Your definitive guide to free art events during Singapore Art Week

The Singapore Art Week is loaded with exhibitions, talks and workshops at nearly every turn. From artists who have been awarded Cultural Medallions to photographers like Robert Zhao, there are lots of great local talents to watch.

Jan 14-30

Quek Kiat Sing is having a solo exhibition titled Mirages of Ink, where she draws inspiration from Chinese ink painting to depict everyday life.

Jan 14-Feb 14

Vertical Submarine’s installation, Death by a Thousand Cuts, will be on display at Shophouse 5. This is about a man who comes home to see his wife chatting with a political exile.

Jan 15-30

People’s Park Complex is showing over 20 visual and performance work curated by [-]YPHEN. There will also be a re-creation of a Singapore’s ’60s tea dance on Jan 23.

Jan 16, 23

There will be a walking tour along Singapore’s Civic District and the Marina Bay area. Check out installations by local artists like Han Sai Por (famous for her seed series) on this walk.

Jan 16-17, 23-24

There will be an Art Outreach walk along the Northeast Line. Get to know how artists were inspired by historical events to create these artworks.

Jan 17- Feb 20

Jane Lee is exhibiting her work at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, where she will showcase abstract work made using print and paper. Her work uses birds to deal with themes like freedom and entrapment. She also has a panel on Jan 17, where she will talk about her artistic journey.

Jan 16

For the third time, the Aliwal Arts Centre will hold its Urban Art Festival, with cool workshops, local DJs and bands as well as street art showcases.

Jan 16-Apr15

iPreciation is having a showcase of work titled Envision: Sculptures @ the Garden City. There will be artwork from Taiwan sculptor Ju Ming, on display, among East and Southeast Asian artists.

Jan 16-Feb 28

Donna Ong’s exhibition, “My Forest Has No Name,” will be shown at FOST Gallery. She explores the role of the forest in Singapore from colonial times to present day.

Jan 19

See the work of nominees of the Prudential Eye Awards at the awards ceremony today. One of them is Robert Zhao, who is known for his black and white photographs.

The “Is This Even Legal?” talk will discuss the boundaries of public art and how this is perceived in commercial art markets. This will be held at the Arnoldii Arts Club.

Jan 19-23

Little India is getting on the Art Week bandwagon with this walk, where you’ll get to check out the artwork along the district and explore its culture and heritage from 7:30-9:30pm.

Jan 20-24

“Everest” by Ang Sookoon (the one with an installatioonf of Mt Everest, duh) uses mixed media to tackle the idea of greatness as well as the feelings associated with this idea.

Check out Scout Singapore as this showcase of 25 local artists will be shown in a shipping container. Names include Zul Othman and Bernadette Lee.

Jan 22

One of the highlights of the Singapore Art Week, Art After Dark at Gillman Barracks is back with works from local and international galleries like Arndt, Mizuma Gallery, Fost Gallery and the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art. Oh and there’s going to be booze by Red Baron, too.

Check out Residences: Open, which is organized by Gillman Barracks’ Art After Dark. Get to know what it’s like to be an artist-in-residence at this one. Previous participants include local artists Shubigi Rao and Weixin Chong.

The Sentosa Cove x SAM party starts from 8pm, where DJs like Oliver Osborne, Aldrin (who was at Zoukout last year) and Mr. Has will play dance-y house tracks.

Jan 22-24

Art collective ANTZ makes use of light, ready made objects and to give another take on Chinese mythology in this Light + Shadow showcase.

Jan 22-May 29

Tang Da Wu is exhibiting Earthworks, which was shown here in the ’80s. The revival of this exhibit includes archival photos and re-creations, as well as commentary on the site specific installation that protested against urban development.

Jan 23

Show some support for local bands like local bands in the Late Nights at SAM showcase. The Madhatter Project, Giants Must Fall and other emerging local bands will be playing. Singapore Art Museum.

The fifth edition of the #TanjongGoodman fest will be showcasing Holycrap’s (now infamous) exhibition, When Renndom Met Airany. There’s also a tour of the centre by Sweet Tooth, part of the the outreach arm of CAKE Theatrical Productions, where you’ll learn about the history of the place and resident artists will host open studios.

There’s a Concrete Island: Bus Tour with Dr Lai Chee Kien, which takes you through Singapore’s history by exploring its urban landscape along the PIE.

Jan 24

Lastly, there will be a SAM x The Local People Art Week Market from 11am-7pm, where local brands will hawk their wares.

Through Jan 24

Deck is having a photography showcase titled “Undescribed,” that presents work by photographers. This selection was chosen by local photog Robert Zhao.

Through Jan 30

Head down to OTA Fine Arts to check out works by artists Zai Kuning and Ay Tjoe Christine—the former deals with social concerns while the latter tackles her conflicting emotions.

Through Feb 14

The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is exhibiting the work of eight Cultural Medallion recipient artists at this exhibition. Names include ceramist Iskandar Jalil and performance artist Lee Wen, who is known for his “Yellow Man” series.

Through May 2

The Singapore Art Museum’s ongoing exhibition, 5 Stars: Art Reflects on Peace, Justice, Equality, Democracy and Progress, has five contemporary Singaporean artists interpreting five national values like peace, justice, equality, democracy and progress.

Through May 3

Check out Chua Ek Kay’s exhibition, After The Rain at the National Gallery. His work prominently features lotus ponds, rain and reflections, so you can zen out at this one. Wu Guanzhong’s Beauty Beyond Form is still on, and his work combines both Eastern and Western painting techniques.