Singapore Art Week kicks off a busy month of exhibitions, gallery openings and more

(Image credits: Daniel Chong)

January is definitely an exhilarating time for art enthusiasts of Singapore. With Art Week coming this week, encompassing the best of region’s art, culture and limitless creativity, keeping track of the many exhibitions, art talks, parties and pop-up events on the Art Week calendar can be exhausting. Here are our key highlights to help you keep your finger on the pulse.

ART SG

Following its launch in 2023, ART SG is back for a second edition. It returns to Marina Bay Sands from 19 to 21 January 2024 (Preview & Vernissage, 18 January) bringing together over 110 exceptional galleries. For these days, Singapore becomes the focus of the region’s art scene and a meeting point for artists, curators and collectors

“Collectors and visitors to the fair will be able to observe exceptional art presentations from Singapore and Southeast Asia, including established names and exciting new talents, alongside the best of global contemporary art from galleries across the world, through the fair’s thoughtfully curated sectors and programs. Across the full week of ART SG and throughout the city, there will also be a rich line-up of exhibitions from Singapore’s visual art institutions, private foundations and collections, gallery openings, and more, bringing together a week-long celebration of visual arts”, said Shuyin Yang, Fair Director of ART SG.

PARTY: Disco Inferno at Haw Par Villa

Disco Inferno at Haw Par Villa promises to be the hottest party of Singapore Art Week hosted on January, 18 by Mandala Club and Nick Buckley Wood (Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Asia Director). Set in the otherworldly landscape of Haw Par Villa – the city-state’s largest outdoor museum that holds a treasure trove of artefacts depicting Asian culture and philosophy – it is the ultimate way to celebrate the creative underworld during Singapore’s anchor art season of the year.

Philip Colbert: Journey to the Lobster Planet 

“I became an artist when I became a Lobster” says Philip Colbert. Often referred to as the ‘godson of Andy Warhol’, Colbert has created a global following for his cartoon lobster persona and his vibrant, hyper pop historical paintings. Born in Scotland and living and working in London, Colbert is presenting a large-scale solo exhibition in Singapore from 6 January to 3 March 2024 in Whitestone Gallery. Traveling from Karuizawa, Japan, to Taipei and now Singapore, this edition of the exhibition will not only include Colbert’s latest artworks, but also an unprecedented and unique showcase of his pieces alongside work from well-known Japanese artists.

The Art of Deception (My Art Space)

Image credit: Julia Winter

Art Apart Fair: The Art of Deception is the exhibition that promises to challenge the understanding of the world around us. It presents a diverse range of artworks (including never-before-seen pieces) and different mediums, such as photography, paint, recycled objects, installations and new technologies, demonstrating how art is able to create new realities. The exhibition, curated by Rosalind Lim, Art Director of Art Apart Fair, features the latest and largest artwork by the esteemed 103-year-old artist, Lim Tze Peng, as one of its highlights. The masterpiece is showcased alongside 50 museum-quality artworks from artists hailing from Singapore, Hong Kong, France, and Holland. Additionally, nine emerging Singaporean artists, recognized for their potential to produce collectible artworks, are displaying their creations.
Participating Artists: Lim Tze Peng, Daniel Leung, Debbie Ding, Yeo Chee Kiong, Evelyn Huang, Li Ching, Kitt Lim, Patrick Bezalel, Cassie, Cheng Yi Quan, Remi Uchéda, Jerome Bauduin, Alexandra SÁ, Ilona Tikvicki, Isabelle de Scitivaux, Maxime Touratier, Marie Lannou, Vincent Bargis, Julia Winter, Dai Jun wei.