Singapore Art Week 2026: More global than ever

[SINGAPORE] A massive 60 m inflatable raft was unveiled in the grand ballroom of Capella Singapore on Tuesday night (Jan 20). Packed with black, faceless human figures – including children – the raft presented a dense mass of bodies pressed closely together.

Positioned between four rows of dinner tables, the installation by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei created a quiet but unsettling contrast. It underlined a difficult truth: While some people live in privilege and excess, others are forced to flee their homes, undertaking dangerous journeys in search of safety.

“Ai specifically wanted the work to be shown in a luxurious setting – such as a hotel – to highlight global inequalities,” said Ryan Su, founder of Singapore non-profit The Ryan Foundation, which organised the private event with global arts organisation 74th Arts for just 50 diners.

One of them was Kateryna Zelenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Singapore. Speaking during a stage discussion moderated by podcaster Nor Wang, Zelenko appealed for continued support for her country, which remains under attack. “In 2025, more than 100,000 drones rained down on the heads of civilians,” she said.

German curator and fellow panellist Ute Meta Bauer expressed dismay that “in this century, we still see so many wars”. She added: “People may think that it’s insensitive to show art while other people suffer. But I think it’s important for artists – poets, filmmakers, visual artists and others – to help find a voice where there is sometimes no voice.”

While the dinner itself was limited in scale, the installation is set to be shown to a wider audience at an undisclosed future location. (Those interested may e-mail found.rr@gmail.com for an invitation.)

Scaling up, looking outwards

Tuesday’s dinner was one of several private events staged during Singapore Art Week, the city-state’s annual contemporary art festival. The opening party, held the following evening, attracted a measure of celebrity attention, with American singer Nick Jonas, Chinese actress Zhu Zhu and South Korean actress Ha Ji-won among the guests.

Now in its 14th edition, Singapore Art Week spans more than 200 official programmes across the island – around four times the scale of its inaugural edition in 2013.

Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), with support from the Singapore Tourism Board, the festival was initially conceived as a platform to support local and South-east Asian practices and to position Singapore as a regional arts hub. But its scope has since broadened.

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Today, the festival functions not only as a showcase for Singapore-based artists and galleries, but also as a platform for international exchange, cross-border collaboration and visiting programmes.

This shift reflects a range of factors – from the sustained engagement by local artists, gallerists, collectors and non-profits, to the growing number of international collectors with bases in Singapore, such as Pierre Lorinet of France, Yenn Wong and Alan Lo from Hong Kong and Indonesia’s Tanoto family.

It has also been shaped by decisions within NAC, including those of chief executive officer Low Eng Teong – a former practising artist with longstanding ties to the local arts community – and Tay Tong, director of sector development (visual arts), who previously managed international arts company T:>Works.

Tay said: “We’re always thinking about the international dimension of Singapore Art Week, and how it can benefit both local audiences and arts workers. For audiences, it’s about offering perspectives on what’s happening beyond Singapore; for arts workers, it’s about creating pathways for international collaboration.”

Beyond sales and spectacle

Art SG, Singapore’s flagship art fair presented by UBS, has continued to broaden its scope beyond the transactional – even as reports point to mixed sales. Now in its fourth year, the fair has increasingly positioned itself as a platform for experimentation and exchange alongside commerce.

This year, it partnered Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum to transform The Warehouse Hotel in Havelock Road into a speculative exhibition site titled Wan Hai Hotel. Installations, performances and conversations are set to unfold across the functioning hotel till the end of January, blurring the line between exhibition and lived space.

STPI, a Singapore gallery that has pursued international collaborations long before Singapore Art Week’s inception, is debuting the STPI Symposium, featuring artists Michael Craig-Martin, Pinaree Sanpitak, Salima Hashmi and Rirkrit Tiravanija.

Tanjong Pagar Distripark (Blocks 37 and 39) has emerged as a central hub for the week, hosting more than two dozen showcases – from a presentation of Filipino installations to a solo spotlight on Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. 

At Gillman Barracks, a full slate of group and solo exhibitions continues, including shows by Indonesian artist Citra Sasmita and Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama.

Meanwhile, hundreds of delegates from the US, the UK, France, Japan and South Korea, among other countries, have arrived to engage with the wider ecosystem of exhibitions, talks and private events.

Mae Anderson, chairman of non-profit Art Outreach, which produced several events including Mahama’s solo exhibition, said: “We see how national platforms become more compelling when they open themselves up to global collaboration. There’s value not just in celebrating the local, but also in engaging the international. 

“As art appreciation matures, audiences naturally look further afield – and that’s already evident in Singapore.”

Here are some highlights of the international shows and collaborations at Singapore Art Week:

Botero In Singapore: Garden Grandeur

Monumental bronzes by the Colombian artist take over Silver Leaf Garden at Gardens by the Bay, creating a temporary open-air sculpture park. Presented by IMBA.

18 Marina Gardens Drive

Ibrahim Mahama: Digging Stars

The world-famous Ghanaian artist brings a body of work that reflects his longstanding investigation into labour, material histories and the global circulation of goods. Presented by the Lorinet Foundation and produced by Art Outreach.

6 Lock Road (Gillman Barracks)

Citra Sasmita: Women Who Carry The Mountain

The Indonesian artist has drawn acclaim from Sydney to London. But long before those international appearances, she found an early champion in Audrey Yeo of Yeo Workshop – the gallery to which she now returns for another solo exhibition, as well as a presentation at Art SG.

47 Malan Road (Gillman Barracks) and Art SG in Marina Bay Sands

Rituals of Perception

This absolutely beautiful show brings together over 20 international artists whose works reassert the power of touch, gesture and presence. Presented by the Tanoto Art Foundation, part of Indonesia’s Tanoto family.

46 Kim Yam Road (New Bahru)

Shuang Li: Alliance

Across the road from New Bahru, Kim Association – established by Hong Kong patrons Yenn Wong and Alan Lo – presents a small but potent show by Chinese artist Li examining extreme weather, digital media and the unease of living in an optimised urban world.

63 Kim Yam Road

The Print Show Singapore

Located not far from New Bahru, Singapore gallery STPI presents a showcase of prints from some of the world’s best artists, including Julie Mehretu, Do Ho Suh and David Hockney.

41 Robertson Quay

Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait

If you’re visiting New Bahru or STPI, take a short walk to The Warehouse Hotel, which has been transformed into the Wan Hai Hotel – a thrilling 12-day pop-up exhibition of installations and performances, presented by Art SG and Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum.

The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road

Kengo Kuma: “Makeru” Architecture

The famous Japanese architect has a solo exhibition featuring models, photographs and installations that explore his perspective on sustainable architecture.

New Art Museum, 39 Keppel Road

The 6th VH Award

Terrific selection of video works by Asian artists exploring contemporary urgencies. Presented by South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group.

Artspace @ Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road

Chapalang

A tech art showcase of South-east Asian artists whose improvisational use of technology becomes a creative strategy for reimagining machines and daily life. Curated by Gunalan Nadarajan and Roopesh Sitharan.

Artspace @ Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road

Isang Dipang Langit

Monumental installations by 10 Filipino artists are brought together under themes inspired by the writings of Amado Hernandez, examining memory, identity and hope. Presented by The Columns Gallery Singapore.

37 Keppel Road

Salt Tongues / Far Shores Near

This cross-cultural exchange between Singapore and Japanese artists uses the sea as a metaphor to explore connection, distance and shared experience. Curated by Singapore’s Wang Ruobing and Japan’s Yutaka Inagawa.

Objectifs, 155 Middle Road