The Singapore Biennale is back from 22 November, 2019 to 22 March, 2020. The four-month event, set to the title “Every Step In The Right Direction”, features artworks by more than 70 artists and collectives from South-east Asia and beyond in about 10 venues—such as the National Gallery Singapore, Gillman Barracks and Lasalle College of the Arts.
WHERE: Singapore Biennale is held at National Gallery Singapore, Gillman Barracks, Lasalle College of the Arts, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Art Museum (hoarding), SAM at 8Q (hoarding), National Museum of Singapore, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, National Library, SMU de Suantio Gallery, Far East Plaza, Wild Rice @ Funan
WHEN: Nov 22 November, 2019 to 22 March, 2020
ADMISSION: Free and ticketed. Merdeka and Pioneer Generation card holders can attend ticketed venues (but not ticketed events) for free.
INFO: Visit www.singaporebiennale.org. Additional events have also been held in collaboration with groups such as Drama Box and the Indian Heritage Centre.
This article originally appeared on The Straits Times.
The public can also look out for performances, talks and other events, some of which are happening on the opening weekend: Phare, The Battambang Circus will perform a circus show at Far East Plaza, and Taiwanese artist Chang En-Man will prepare and wrap aboriginal millet dumplings with snails at the Telok Ayer Arts Club.
The Singapore Biennale is organised by the Singapore Art Museum and helmed by artistic director Patrick Flores, working alongside six other curators. “I’d like to consider the title as an invitation for the public to think about the world we are in today, and an inspiration for them to take steps to make it better, or do something different about it,” says Dr Flores.
“We want to widen the art sphere of the biennale as a platform. The biennale has been subjected to criticism that it has become an echo-chamber in the contemporary art world. So we want to extend (it) beyond the normal precincts of the art world to reach out to a wider audience. This is why I conceptualised a ‘festival seminar’ model so the biennale addresses different concerns. I want to recover the joy, and the pleasure of the public encountering or confronting a rich diversity of media through contemporary art.”
Photo: La camera insabbiata (The Chalkroom) by Laurie Anderson and Hsin Chien Huang / Photo: Courtesy of the artists
Here are some of the highlights not to be missed:
Animation Films by Ali Akbar Sadeghi
Photo: Courtesy of the Ali Akbar Sadeghi Foundation
Every step counts (Workshop documentation) by Amanda Heng
Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Denise Yap
Black Hut (as installed at the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art 2018) by Boedi Widjaja
Photo: Courtesy of the artist
Ayam Jaw Bah (2019) by Busui Ajaw
Photo: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
Fresh Snail (performance) by Chang En Man
Photo: Courtesy of artist
Stones and Elephants (2019) by Chia Wei Hsu
Photo: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
Many Waters to Cross (2019) by Dennis Tan
Photo: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
Child of Bones (from War and Humans) by Haifa Subay
Photo: Courtesy of artist and Sbareen Al Mahjal
A Study of Endless Archipelagos by Hera Buyuktasciyan
Photo: Courtesy of artist
