5 exhibitions to check out at Singapore Art Week 2023

Singapore Art Week (SAW) will kickstart the new year with more than 130 programmes and exhibitions presented by over 700 artists and curators around the world.

A key platform for artists to create new art forms beyond their usual practice, SAW celebrates Singapore’s visual arts scene and is helmed by the National Arts Council (NAC).

Taking place from Jan 6 to 15, 2023, this edition of SAW will also launch dynamic art fairs S.E.A Focus and Art SG. From tours and trails to exhibitions and literary festivals, every art aficionado will have something to look forward to.

Here are five exhibitions visitors can check out during SAW 2023.

Even dinner parties can be works of art at the Third Wheeling installation created by Awkward Party, a fashion design team in collaboration with Middle-Eastern inspired restaurant Artichoke.

Held on Jan 10 and 11, Third Wheeling is an interactive dining experience where visitors re-examine the way people connect through communal dining while working together for their food.

Their dining experience will also be altered as the usual cutlery, table cloth and candelabras are transformed into unique centerpieces.

Admission to the Third Wheeling installation is free, but participating in the interactive dining experience will cost $75.

Two seatings for Third Wheeling will take place from 6.30pm to 8pm and 8.30pm to 10pm at Artichoke, 161 Middle Road.

Take a trip to the past at the community art exhibition Pictures in the Mind. Created by arts organisation Deck, the exhibition explores past memories made at Peace Centre, one of Singapore’s oldest shopping malls.

Pictures in the Mind displays photographs that tell the life story of Peace Centre from the 1970s to its current state, and will be held from Jan 4 to 20.

The exhibition is curated by eight artists who make use of technology to turn interviews and archival materials into images that tell a myriad of stories.

Admission to the Pictures in the Mind exhibition is free.

Built by art collective Vertical Submarine member Justin Loke, the BLOCK PARTY: Our Neighbourhood Furniture Tetris installation is inspired by the popular game of Tetris.

The installation will be displayed from Jan 6 to 26, and creates a visual metaphor of how diverse groups in a community can come together to form a line and stay united when faced with challenges.

BLOCK PARTY: Our Neighbourhood Furniture Tetris can be found at the open space in front of Blk 440 Pasir Ris Drive 4, and admission is free. 

As part of the art installation, community workshops will also be held on Dec 3, 11 and 18 at 2pm to 4pm at the Pasir Ris East CC open space in front of the cafeteria. 

Participants will get to try their hand at drawing on used items and furniture, and can pre-register for the workshops here or walk-in when they are conducted.

A much anticipated programme, Soo Bin- Life of Art, Art of Life features photographer and Cultural Medallion awardee Chua Soo Bin and his 90 years as a photographer, gallerist, patron and collector.

Soo Bin- Life of Art, Art of Life will see a special book publication as well as a two-venue exhibition at the PARKROYAL and Objectifs, Singapore’s leading space for photography. 

Various stages of his life will be showcased, such as his early engagement with salon photography, his ascent as one of Singapore’s most sought after photographers and his emergence as a gallerist-dealer in the 1990s.

Visitors will also get the opportunity to meet him through the Tea with Soo Bin programme, where he will share his insights about photography, the art market and collecting, and the secret art of joyful living.

The free exhibition will be held from Jan 6 to Mar 26 at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. 

Alternatively, visitors can find the exhibition at Objectifs from Jan 15 to Mar 26. Opening hours are from 12pm to 7pm every Tuesday to Saturday and 12pm to 4pm every Sunday, and the gallery will be closed on Mondays and Public Holidays.

If you love books and learning about the history behind them, Pulp III: A Short Biography of the Banished Book may be right up your alley.

Curated by Ute Meta Bauer and originally created by contemporary artist Shubigi Rao, the exhibition makes its return to Singapore at the ArtScience Museum from Jan 6 to 24 to mark the midpoint of her ongoing decade-long project known as Pulp.

The exhibition features multiple screenings of her film Talking Leaves as well as her book Pulp III: An Intimate Inventory of the Banished Book.

Talking Leaves explores the tales of those at the frontlines saving books and libraries, while  Pulp III: An Intimate Inventory of the Banished Book chronicles her research process and reframing of the book and library.

Visitors can find the exhibition at level four of the ArtScience Museum from 10am to 7pm daily.