Art makes a roaring return

ART goes from famine to feast this January with Singapore Art Week (SAW). Despite on-going challenges posed by the pandemic, there will be 130 art shows spread across the island featuring works by 600 artists from around the world.

Many of the international artists will not be travelling to Singapore, but their art will nevertheless find their way onto the island physically or virtually.

The event, co-organised by National Arts Council (NAC) and Singapore Tourism Board, celebrates its 10th year in 2022. So, necessary contingency plans have been put in place to make sure no Covid-related dampener will prevent art from flourishing from Jan 14 to 23.

Tay Tong, NAC's director of sector development (visual arts), says: "The world is opening up, literally and figuratively... and we see SAW as a catalyst for the discovery of art from Singapore and the region."

Indeed, this year's show is more polymorphous and divergent than ever, with strange spectacles abounding in unexpected locations such as Lau Pa Sat, Basheer Graphic Books, shopping malls, business parks, a cinema, a chalet in Changi and a HDB flat in Bedok.

Ian Tee, an artist and curator, says the pandemic has "allowed more grassroots efforts to emerge, partly because the big international shows which usually took the spotlight couldn't be mounted during the pandemic.

So we got to enjoy the works of Singapore-based artists, collectives and curators who would otherwise not appear on the radar of even the most dedicated art lovers."

Yen Phang, also an artist and curator, says: "In previous years, the major events at SAW created a centralised congregation of people. But what we've seen last year and this year is the dispersion of audienceship across many shows. And what we have now are much smaller nodes, more intimate experiences, and a lot more variety in terms of demographics."

But while local artists have unexpectedly benefitted from the travel restrictions, others feel it more critical than ever to connect with the outside world now: Curator-editor Christina Chua is co-organising a 24-hour virtual programme called Horizons that takes you on a studio visit, a walking tour, a meditation session and other activities with art world figures.

Chua says: "I see so many connections between cultures that are different from ours. For instance, I see similarities between Singapore's own postcolonial heritage and Central Asia's post-Soviet identity search - we're all struggling with similar tropes and issues. Hence, the whole idea of Horizons is to invert this sense of nationality and regionality to show that we're connected to more regions than we think."

Beyond the national vs global divide, SAW 2022 also explores the intergenerational connections between young and older artists, technology and blockchain, identities and inclusion, and other in-vogue themes.

We pick the 15 must-see shows of SAW 2022.

1. We're Young Once By Art Agenda 63 Spottiswoode Park Road

CURATED by Ian Tee, the showcase centres on works made by Singapore's best artists in the early years of their practice.

There's a 2008 canvas by Ruben Pang painted when he was just 18, rare photographs by Genevieve Chua shot when she was 25, and a political painting by the late Lim Yew Kuan executed in his late 20s.

Other artists on show include Anthony Poon, Tang Da Wu, Amanda Heng, Jeremy Sharma, Shubigi Rao, Guo-Liang Tan and Zulkhairi Zulkiflee.

Many of the artworks carry the seed of what would turn out to be a life's work.

2. Hawker! Hawker! Curated by Yen Phang and Oh Yam Chew Lau Pa Sat

WHAT began as casual musings by two curators on our changing hawker culture evolved into a project to incorporate art into Lau Pa Sat.

Weaved between food market's seats and tables are various works such as Aaron Chan's photographs of eating places in industrial estates, Ezzam Rahman's sculptures made of wine glasses and mugs, Liana Yang's text-based art and Cynthia Suwito's sculptural homage to the humble clothes-pin (often used by hawkers to mark orders).

3.Epilogue By The Artists Village CSC Changi Fairpoint, Chalet 7

THE Artist Village remains one of the most important collectives in local art history. Started by Tang Da Wu in the late 80s, it attracted artists such as Lee Wen, Amanda Heng, Zai Kuning and Vincent Leow, many of who made important contributions to the scene.

This exhibition mounted in a Changi chalet will present a retrospective of its groundbreaking creations and milestone events, as well as some recent works by its current members in response to its legacy.

4. Horizons By so-far, Metis Art and AORA Online for 24 hours starting 9am (SGT) on Jan 22

IN 24 hours, travel virtually from Singapore to Mexico, Istanbul to Dhaka, Bandung to London, and other locations. The day-long programme takes you to the various corners of art and technology, finding commonalities and differences, and putting forth global experts in the fields of business, design, crypto, wellness, cuisine, music and more.

5. SEA Focus By STPI Tanjong Pagar Distripark

THE biggest commercial event of SAW 2022 is SEA Focus, an art fair organised in collaboration with Art Basel and showcasing South-east Asian art and artists. Located within the surprisingly inviting spaces of the converted warehouses in Tanjong Pagar Distripark, the fair will once again bring some of the best galleries under one roof. This year's theme of "chance... constellations" explores the shared artistic histories and traditions in the region.

6. Creative Intersections: In The Year Of The Tiger By Chan + Hori Contemporary Funan

ART meets retail in this creative mall-wide reinterpretation of the Chinese zodiac sign of the tiger. Well-known artists such as Speak Cryptic, Isabelle Desjeux, Andy Yang, Adeline Kueh, Eugene Soh, Muhammad Izdi and Shavonne Wong will be working with various stores and brands to create artworks and products centred on the tiger. These will be placed across the mall to engage both art lovers and curious shoppers.

7. Light To Night Festival By National Gallery Singapore

A marquee event of SAW, the Light To Night Festival features an immersive outdoor Augmented Reality exhibition by leading AR production studio Acute Art, with a newly commissioned artwork by Venice Biennale artist Ho Tzu Nyen - the first Singaporean artist to join Acute Art's international roster of artists. There is also the annual crowd-favourite Art Skins On Monuments' light projections on the Gallery's buildings, as well as the return of live music and performances within the Gallery.

8. Diaspora By Artblovk and Lim Cheng Tju Basheer Graphic Books,Bras Basah Complex

ONE of the coolest bookstores in the city gets even cooler with a partial takeover by Artblovk pop-up gallery and co-curator Lim Cheng Tju.

You will now find, between those thick hardbacks on Renzo Piano and Steven McCurry, various artworks by illustrators and visual artists such as A Good Citizen (Dan Wong), Comet Girl (Cherie Sim), Azridjokoloro (Muhammad Azri Sazali) and others, all responding to the theme of creating art in a time of great change and uncertainty.

9. Refuse By The Observatory At SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

SINGAPORE'S most enduring art rock band continues to morph in surprising ways - the latest being its reinvention as installation artists. It inaugurates Singapore Art Museum's new space at Tanjong Pagar Distripark with a time-based installation space and archive, themed on the idea of waste and refuse.

The works examine the twin ideas of decomposition and composition from both biological and musical perspectives.

10. Ink Landscapes By Wang Jiafang Primz Gallery, 21 Woodlands Close

WANG is one of China's most respected contemporary ink painters, proficient in diverse formats such as hanging scrolls, handscrolls, album leaves and fan paintings. This exhibition features several of his fine landscape paintings, from smaller pieces to large stunning ones. It is held at Primz Gallery, a private gallery owned by well-known art collectors Linda Neo and Albert Lim.

11. A World At Every Turn By Art Galleries Association Singapore 7 Lock Road, Gillman Barracks

SOME of the best galleries in Singapore have come together to showcase works by their best artists, including Indonesia's Albert Yonathan Setiawan, Thailand's Pinaree Sanpitak, Singapore's Wong Keen, France's Aurele LostDog and the US' Susan Weil. The title suggests that every work you'll encounter here will evoke a world unto itself, conjuring its own visual language and cultural history.

12. Bridging Through The Age By APAD Maya Gallery, 57 Genting Lane

APAD (Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya), the association of Malay artists in Singapore, has paired young artists with some senior ones to create works that bridge the age divide and touch on common concerns.

There are nine pairs of artists, each embarking on a collaborative journey of learning and unlearning, and producing a body of work that sheds light on generational perspectives.

Artists include Salleh Japar, Ezzam Rahman, Fajrina Razak and Jeffrey Wandly.

13. Bad Imitation Curated by Berny Tan and Daniel Chong Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Blk 39, 05-04

YOUNG curator Tan and artist Chong were behind one of the quirkiest, most memorable shows of SAW 2021 titled Maybe we read too much into things. They return this year with what promises to be another strange and bittersweet experience.

Titled Bad Imitation, the group show features works that attempt to represent reality - but deliberately fail to do a proper job of it. These works are likely to elicit chuckles first, then some serious reflection about their intent.

14. Free Jazz IV: Geomancers By NTU CCA Singapore Blk 37 & 38 Malan Road

EXPECT cutting-edge works by an international roster of artists. They include Swiss video artist Ursula Biemann, whose works frequently comment on gender, globalisation and the environment; Filipino artist Martha Atienza whose sea-inspired creations address histories of migration and labour; and Singapore artist Zarina Muhammad whose transcendental art explores our spiritual and metaphysical realms.

15. Somewhere in Bedok blooms the blushing rouge of embroidered roses By various artists Exact location to be revealed

HERE'S a HDB flat that has to be seen to be believed. Located somewhere in Bedok, it is beautifully furnished in Rococo and Georgian styles, with turn-of-the-century ornaments and antiques scattered about. An elaborate chandelier hangs from its low ceiling. A modest indoor garden evokes more palatial ones. But amid its European lushness are telltale signs of its Singaporean heart. This theatrical installation invites viewers to dissect concepts of home and identity.