An art-filled week in Singapore
If you visit Singapore on any given weekend of the year, you’re bound to catch a cultural event. The island country and city-state is thriving, thanks in large part to the National Arts Council (NAC), which champions the arts through programs that foster creativity across society and the economy.
But if you want a few days packed with culture, the annual Singapore Art Week (SAW)—happening from Jan. 22 to 31, 2026—is the time to go.
With accessible encounters with art, as well as opportunities to meet artists, curators, and other thought leaders, SAW is best experienced in person. And not just to see art, but to hear, absorb, dissect, and reflect on the varied mediums of art, too—from paintings, unique sculptures, and immersive installations to sound art, video programs, and more. There’s even a full show dedicated to Filipino artists, too.
“With over 100 captivating programs, art enthusiasts and the wider public will get to experience and immerse themselves in the creative energy pulsing through our city,” says director Tay Tong of NAC.
Here are some of the experiences, cultural exchanges, and new frontiers that SAW promises to show, and that you ought to catch.
Must-see major fairs
Art SG
A major highlight of the week is, of course, Art SG. Four years have flown by fast, as this post-pandemic fair has quickly skyrocketed to becoming one of the most respected art fairs on the global stage. Running for just three days, the fair presented by UBS will showcase the best of international and regional galleries with three different sectors, a curated program by the organizers, and more.
Jan. 23 to 25, Sands Expo and Convention Centre
SEA Focus
For the first time, SEA Focus will run simultaneously in the same location as Art SG. While Art SG often expands its focus around the world, SEA Focus spotlights contemporary art in the region. With strong curatorial formats, this Southeast-Asian-focused fair is bound to foster more discourse on the market and direction of the Southeast Asian art world.
Jan. 23 to 25, Sands Expo and Convention Centre
A range of exhibits and presentations
“Isang Dipang Langit: Fragments of Memory, Fields of Now”
Set in a former warehouse turned arts hub at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, “Isang Dipang Langit: Fragments of Memory, Fields of Now” brings together 10 contemporary Filipino artists, including new works by Elaine Navas, Manuel Ocampo, and Dominic Mangila.
Curated by Dong Jo Chang, director of The Columns Gallery Singapore, the exhibit is inspired by Amado V. Hernandez’s “sliver of sky,” and uses various media to explore hope, memory, and identity across our personal and shared histories.
Jan. 20 to 31, 2026. Tanjong Pagar Distripark
“David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)”
Prepare to have your senses stimulated, especially with the vibrant qualities of David Hockey’s visual fields. In collaboration with Lightroom production house, the audiovisual show features narration by the artist himself, covering six decades of the artist’s work.
Jan. 16 to May 15, IMBA
“30 Years of Gajah: A Retrospective”
This retrospective documents the three decades of Southeast Asian contemporary art. The Singaporean gallery has spaces in Singapore, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and now, in the Philippines—without a doubt steering the direction of Southeast Asian art in the region. Continuing to make connections and widen imaginations, the show’s theme looks at the gallery’s history, with works by Yunizar, Suzann Victor, and Ngyuten Trung, among others.
Jan. 21 to Feb. 28, Gajah Gallery
“Sonic Shaman” at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
For those who love sound and all its nuances, “Sonic Shaman” is described as a trans-disciplinary “music festival.” It will explore the theme “Borderless,” examining how experimentation with sound can transcend geographical, cultural, and, in true shaman form, even physical and temporal borders.
Jan. 23 to 25, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
The 6th VH Award
Since 2016, the VH Award has supported emerging media artists engaging with Asian contexts. For SAW 2026, the sixth edition showcases commissioned works by the finalists that explore fresh takes on contemporary society.
Jan. 22 to 31, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Tanoto Art Foundation Inaugural Exhibition
In its inaugural exhibition, the foundation will be presenting works from the Tanoto Family Collection, as well as works by over 20 artists, with themes that explore presence, touch, and the rhythms of the body.
Jan. 21 to Mar. 1, 2026, New Bahru School Hall
“Chapalang”
“Chapalang” refers to the casual, seemingly chaotic mixing of different things, or a spirit of “making do” that’s common in Singapore and Southeast Asia. This exhibition looks at chapalang as a form of cultural ingenuity, where artists repurpose and recombine everyday materials and technologies to make them their own.
Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 2026, Artspace @Helutrans
“The Last Tree Was a Building”
Look out for the monkeys. Singaporean artist Antz is placing four giant inflatable monkeys across Gillman Barracks, inviting you to look up and reflect on the city’s history, ecology, and imagined futures.
Jan. 13 to Feb. 8. Gillman Barracks
“Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait”
The beautiful Warehouse Hotel will transform into a living exhibition, featuring film, performance, and interactive media throughout the lobby and public spaces, with free access to the project and select events requiring registration.
Jan. 20 to 31, The Warehouse Hotel
Learn at symposia and forums
Art Outreach Basecamp 2026
What if a symposium could shape the future of art? Art Outreach Basecamp brings together thought leaders, including an opening performance lecture by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Maham, known for his striking jute-based works. A panel with Summit faculty will also explore perspectives on art and society from Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Jan. 24, Sands Expo and Convention Centre
SAW Forum, “Force Fields”
With three keynotes, this forum explores how individuals navigate and influence the systems shaping contemporary art and society, examining personal agency, institutional forces, and emerging trends that could actually spark change.
Jan. 21, 2025, Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at the National Gallery Singapore
“Symposium: The Politics of Print”
STPI presents a two-day symposium reimagining print as a space for dynamic conversation. Curated with Stephanie Bailey, it explores topics from traditional print markets to radical printmaking in Asia, featuring Cem A.’s performative work “Crit Club” debuting in Singapore.
Jan. 23 to 24, STPI Creative Workshop & Gallery and T:Works
“Building family legacies through art” by Withers KhattarWong LLP
This talk will explore how art collecting goes beyond investment to preserve family identity, support artists, and more, with insights from collectors, advisors, and institutions.
Jan. 21, 2026, location shared upon registration
Museum shows
“Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise”
In “Fear No Power: Women Imagining Otherwise,” the National Gallery Singapore brings together five Southeast Asian women artists in the first major exhibition of its kind. More than 50 works from the 1960s to 2010s tell a wider story about creativity, agency, and women’s empowerment in the region.
Jan. 9 to Nov. 15, 2026, National Gallery Singapore
“Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston”
For the first time in Singapore, see masterpieces by Renoir, Monet, Manet, Cézanne, and Degas. This exhibition, developed with the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, highlights Impressionism’s perspective on urban life, gender, landscape, and modernity.
Nov. 14, 2025 to Mar. 1, 2026, National Gallery Singapore
“Human Being Human: Selections from the Collection of John Chia and Cheryl Loh”
Curated from the private collection of John Chia and Cheryl Loh, this show at the private museum, a space for art collectors to showcase their collections in a curated display, examines what it means to be human.
Drawing from Keith Haring’s “Radiant Baby,” the exhibition explores identity, morality, and the relationship between self and others, inviting viewers to rethink how we define ourselves in today’s world.
The Private Museum
SAW 2026 pulses with energy
All these experiences are just the tip of it, as the city is set to pulse with energy.
Throughout are Open Call projects like the sensory exhibition “Auditoria” on Waterloo Street and “Bring Your Own Racket (BYOR),” which transforms badminton into a sculptural stage.
Or look up in the civic district at colonial landmarks to see “Light to Night” projection mappings and large-scale installations, or head to Moonstone Lane for the 12th edition of their flagship walk, “Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same,” in and around a decommissioned factory.
Running from Oct. 31, 2025, to Mar. 2026, the Singapore Biennale 2025: “Pure Intention” also continues into SAW 2026, inviting visitors to see Singapore differently. Local and international artworks appear across the city, from historic landmarks to malls, housing estates, and parks.
For getting around, rethink accessibility the artful way. “Next Stop: Together” by ART:DIS (Arts & Disability) Singapore features a mobile art bus and large-scale MRT station commissions by artists with disabilities alongside established practitioners, with tactile and sound-based works you can engage with, plus colorful site-specific visuals.
As the city gears up for SAW 2026, director Tong reflects on its scope and impact: “Each 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.”
And it has expanded indeed, reinforcing the week’s role, “as a premier platform in the region,” reflecting “Singapore’s evolving and dynamic visual arts landscape.”
Whether you’re an academic, an artist, or an art lover (or even a travel lover), this is the time to book your hotels and flights for an art-filled week.
