About Singapore Art Week 2021

The highly-anticipated annual Singapore Art Week (SAW) is back! 

In this 9th edition, Singapore’s visual arts scene will come alive with novel modes of artmaking and presentation, keeping to their theme of “Art Takes Over”. With over 100 arts events across both digital and physical spaces, there’s bound to be something to cater to every one of you.

To help you get the most out of this event, we’ve curated three unique one-day itineraries for you! 

For an all-immersive experience

Look forward to a range of selfie opportunities, cool augmented reality (AR) Instagram filters, and unique experiences in this route! Do bring along a portable battery bank and a fully-charged phone to get the most out of this itinerary. 

Start your day at the Gillman Barracks

The Gillman Barracks has always been a hub for artists in Singapore, and this year’s SAW is no different. In SAW 2021, the Gillman barracks is coming to live with Wild Critters, where five artists and collective have come together to each create a fictional endangered critter that lives across five different habitats in the district of Gillman Barracks. 

Visitors can interact with them through an Instagram AR filter and share your experiences on social media! 

Besides the Wild Critters outdoor exhibition, Gillman Barracks also has an array of galleries and physical exhibits for you to visit while you’re there. 

Details:

• 22 – 30 January
• Gillman Barracks (Outdoors)
• Open 24 hours

Find the guide here and check them out on Instagram @wildcritterssg!

Head on over to Moo Moo PARK at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

The next stop in this route brings you to the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre to experience Singapore’s very first Drive-Through Exhibition! 

Moo Moo PARK blends art and technology to celebrate the Year of the Ox this Lunar New Year. A special focus has been placed on Singapore’s Sustainable Development Goals, as reflected through their use of electric vehicles in this novel exhibition. 

Original works by eight Singaporean contemporary artists are featured in the form of 3D installation art, selfie filters, and AR murals. No worries if you don’t have a license, walk-in experiences are also available! 

Details:

• Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
• 22 January – 28 March
• Open daily, 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. (Closed 11, 12, 13 February)
• Tickets are priced at S$10 and S$15 for drive-through and walk-in experiences respectively. Purchase your tickets here. 

End your day at the Civic District

If you don’t go anywhere else this SAW, the Civic District is a must-visit. 

First off, enjoy your dinner at the Funan Mall while taking in the sights of Creative Unions, the first mall-wide art activation in Singapore. 

Subsequently, take in the entirety of the Civic District at one of SAW’s marquee event Light to Night. Spanning five of the most iconic cultural institutions in the vicinity, Light to Night presents a hybrid physical and digital experience that promises to delight all audiences. 

READ: First-ever Hybrid Edition of Light to Night Festival Returns with “____-in-Progress”

Details:

• Creative Unions (Funan Mall)
• 22 January – 21 February
• Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Free admission

Night: Light to Night (Civic District)

• 22 – 31 January
• Across the Civic district
• 10 a.m. – 12 a.m. 

For the explorers

Come with your walking shoes for this next itinerary as you explore Singapore through an artistic lens. 

Explore Little India at Artwalk In Spite Of…

ARTWALK Little India is an annual event set within Little India. The multidisciplinary public art festival explores how artists continue to consume material and dream up ideas even if environments, lifestyles, and ways of working change. Look forward to stunning murals and installations throughout the district as you explore the area!

Details:

• Little India precinct
• 22 January – 6 February
• Video projections available 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
• Physical artworks available on-site all day 

Ride along Singapore through Bus.Stop.Art.

Rest your feet after exploring Little India and head on over to Geylang Bahru to hop on Bus 175 for a unique perspective on art. Curated by Amelia Abdullahsani and Merryn Trevethan, Bus.Stop.Art. is an innovative public art exhibition constituting art installations and interventions by Singapore-based artists at bus stops along the east-west route of bus 175. 

READ: Bus.Stop.Art – Reaching the Everyday Singaporean Through the Daily Commute

Details:

• Bus stops along route 175 (Ends at Gillman Barracks)
• 21 January – 3 February
• 24 hours

End the day at Gillman Barracks

Bus 175 will conveniently drop you off at Gillman Barracks, so end off your day delving into some of the exhibitions there! Fret not, many of them are actually open till late, so you’ll definitely have more than enough to see.

We recommend checking out Inner like the OutAR, an art installation that uses AR to bring you close to the magic of nature. Through physical and augmented architecture, the installation engages all your senses to disrupt your perception of the environment. 

Details:

• 19 – 31 January
• Daily, 5 – 11 p.m.

For the questioning

This one’s for the introspective souls who are always keen to learn more about the world around them. In this itinerary, be prepared to get your perspectives challenged as you encounter thought-provoking and explorative exhibitions, where art is used as a medium to express, question, inform, and more. 

Begin your journey at Prinsep Street

The exhibition, ON/OFF/SCREEN makes use of the screen (yes, what you’re reading this on right now) as a site of inquiry and departure. In this interdisciplinary exhibition, be prepared to explore the entanglements between reality, representation, and discourse through moving images. 

Details:

• 21 January – 18 February
• 120A Prinsep St, S187937
• Tuesday – Saturday 12 – 7 p.m.; Sunday 12 – 5 p.m.; Closed Mon and PHs 

Continue your journey at The Arts House

There’s plenty to do in the Civic District area, but we recommend checking out open books: I want to go home in this specific itinerary. 

open books is an experiential art installation inspired by Wesley Leon Aroozoo’s I Want to Go Home. This exhibition brings to life Aroozoo’s story through an immersive multi-sensory format, bringing you on a journey of love and hope. 

READ: Local Art Meets Retail: Creative Unions at Funan

Details:

• The Arts House
• 22 January – 28 February
• 24 hours 

Finish off your day at Tanjong Pagar

The Art Week has also extended into the Central Business District (CBD). Start out at Marina One’s State of Motion 2021: [Alternate / Opt] Realities to immerse yourself in a science fiction world. 

Following that, pay a visit to the Tanjong Pagar Distripark for CosmicWander: Expedition. A project by Berlin-based Singapore artist Choy Ka Fai, CosmicWander will immerse you in some of the most spectacular and trance-like experiences through the shamanistic dance cultures in Asia. 

Details:

State of motion 2021: [Alternate/Opt] Realities

• 20 January – 21 February
• Marina One
• Daily, 12 – 8 p.m.
• Closed on PH 

CosmicWander

• Tanjong Pagar Distripark
• 12 – 9 p.m. daily
• 16 January – 21 February
• *Advisory: Mature themes. 

Get cultured this weekend

Whether you’re looking for a light-hearted day of exploration, or looking for a more ruminative journey, the Singapore Art Week 2021 has got you covered!

Follow one of the three itineraries suggested above, or feel free to create your own based on your preferences. Either way, there’s definitely no need to look hard for something to fill this weekend up with. 

Not an art enthusiast? You can still check out our weekend itinerary here for more ideas.

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