-edge experiences:

• Ground Loops – a SAW Open Call project linking Singapore and New York new-media artists with the School for Poetic Computation
• Reworlding – curated by Debbie Ding, exploring VR through the perspectives of Asian female artists
• 6th VH Award by Hyundai Motor Group – returning with five new media works from emerging artists

A major new attraction: the debut of the IMBA Theatre at Gardens by the Bay, opening with two immersive blockbusters:

• David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not Smaller and Further Away) – spanning six decades of the artist’s work
• Botero in Singapore – the largest Botero showcase in Southeast Asia, featuring paintings, sculptures, and the world’s first Botero immersive experience

Discussions on the future of art and tech will continue through panels featuring global leaders such as Sabine Himmelsbach (HEK Basel) and Victoria Ivanova (Serpentine Galleries).

Regional & International Art Powerhouses Unite

SAW 2026 brings together major players across the global art ecosystem. For the first time, S.E.A. Focus will join ART SG at Sands Expo and Convention Centre under one roof, offering visitors a single-ticket experience into both global and Southeast Asian art markets.

Commercial galleries and art institutions across Singapore will also present special exhibitions, including:

• Human Being Human at The Private Museum – curated selections from collectors John Chia & Cheryl Loh
• Tanoto Art Foundation’s group exhibition – 23 artists exploring presence, movement, and the body
• Gajah Gallery’s 30 Years of Gajah – celebrating three decades of Southeast Asian artistic exchange

Thought leadership will take centre stage at SAW Forum 2026 – FORCE•FIELDS, featuring keynote speakers such as Claire Bishop and Adriano Pedrosa, alongside symposiums by STPI, Art Outreach, and Withers KhattarWong LLP.

Art for All: Island-Wide Festivals, Trails & Community Experiences

SAW continues to champion accessible art for everyone, with a wide mix of free and ticketed programmes.

Festival Highlights:

• Light to Night Singapore 2026 (9–31 Jan) – celebrating its 10th edition across 4 weekends with façade projections, installations, performances, and interactive programmes
• Sonic Shaman at Tanjong Pagar Distripark – Taiwan’s first interdisciplinary sound art festival, debuting in Singapore
• Gillman Barracks activation – with playful large-scale inflatable monkeys by ANTZ

Marina Bay Sands will also return with Where Art Takes Shape, featuring:

• A solo exhibition by Lawrence Lek at ArtScience Museum
• A photographic showcase by Levon Biss featuring high-magnification insect portraits

Art will take to the streets, and the commute, with:

• Next Stop: Together! art activations across MRT stations, a themed train, and a new interactive Art Bus co-presented with ART:DIS and SMRT
• OH! Moonstone – OH! Open House’s 12th art walk, set within a decommissioned factory at Moonstone Lane
• New self-guided Public Art Trust trails and Art in the City walking routes across the Civic District & Marina Bay

SG Culture Pass will be eligible for selected ticketed programmes including SAW Forum, ART SG, and S.E.A. Focus.