Singapore Art Week<\/a> (SAW) chose a different path. It aimed not to assert a particular artistic stance, attitude or aesthetic, but to serve as a platform, not solely for national expression, but for a more regional, global and cosmopolitan one.<\/p>\nAnd one rooted in what it calls the \u201ccapital\u201d of art, as it states in its press release: \u201cWith opportunities for exchange of ideas and networking between artists, curators and thought leaders, SAW\u2019s growing presence in the region reflects an increasing market potential.\u201d Here, SAW shows its acuity, moving beyond the perennial focus on national identity to offer, within the region, the chance to encounter \u2014 and often be surprised by \u2014 the eccentric presence of remarkable artists in unexpected and repurposed spaces.<\/p>\n
Now in its 13th edition, SAW promises a larger assemblage of artists and exhibitions \u2014 and a broader artistic vision \u2014 particularly exploring the intersection of art and technology. Its focus remains, however, on building an ecosystem that supports individual artists and collaborative ventures, while transforming the island itself into an artistic landscape brimming with creative spaces.<\/p>\n
The 2026 edition sees the transformation of LRT stations, malls, repurposed spaces such as former military barracks, and the pier at Tanjong Pagar \u2014 now home to the Singapore Art Museum and other galleries, as well as independent institutions such as the Private Museum.<\/p>\n
Tay Tong, director of Arts Ecosystem Group (Visual Arts) at the National Arts Council Singapore (NAC), emphasises the visual arts festival\u2019s growing regional significance. \u201cEach year, SAW expands its reach and depth of offerings as the visual arts community from Southeast Asia and the world converge in Singapore to showcase some of the best works, forge meaningful connections and inspire groundbreaking collaborations,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
He adds that the festival reinforces SAW\u2019s role as a premier platform in the region and reflects Singapore\u2019s evolving and dynamic visual arts landscape. With more than 100\u00a0programmes, it allows visitors to \u201cexperience and immerse themselves in the creative energy pulsing through our city. SAW is more than a celebration of art; it is a testament to the transformative power of creativity that connects people, ignites discourse and shapes exciting new possibilities\u201d.<\/p>\n
International highlights for SAW include the exclusive Southeast Asian staging of Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait<\/em> (translated as \u201cCircumnavigating the Sea\u201d), presented by international art fair ART SG and Shanghai\u2019s Rockbund Art Museum, and curated by X Zhu-Nowell.<\/p>\nExclusively featuring Southeast Asian artists, this unique iteration will transform the lobby of The Warehouse Hotel, a restored heritage property on Robertson Quay, into an immersive exhibition space that combines institutional-level curation with seamless hospitality experience. In this hybrid environment, visitors are drawn into a dynamic world in which film and video programmes, site-specific interventions, installations, performances and artist-led gatherings unfold.<\/p>\n
Art Outreach features the contemporary art titan\u00a0Ibrahim Mahama\u2019s Digging Stars<\/em>, curated by Cl\u00e9mentine de la F\u00e9ronni\u00e8re and Francesca Migliorati. It marks the spectacular Ghanaian artist\u2019s Southeast Asian debut with new fabric-based works, collages, photographs and video reflecting on systems of labour, trade and collective memory.<\/p>\nOther major presentations on Southeast Asian art include Isang Dipang Langit\/Fragments of Memory, Fields of Now<\/em>, which brings together 10 contemporary Filipino artists examining the boundaries of memory, place and identity; and chapalang<\/em>, co-curated by Gunalan Nadarajan and Roopesh Sitharan, which explores how 10 regional artists intertwine art and technology. Commissioned by NAC, these presentations invite visitors to delve deeper into the diverse practices of Southeast Asian art.<\/p>\nWhere the immersive first surged into popular attention with shows such as Van Gogh<\/em>, IMBA at the new IMBA Theatre in Gardens by the Bay will present David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)<\/em> alongside Botero <\/em>in Singapore. These exhibitions offer cutting-edge experiences that fuse art and technology.\u00a0The Hockney production, created by Lightroom in collaboration with the iconic artist, spans six decades of his work.<\/p>\nIn contrast, Botero<\/em>, jointly presented with the Fernando Botero Foundation, features a multi-format display including the largest exhibition with paintings and sculptures from the family\u2019s collection. Additionally, monumental sculptures will be displayed throughout the garden, exclusive to Southeast Asia.<\/p>\nA gathering of local and international galleries based in Singapore will offer group and solo exhibitions as well as retrospectives.<\/p>\n
The immersive, all-encompassing experience of SAW is further enhanced with the educational element in a series of forums and lectures, principally the National Gallery Singapore\u2019s FORCE\u2022FIELDS, which invites leaders of the visual arts community to engage critically with contemporary artistic practice and discourse. Organised by NAC, National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum, the upcoming edition highlight three keynote sessions by leading international voices, including British art historian Claire Bishop and Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa, who will examine how individuals navigate and influence complex systems that,\u00a0in turn, shape contemporary art and society.<\/p>\n
Arts organisations will also be hosting their own symposiums, such as STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery\u2019s The Print Show and Symposium Singapore: The Politics of Print, and Art Outreach Basecamp 2026, contributing to the overall growing thought leadership presence at SAW.\u00a0Legal firm Withers KhattarWong LLP will hold an intimate forum about building family legacies through art.<\/p>\n
In its next edition, SAW confronts the question of\u00a0\u201cWhat is art, really?\u201d by creating, literally, a trail of the immersive, experiential and democratic into the palpable.<\/p>\n
Singapore Art Week takes place from Jan 22 to 31, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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This article first appeared on Dec 8, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n