What to expect at the Singapore Biennale 2022: Natasha

The seventh edition of the Singapore Biennale 2022 (SB2022), named Natasha, will open from Sunday (Oct 16).

Organised by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and commissioned by the National Arts Council, Singapore (NAC), audiences can embark on a journey with Natasha and its artists and collaborators, and “re-discover different perspectives of viewing and relating to the world and the transformative potentials of life and relationships within it”.

SB2022 will take place at a variety of locations beyond Tanjong Pagar Distripark and traditional gallery settings. These include International Plaza, the Singapore Flyer and 22 Orchard Road in addition to the previously announced Sentosa Cove, St John’s Island, Lazarus Island, as well as everyday spaces like regional libraries and Yan Kit Playfield.

Here are some installations to look forward to at the various locations:

Going past Singapore’s coastline to the Southern Islands, audiences can look forward to six artistic projects, one of which is Fermentation House by Donghwan Kam.

Donghwan will ferment soya sauce in miniature house sculptures using an underground fermentation technique.

These miniature house sculptures are installed across various SB2022 venues including Sentosa Cove, St John’s and Lazarus Island.

This work was developed based on Kam’s earlier work titled Fermentation Garden that saw the artist cultivating kimchi in similar miniature houses. Through these works, Kam continues to explore how domestic acts – such as cooking, fermenting, and distilling – are often situated in relation to time.

Also part of the project, and sited at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, is Names of Water. This installation comprises water dispensers that invite audiences to taste different water brands. 

SB2022 will also host an ‘Unlearning Workshop’ that seeks to question production and reproduction processes, culminating in an archival project.

Focusing on the theme of discovery by re-visiting, re-reading, and re-developing two previous online festivals, Ext.Asi Archive aims to create a sustainable ecosystem of communities between Indonesia and Singapore by experimenting with live virtual performances and modes of hybrid collaborations.

This project is a continuation of Impssblprjct: Affirming the Crisis, organised by the Cemeti Institute for Art and Society in 2021.

The installation is located at Tanjong Pagar Distripark Level 5, 39 Keppel Rd, #01-02, Singapore 089065. Opening hours have yet to be confirmed.

By South Korean artist Yejin Cho, draw2play consists of ten geometric notations with accompanying rules and instructions on how to play the associated games.

Through this work, Yejin Cho invites audiences to gather and play, thereby creating a space for conversation and exchange.

It is located at 8 Queen Street, Singapore 188535 and is publicly accessible at all times.

Have plants that are in distress or in need of care? Bring them down to The Pavilion of Regret from Oct 8 to 10, from 10am to 5pm for some tender loving care before putting them up for adoption. 

By Hong Kong artist Trevor Yeung, The Pavilion of Regret serves as a platform for donating and adopting plants, and an opportunity for unwanted and discarded plants to find a new home.

The work is a response to the recent surge in demand for houseplants during the pandemic and examines the relationship between human and plants vis-à-vis the relationships formed between human and pets.

If you’re looking to spruce up your home with some greenery, you can adopt a plant from Oct 16.

The Pavilion of Regret is located at Yan Kit Playfield, 17 Yan Kit Road, Singapore 088268. It is publicly accessible at all times.

An itinerant library initiated by Heman Chong and Renée Staal, The Library of Unread Books has over 700 titles, that traces the perimeters of knowledge and reflects on notions of access, excess and the politics of redistribution.

Every single book you find in the collection was once private property and has been donated by an individual who did not read it when it was in their possession.

Want a lifetime membership to the library? Simply donate a book to this library housed at International Plaza Singapore, #01-22, 10 Anson Road, Singapore 079903 from Oct 22, 2022 to Mar 19, 2023. It is open from 10am to 7pm.

To celebrate the return of Singapore Biennale, SAM will also present a series of public programmes as it kickstarts the opening week of Natasha.

Programmes are held across two weekends on Oct 16, 21 and 22, and include encounters with many of SB2022’s participating artists and works in-person, through a series of artist talks, deep conversations with the Co-Artistic Directors, workshops, and live performances.

Only the exhibitions at Tanjong Pagar Distripark are ticketed. Free admission applies to other programmes, installations, and artworks in other locations. Certain venues may incur other fares, such as ferry tickets to St John’s and Lazarus Islands.

More details on the other installations and experiences can be found on SB2022’s website.