Start the new year with a celebration of Singapore’s vibrant urban arts and culture scene at Aliwal Urban Art Festival (AUAF), happening on Jan 27, 2024 at Aliwal Arts Centre.
Organised by Arts House Limited during the last weekend of Singapore Art Week 2024, visitors can expect a series of exciting activities led by various renowned local urban arts groups and communities of different artistic practices.
From engaging visual art and dance workshops to exciting graffiti showcases, open studio sessions, performances and more, AUAF will feature an eclectic array of free and ticketed unique art-ivities at the heart of the cultural enclave of Kampong Gelam.
Start at Urban art collective RSCLS’ retrospective exhibition titled The 10 Year Series – Retrospective of 10 Years of AUAF Art, Solidarity Movement, Rebel Daughters. Visitors will get deeply acquainted with the spirit of urban art movement through the lens of AUAF and other past RSCLS programmes.
Watch the finals of the graffiti competition GraFIGHT X happening on the grounds of Aliwal Arts Centre, and get to see artists transform the walls of the centre in live graffiti painting sessions throughout the day. The popular D’Tours also makes a return, an alternative walking tour of murals and street art around the cultural Kampong Gelam enclave for those curious about the neighbourhood.
For visitors who prefer to exercise their creativity and get moving, an array of theatre, dance and visual art workshops by The Improv Co., Nine Years Theatre, Chowk Productions and DASSAD await. Drop by the studio of New Opera to hear them share on vocal and acting tips and swing by the Chinese Opera Studio to watch how opera performers transform themselves through makeup and costume.
Be mesmerised by performances from renowned Malay drum ensemble NADI Singapura and catch Kalpavriksha Fine Arts and Chowk Productions in their captivating dance performances with post-performance artist talks.
Then get up-close-and-personal with art groups such as Wolfsloth, Chris Chai and interdisciplinary setup Hothouse at their available open studios; visitors will get to learn more about their artistic practices. Discover unexpected treasures at the Pop-Up Market by The Social Exchange which will feature one-of-a-kind wares from several local creatives.
As night falls, put on your dancing shoes and get grooving to hip-hop music curated by The Linch Agency, and dance acts curated by dynamic street dance duo ScRach MarcS who will close the night with their Re:Union Party.
For more information on Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2024, visit artshouselimited.sg/aac-auaf-2024.
