Art lovers, your favourite time of the year is back – Singapore Art Week (SAW) returns on Thursday (Jan 22) and will run until Jan 31.
Organised by the National Arts Council and Singapore Tourism Board, there are over 100 events from the local and international visual arts community. There are plenty to choose from, and the whole array of programmes is available on the SAW website, but here are a few to get you started.
ART SG returns for its fourth edition, along with S.E.A. Focus, which will be co-presented within ART SG for the first time. (Photo: ART SG)
Contemporary art fair Art SG is back for its fourth edition. Presented by UBS, you can check out a selection of renowned international and regional galleries across three distinct sectors, alongside a curated programme of large-scale installations, film, panel discussions, performance art, and more.
This year, SEA Focus also joins the fair for the first time within the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Curated by John Tung, it's the eighth edition of the event that focuses primarily on contemporary art and artists from Southeast Asia.
When: Jan 22 to 25
Where: Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands
More details on Art SG and SEA Focus websites.
Light to Night 2026 installation view at National Gallery. (Photo: National Gallery Singapore)
If you haven't checked it out yet, the ongoing Light To Night 2026 is the festival's longest iteration so far – so you'll have two more weekends to enjoy it. Revolving around the theme “The Power in Us”, the event's artworks explore the union between communities and reflection, through interactive art installations as well as the usual crowd-favourite projections at various venues in the Civic District.
Look out for works by local and regional artists, such as Ansiblomoo by Singapore's Fyerool Darma, Memory Gesture by Vietnam's Ngoc Nau and Singaporama by Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul.
Over at the National Gallery Singapore, K-pop fans can enjoy taking the BTS-themed trail Namjooning 2 – We Are Bulletproof: Armylogue. It will pair artworks from the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery and DBS Singapore Gallery with solo tracks by members of the group.
Hang out inside the museum and you can also explore its ongoing exhibitions, including Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise, which puts the spotlight on five iconic female artists in Southeast Asia, and Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the largest French Impressionist exhibition ever seen in Southeast Asia.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House at the Old Parliament, and Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall
More details on the website
First Lady On A Horse. (Photo: The Botero Foundation)
Over at Gardens by the Bay, there's the massive Botero In Singapore showcase, which will feature over 130 original works by the late Colombian artist Fernando Botero – presented over three distinct formats.
It's touted as the largest and most ambitious exhibit on Botero, with paintings, drawings and various sculptures located at the new IMBA Theatre and the Silver Leaf Gardens.
Jointly presented with the Maestro Fernando Botero Foundation, this will be the exhibit's only stop in Southeast Asia as it celebrates the life and art of the late artist in a city he loved and treasured.
When: From Jan 23 onwards
Where: Gardens by the Bay (West Lawn)
More details on the website
Another ongoing event that you should see if you haven't already, with over 100 artworks and 30 new commissions from more than 80 artists. Explore contemporary art in unexpected places – from pre-colonial and colonial landmarks to shopping malls, historic housing estates, and green spaces.
Curators Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Ong Puay Khim, and Selene Yap put together an exhibition where guests get to experience Singapore's many layers of history.
When: Ongoing until Mar 29
Where: SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark and citywide venues
More details on the website
If you're into street art and urban culture, bookmark this one-day event that will take place at Aliwal Arts Centre. There will be live graffiti, music, immersive installations, urban dance and open studios by Aliwal's creative tenants.
Participating artists include *SCAPE Resident Artists, Chowk Productions Ltd., DASSAD Studio, Hothouse, and more.
Where: Jan 31
Where: Aliwal Arts Centre
More details on the website
This exhibition of contemporary art, which includes works from the collection of private collectors John Chia and Cheryl Loh, draws inspiration from Keith Haring's Radiant Baby as a starting point – a simple outline of a baby or person crawling on the floor on their hands and knees.
When: Ongoing until Apr 26
Where: The Private Museum
More details on the website
Tanoto Art Foundation is presenting its first major exhibition, which features 23 international artists. It will bring together pieces from the Tanoto family's collection, along with loaned and newly commissioned artworks.
When: Jan 21 to Mar 1
Where: New Bahru School Hall
More details on the website
Ashley Bickerton, Untitled, 2023, Aluminium and Bronze, 115 x 53 x 249 cm. (Photo: Gajah Gallery)
This retrospective show celebrates the gallery's three decades of involvement in Southeast Asian art. Visitors can see works by regional artists such as Affandi and Yunizar from Indonesia, Chua Ek Kay and Suzann Victor from Singapore, Nguyen Trung from Vietnam and Vasan Sitthiket from Thailand.
When: Jan 21 to Feb 28
Where: Gajah Gallery Singapore, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
10 Filipino artists traverse individual recollections and shared histories as they traverse individual recollections and shared histories. (Photo: Oca Villamiel)
Filipino artists take centrestage in this exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Featuring new works by artists Elaine Navas, Manuel Ocampo and Dominic Mangila, among others, the show reimagines Amado V Hernandez’s renowned poem, A Sliver Of Sky, as a metaphor for hope, memory, and identity.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
OH! Open House brings back another tour, this time around a decommissioned factory across a Moonstone Lane with a rich history itself. (Photo: OH! Open House)
Returning for the 12th edition of OH!’s flagship art walk, this year takes art-lovers in and around a decommissioned factory within Moonstone Lane Estate. There are site-specific artworks in a neighbourhood that has transformed over the years from plantations and kampungs to the residential precinct that it is today.
When: Ongoing until Jan 25
Where: Moonstone Lane
More details on the website
Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait transforms The Warehouse Hotel into a functioning exhibition site where contemporary art lives alongside guests, staff, and daily activity. (Photo: Yupai)
The lobby of The Warehouse Hotel, a restored heritage property on Robertson Quay, is transformed into an immersive exhibition space in this show presented by Art SG and Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum.
Curated by X Zhu-Nowell, the exhibit brings together film, moving image, installations, performances, and artist-led gatherings. There will be guided experiences, QR-based storytelling, and other activations across the hotel.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: The Warehouse Hotel
More details on the website
Chapalang brings together Southeast Asian artists to speculate on the potential of cultural practices to unsettle and reimagine our relationship to the ‘technological’. (Photo: Gunalan Nadarajan)
In Singapore, this is a word many of us may know all too well. Now, there’s an exhibition that brings it to life.
"Chapalang", which means a random and seemingly chaotic mix of things haphazardly put together, often to merely make do, is co-curated by Gunalan Nadarajan from Singapore and Roopesh Sitharan from Malaysia. First presented in Kuala Lumpur under the title Mengoddam, there are plans to make this a travelling exhibit with a new name for every country it visits.
When: Jan 22 to Feb 1
Where: Artspace @ Helutrans Gallery 3, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
Want to work up a sweat during SAW 2026? Among the many public art on display is this installation by artists Aaron Lim and Quek Jia Qi at Tanjong Pagar, which is basically a version of a badminton net turned into a kind of sculpture – that you can play with. Bring your own rackets and you’re good to go.
When: Jan 20 to Feb 20
Where: Tanjong Pagar Community Green (Opposite Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit A)
More details on the website
Continue reading...
Organised by the National Arts Council and Singapore Tourism Board, there are over 100 events from the local and international visual arts community. There are plenty to choose from, and the whole array of programmes is available on the SAW website, but here are a few to get you started.
ART SG AND SEA FOCUS
ART SG returns for its fourth edition, along with S.E.A. Focus, which will be co-presented within ART SG for the first time. (Photo: ART SG)
Contemporary art fair Art SG is back for its fourth edition. Presented by UBS, you can check out a selection of renowned international and regional galleries across three distinct sectors, alongside a curated programme of large-scale installations, film, panel discussions, performance art, and more.
This year, SEA Focus also joins the fair for the first time within the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Curated by John Tung, it's the eighth edition of the event that focuses primarily on contemporary art and artists from Southeast Asia.
When: Jan 22 to 25
Where: Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands
More details on Art SG and SEA Focus websites.
LIGHT TO NIGHT 2026
Light to Night 2026 installation view at National Gallery. (Photo: National Gallery Singapore)
If you haven't checked it out yet, the ongoing Light To Night 2026 is the festival's longest iteration so far – so you'll have two more weekends to enjoy it. Revolving around the theme “The Power in Us”, the event's artworks explore the union between communities and reflection, through interactive art installations as well as the usual crowd-favourite projections at various venues in the Civic District.
Look out for works by local and regional artists, such as Ansiblomoo by Singapore's Fyerool Darma, Memory Gesture by Vietnam's Ngoc Nau and Singaporama by Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul.
Over at the National Gallery Singapore, K-pop fans can enjoy taking the BTS-themed trail Namjooning 2 – We Are Bulletproof: Armylogue. It will pair artworks from the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery and DBS Singapore Gallery with solo tracks by members of the group.
Hang out inside the museum and you can also explore its ongoing exhibitions, including Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise, which puts the spotlight on five iconic female artists in Southeast Asia, and Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the largest French Impressionist exhibition ever seen in Southeast Asia.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House at the Old Parliament, and Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall
More details on the website
BOTERO IN SINGAPORE
First Lady On A Horse. (Photo: The Botero Foundation)
Over at Gardens by the Bay, there's the massive Botero In Singapore showcase, which will feature over 130 original works by the late Colombian artist Fernando Botero – presented over three distinct formats.
It's touted as the largest and most ambitious exhibit on Botero, with paintings, drawings and various sculptures located at the new IMBA Theatre and the Silver Leaf Gardens.
Jointly presented with the Maestro Fernando Botero Foundation, this will be the exhibit's only stop in Southeast Asia as it celebrates the life and art of the late artist in a city he loved and treasured.
When: From Jan 23 onwards
Where: Gardens by the Bay (West Lawn)
More details on the website
SINGAPORE BIENNALE 2025
Another ongoing event that you should see if you haven't already, with over 100 artworks and 30 new commissions from more than 80 artists. Explore contemporary art in unexpected places – from pre-colonial and colonial landmarks to shopping malls, historic housing estates, and green spaces.
Curators Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Ong Puay Khim, and Selene Yap put together an exhibition where guests get to experience Singapore's many layers of history.
When: Ongoing until Mar 29
Where: SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark and citywide venues
More details on the website
ALIWAL URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL 2026
If you're into street art and urban culture, bookmark this one-day event that will take place at Aliwal Arts Centre. There will be live graffiti, music, immersive installations, urban dance and open studios by Aliwal's creative tenants.
Participating artists include *SCAPE Resident Artists, Chowk Productions Ltd., DASSAD Studio, Hothouse, and more.
Where: Jan 31
Where: Aliwal Arts Centre
More details on the website
HUMAN BEING HUMAN
This exhibition of contemporary art, which includes works from the collection of private collectors John Chia and Cheryl Loh, draws inspiration from Keith Haring's Radiant Baby as a starting point – a simple outline of a baby or person crawling on the floor on their hands and knees.
When: Ongoing until Apr 26
Where: The Private Museum
More details on the website
RITUALS OF PERCEPTION
Tanoto Art Foundation is presenting its first major exhibition, which features 23 international artists. It will bring together pieces from the Tanoto family's collection, along with loaned and newly commissioned artworks.
When: Jan 21 to Mar 1
Where: New Bahru School Hall
More details on the website
30 YEARS OF GAJAH
Ashley Bickerton, Untitled, 2023, Aluminium and Bronze, 115 x 53 x 249 cm. (Photo: Gajah Gallery)
This retrospective show celebrates the gallery's three decades of involvement in Southeast Asian art. Visitors can see works by regional artists such as Affandi and Yunizar from Indonesia, Chua Ek Kay and Suzann Victor from Singapore, Nguyen Trung from Vietnam and Vasan Sitthiket from Thailand.
When: Jan 21 to Feb 28
Where: Gajah Gallery Singapore, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
ISANG DIPANG LANGIT
10 Filipino artists traverse individual recollections and shared histories as they traverse individual recollections and shared histories. (Photo: Oca Villamiel)
Filipino artists take centrestage in this exhibition at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Featuring new works by artists Elaine Navas, Manuel Ocampo and Dominic Mangila, among others, the show reimagines Amado V Hernandez’s renowned poem, A Sliver Of Sky, as a metaphor for hope, memory, and identity.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
OH! MOONSTONE
OH! Open House brings back another tour, this time around a decommissioned factory across a Moonstone Lane with a rich history itself. (Photo: OH! Open House)
Returning for the 12th edition of OH!’s flagship art walk, this year takes art-lovers in and around a decommissioned factory within Moonstone Lane Estate. There are site-specific artworks in a neighbourhood that has transformed over the years from plantations and kampungs to the residential precinct that it is today.
When: Ongoing until Jan 25
Where: Moonstone Lane
More details on the website
WAN HAI HOTEL: SINGAPORE STRAIT
Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait transforms The Warehouse Hotel into a functioning exhibition site where contemporary art lives alongside guests, staff, and daily activity. (Photo: Yupai)
The lobby of The Warehouse Hotel, a restored heritage property on Robertson Quay, is transformed into an immersive exhibition space in this show presented by Art SG and Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum.
Curated by X Zhu-Nowell, the exhibit brings together film, moving image, installations, performances, and artist-led gatherings. There will be guided experiences, QR-based storytelling, and other activations across the hotel.
When: Ongoing until Jan 31
Where: The Warehouse Hotel
More details on the website
CHAPALANG
Chapalang brings together Southeast Asian artists to speculate on the potential of cultural practices to unsettle and reimagine our relationship to the ‘technological’. (Photo: Gunalan Nadarajan)
In Singapore, this is a word many of us may know all too well. Now, there’s an exhibition that brings it to life.
"Chapalang", which means a random and seemingly chaotic mix of things haphazardly put together, often to merely make do, is co-curated by Gunalan Nadarajan from Singapore and Roopesh Sitharan from Malaysia. First presented in Kuala Lumpur under the title Mengoddam, there are plans to make this a travelling exhibit with a new name for every country it visits.
When: Jan 22 to Feb 1
Where: Artspace @ Helutrans Gallery 3, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
More details on the website
BRING YOUR OWN RACKET (BYOR)
Want to work up a sweat during SAW 2026? Among the many public art on display is this installation by artists Aaron Lim and Quek Jia Qi at Tanjong Pagar, which is basically a version of a badminton net turned into a kind of sculpture – that you can play with. Bring your own rackets and you’re good to go.
When: Jan 20 to Feb 20
Where: Tanjong Pagar Community Green (Opposite Tanjong Pagar MRT Exit A)
More details on the website
Continue reading...