This September school holiday, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is calling all families to embark on an exciting journey of artistic exploration, filled with both free and ticketed programmes.
Step into SAM’s Learning Gallery, marvel at a multisensory showcase featuring local poets, and be inspired by a sustainability-themed exhibition with works created by preschoolers. Plus, discover a collection of artworks submitted by the public that imagine the “Sustainable Futures of Singapore”, set against the lush greenery of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. These programmes are part of SAM’s efforts to ignite the imagination of curious young minds, nurturing their sense of wonder and encouraging them to cultivate a lifelong love for art. With so much to see and do, get ready for a season brimming with engaging exhibitions and creative programmes for the whole family.
Exhibitions & Showcases
Hello Future: Building a Wonderland
Venue: Level 1 Atrium, HarbourFront Centre
Date: now to 7 Sep 2024
Time: 10am - 9pm
Fee: Free admission
What does a sustainable future mean to you? In this exhibition, witness the creativity of preschool children and discover the futures they have imagined!
Hello Future: Building a Wonderland is part of the Think! Contemporary Preschool programme, presented by Singapore Art Museum in partnership with eight preschools across Singapore. As part of the programme, young children learn about the world around them through contemporary art. To develop Hello Future, children were introduced to artworks and exhibitions at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, such as Black Forest by Cultural Medallion recipient Han Sai Por in the Learning Gallery and Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey. The artworks show the impact of humans on the environment as well as the importance of living sustainably. With guidance from their teachers, they learnt how global warming has a cascading effect on our ecosystems and why they must protect the environment.
Working with their friends, families and teachers, the children used newly acquired techniques to transform found materials into artworks and stories that convey their hopes for the future.
As you explore this Wonderland created by children, uncover their whimsical ideas for building a sustainable Singapore!
Visit this link for more information.
Learning Gallery
Venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Rd, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date: now to 29 Jun 2025
Time: 10am - 7pm
Fee: Free admission
Spark Curiosity. Rekindle Wonder. Explore contemporary art with the uninhibited spirit of a child and rediscover the joy of learning.
Established as part of Singapore Art Museum’s continued support of art education, the Learning Gallery is dedicated to the engagement and understanding of broader issues through contemporary artworks. These artworks have been specially selected from the National Collection or commissioned to extend the learning of contemporary art to all ages.
Inspired by the theme of childhood, this edition of the Learning Gallery encourages child-like curiosity in encounters with art. You are invited to embrace the spirit of exploration to have an uninhibited relationship with the world: to look, feel and live fearlessly.
Exhibiting artworks of various media and across diverse forms of presentation, the artworks address multiple themes such as home, nature and the environment, people, places, memory and time. They also raise important and timely questions on what it means to live in contemporary times, evoking the emotions and experiences of each individual in the process.
Visit this link for more information.
This Little Red Dot… 2024 Showcase
Venue: Singapore Botanic Gardens, Green Pavilion (near Botany Centre-drop off)
Date: now to 1 Sep 2024
Time: 7am – 7pm
Fee: Free admission
This Little Red Dot 2024 showcase invites you to explore "Sustainable Futures of Singapore." What kind of future do you dream of for our city-state? Is it a future where nature and technology are seamlessly integrated?
Discover 30 captivating artworks selected from a strong pool of submissions, displayed alongside commissioned works by artists Bhavani Balasubramanyam, Kenneth Chin, Cindy Ong, and Moses Sia. Each artwork unveils a unique perspective on a sustainable Singapore.
Join the conversation and share your vision. Together, empowered by art, we can co-create a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow. This programme is supported by Mapletree, and the venue is supported by Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Visit this link for more information.
ChildISH
Venues & Dates:
- Woodlands Regional Library – now to 8 Sep 2024
- Jurong Regional Library – 11 Sep to 27 Oct 2024
- Tampines Regional Library – 30 Oct to 15 Dec 2024
What does it mean to be a child? ChildISH draws inspiration from ‘childhood’ and responds to the artworks from Learning Gallery – an all-ages exhibition that is sited at Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
Look back on your childhood through new lenses as you read evocative poems by local poets Amanda Chong, Hamid Roslan, Pooja Nansi, Charlene Shepherdson and Daryl Qilin Yam. Each poem responds to an artwork featured in the Learning Gallery. The poems are complemented with an artwork by local illustrator Tan Zi Xi, featuring drawings by pupils from Ang Mo Kio Primary.
By inviting viewers to explore a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences, ChildISH reminds us of the profound impact that childhood has on our lives.
Visit this link for more information.
The fruit of deceit by Grace Tan
Venue: Level 2, Block 39, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Corridor, Staircase and Service Balcony facing port
Date: now to 15 Mar 2026
At Block 39 of Tanjong Pagar Distripark, delicate floral garlands, pollination trails and nutmeg fruits embellish an exterior staircase and passageway. Presented as a response to the history of Tanjong Pagar and its evolving identity, the notion of nature as a commodity is foregrounded here against the physical site of the old Keppel Harbour and present-day Tanjong Pagar Distripark—logistical nodes from different eras that facilitate the circulation of materials, goods, ideas, people and capital. Drawing from the artist’s explorations for an earlier commission Sea of flags, The fruit of deceit extends the colour compendium of Tanjong Pagar through the visuals of the nutmeg, alluding to its slighted history in Singapore’s development.
Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey
Photo Credit: Franca Candrian
Venue: Gallery 1 & 3 and The Engine Room, Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, Singapore 089065
Date: now - 22 Sep 2024
Fee: Purchase tickets here | Free admission for students and children 6 years & below
Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey is the first major solo exhibition in Southeast Asia dedicated to the work of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. The survey exhibition presents a broad range of artworks that employ diverse media to touch on the major themes of his three-decade-long practice – embodiment, experience, perception, as well as the urgency of climate action and more-than-human perspectives.
In his art practice, Eliasson has been driven by the desire to make the ungraspable tangible. Artworks like Beauty (1993), Symbiotic seeing (2020), Ventilator (1997); and Adrift compass (2019) use ephemeral materials, such as light, wind, fog, and water, to conjure evanescent phenomena – shimmering rainbows, swirling mists, the split-second sculptural form of a spouting fountain –or make invisible elements of our surroundings like air or magnetic fields experienceable. Other works, like The cubic structural evolution project (2004), invite visitors to collaborate on creating shared experiences, building shared worlds.
Visit this link for more information.
Singapore Art Museum Collection Exhibition
Photo Credit: Tehching Hsieh
Venue: Level 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Date: 6 Sep 2024 to 20 Jul 2025
This exhibition is the inaugural exhibition in Tanjong Pagar Distripark’s new gallery and marks the beginning of a dedicated space devoted to the SAM collection. The exhibition will reflect the expanding scope of the museum’s collection, encompassing various media, geographies, and subjects. Notably, this exhibition will feature recent donations, underscoring SAM’s active engagement with donors in expanding its collection in recent years. Scheduled to run for approximately nine months, the exhibition will be complemented by a variety of programmes aimed at facilitating diverse conversations around the collection with the public.
Lost & Found: Embodied Archive
Photo Credit: Paul Salveson
Venue: Gallery 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Date: 25 Oct to 24 Nov 2024
Lost & Found: Embodied Archive is the second pillar of Lost & Found, a multi-phased curatorial project exploring the significance of archival documentation and records through artistic practices. By studying how artists collect what seems uncollectable, assemble that which resists assembly, and present that which defies visibility, Lost & Found engages with questions concerning the authoritative voice of archives and history.
With an emphasis on the process-driven and durational aspects of the participating artists, Lost & Found: Embodied Archive is a month-long unfolding that will examine the intersections between the body and memory. By inhabiting the gallery space, artists will be activating their work and engaging with audiences throughout the exhibition period.
Yee I-Lann: Mansau-Ansau
Photo Credit: Yee I-Lann
Venue: Gallery 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Date: 6 Dec 2024 to 23 Mar 2025
Mansau-Ansau in Dusun – the language of the Dusun and Kadazan of Sabah – means to journey without a specific destination or to walk and walk without knowing where one is headed. It is also the name given to a weave created by the Sabahan artist, Yee I-Lann, and her collaborators, weavers Julitah Kulinting, Lili Naming and Shahrizan Bin Juin. It is a pattern with no pattern. A pattern that follows its own rhythm.
The exhibition takes us on a journey through two decades of Yee’s practice, examining the nature of politics, the administration of power and body, navigating domains of knowledge old and new, as well as the fluidity and possibilities across boundaries. Here the horizon line teases, mats become bridges and pathways of knowledge, and the mountain is as much a compass as it is a place for remembering. Following the presentation at SAM, the exhibition travels to Kunstmuseum Thun (Switzerland).
Pratchaya Phinthong: Free Fall
Photo Credit: Pratchaya Phinthong
Venue: Gallery 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Date: 6 Dec 2024 to 23 Mar 2025
Free Fall, the first solo exhibition of Bangkok-based artist Pratchaya Phinthong in Singapore considers ideas of self-determination and objects as avatars of chance. The works of Pratchaya Phinthong marks a critical strand of conceptual practices in Thai contemporary art. Much of the artist’s conceptually driven practice is premised on collaborative processes, modes of exchange and the transference of artistic agency that redefine the value and significance of art.
Translating research, scientific discoveries, economic theories, and even rumours into experiential forms and gestures, the exhibition presents major explorations underpinning Phinthong’s two decades of practice that reflects his modes of conceptual thinking and research.
Programmes at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
The ELEMENTAL Tour
Photo Credit: Olafur Eliasson & Singapore Art Museum
Venue: Gallery 1 & The Engine Room, Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date:
Time: 2pm to 3pm, 4pm to 5pm
Fee: Free, registration is required (Admission fees to the exhibition apply)
Join us on a dramatised tour of the exhibition Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey and gain insights on selected artworks.
Meet Elemental, a playful spirit who speaks in rhyme and aims to reconnect humanity with nature! Elemental is at a crossroads. This tour is her final attempt to connect people with nature. If she succeeds, she will stay on Earth with humanity; but if not, she will forever leave this planet. Will you help her?
Here is a glimpse of what you and your child will experience during the tour:
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Engage in an interactive dramatised tour experience that includes enjoyable in-gallery activities for you and your child.
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Gain a deeper understanding of the artworks on display in the galleries.
SAM Late Nights
Photo Credit: Singapore Art Museum
Venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date: 6 Sep 2024
Time: 6.30pm to 10pm
Fee: Admission requirements vary
Join us for a special evening of Starry SAM Late Nights with Science Centre Singapore! Enjoy stargazing and explore various planets in the solar system with a portable planetarium.
Visit this link for more information.
A Weekend with SAM
Venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. 39 Keppel Road, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date & Time:
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7 Sep 2024, 1pm to 5pm
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8 Sep 2024, 8.30am to 3pm
Fee: Admission requirements vary
Join us for a special weekend filled with engaging activities, from wellness programmes, an art-making workshop, to a talk that will spark the curiosity of all ages. This is the perfect opportunity to explore and experience Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey.
Visit this link for more information.
Light Kaleidoscopes
Venue: The Main Deck, Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #03-07, Singapore 089065
Date: 14 Sep 2024
Time: 11am to 12pm, 3pm to 4pm
Fee: Free, registration is required | Register here
Light up your imagination with this family-friendly workshop where you get to create your own upcycled kaleidoscope. Repurpose everyday objects to produce mesmerising patterns while learning about the importance of a sustainable outlook. This activity is inspired by the exhibition Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey. Materials will be provided.
Here is a glimpse of what you and your child will accomplish during the workshop:
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Discover how kaleidoscopes use mirrors and natural light to create patterns with organic items like spices and herbs.
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Assemble a kaleidoscope and personalise your unique creation using the given materials.
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Take home your personalised kaleidoscope to cherish as an eco-friendly memento.
SUPERSIZED WEEKEND: CURIO CITY AT SAM
Venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date & Time:
- 14 Sep 2024, 11am to 10.30pm
- 15 Sep 2024, 11am to 5pm
Fee: Ticketed event
CURIO CITY invites you to rediscover the magic of curiosity in the everyday! Join us in this captivating two-day programme to celebrate the final week of Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey.
This is a celebration of the unseen, the overlooked, and the possibilities that lie in shifting your point of view. Embark on a journey through interactive installations and mesmerising performances that expand your perspective, or explore the wonders of the local makers market featuring unique products.
Visit this link for more information.
Tours
Docent Tour of Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey with SAM Docents
Venue: Gallery 1, Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #01-02, Singapore 089065
Date: Every Thu to Sun
Time: 2 pm - 3 pm
Fee: Free (Admission fees to the exhibition apply)
Explore Olafur Eliasson: Your curious journey alongside our SAM docents as they lead you on a guided tour.
Exhibitions Abroad
Seeing Forest by Singapore Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
Photo Credit: Robert Zhao Renhui
Venue: Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi, Venice
Date: now to 24 Nov 2024
The observation of the ultimately unknowable in the natural world is a hallmark of artist Robert Zhao Renhui’s praxis. Since 1998, under the auspices of his own semi-fictional Institute of Critical Zoologists, Zhao’s many and varied projects have served as lenses that highlight the resilience of nature and the various interactions that occur when such resilience overlaps with human life and society.
Notably, over the last seven years, he has been focusing on secondary forests in Singapore — forests regrown from deforested land due to human intervention such as development and plantation — and the new ecosystems that have developed within it. For the Singapore Pavilion, decades of Zhao’s accumulated observations are condensed and organised into an intensive installation that complements the scale and condition of the Singapore Pavilion in Arsenale.
Through this exhibition, we see how the island of Singapore has evolved to arrive at the present day, revealing some of the ways in which human urban design can shape the natural world itself, resulting in an ecosystem of migrant species that echoes the trajectories and makeup of the city’s human population. At the same time, Seeing Forest also highlights phenomena that are universally relatable to those living in any urban environment.
Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger
Photo Credits: Singapore Art Museum (unless otherwise stated)
Venues & Dates:
- Hessel Museum of Art, New York: now to 1 Dec 2024
- MUDAM, Luxembourg: 7 Feb to 31 Aug 2025
Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger is a mid-career survey exhibition of the artist’s practice that spans two decades worth of paintings, films, theatrical performances, and video installations. Ho’s works often draw from historical events, documentary footage, art history, music videos and mythical stories to investigate the construction of history, the narrative of myths, and the plurality of identities. The exhibition also features a new commission that reflects on the embodied and heterogeneous experiences of time.
Ho Tzu Nyen: Time & the Tiger is co-organised between Singapore Art Museum and Art Sonje Center (ASJC). Following the presentation at SAM, the exhibition travels to ASJC in Seoul from 4 June to 4 August 2024, and Hessel Museum of Art in New York from 22 June to 1 December 2024.
Presentation of the Benesse Prize Artists' Works in collaboration with Singapore Art Museum
Photo Credit: Benesse House Museum
Venues & Dates:
- Benesse House Museum, Naoshima, Japan: now to 6 Jan 2025
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Matabe, Naoshima, Japan: now to 14 Jun 2027
The works by the winning artists of the Benesse Prize awarded at the last three editions of the Singapore Biennale (2016, 2019, 2022) will be presented at Benesse House Museum on Naoshima island, Japan, in collaboration with SAM. The award-winning works include installations by 2016 prize winners Pannaphan Yodmanee (Thailand) and Zul Mahmod (Singapore), and new works by 2019 prize winner Amanda Heng (Singapore), specially conceived for this occasion. The most recent recipient of the Benesse Prize, Haegue Yang (South Korea), will also unveil a new site-specific installation in collaboration with Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) at Matabe, a traditional Japanese house located in the residential area of the island.
《珍珠—南方視野的女性藝術》Ocean in Us: Southern Visions of Women Artists
Photo Credit: Anne Samat
Venue: Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, South+ Special Collection Galleries
Date: 5 Oct 2024 to 16 Mar 2025
Ocean in Us: Southern Visions of Women Artists is a collaborative exhibition between the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, National Gallery Singapore, and the Singapore Art Museum. Drawing from the female artists' collections of the three institutions, the exhibition explores various aspects of contemporary women's art along the following themes: The Landscape of the Body, Ways of Healing, Migration and Settlement, and Non-human and Ecologies – foregrounding international interdisciplinary connections while revealing the multifaceted and flourishing landscape of contemporary women's artistic expressions. Ocean in Us also marks the 30th anniversary of KMFA and the third exhibition of the museum's "Constructing Historical Pluralism" series – focused on presenting narratives from the peripheries.
