Things to Do in Art SG Inside and Out of Marina Bay Sands

(SPOT.ph) We’re down to just a few more days before the first big art event of the year in the Southeast Asian region opens to the public. Art SG is slated to officially kickstart this coming Friday, January 17, and will be ongoing until Sunday, January 19, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands. It is expected to draw in a big crowd from all over Asia and beyond, what with the fair’s promise to showcase the best and most intriguing of contemporary art both by Asian and non-Asian artists. Expect to see Filipino art and artists represented, too, of course.

But while there will be a ton of new art to behold—paintings, sculptures, video, installations—Art SG has come up with a whole lineup of immersive/experiential activities to engage with this weekend (though some are scheduled even earlier than Friday). Activities that merge art and food, art with parties, art with architecture— in short, art-adjacent to-dos that incorporate the attractions Singapore is best known for. Here are a few you could consider checking out later this week at the Marina Bay Sands and beyond. 

Exciting activities Art SG has lined up: 

Dining has always been top consideration when traveling to Singapore, the ever-vibrant gastronomic hub, but there are also hot parties and engaging talks you might like to join during the stretch of the Art SG weekend. The Art SG people recommend experiencing the following:

Of Milk And Water
Nouri, January 16 and 18

Noted Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak and chef Ivan Brehm of the Michelin-starred Nouri will stage a collaboration that continues to explore the conversations the former started with her Breast Stupa Cookery project. The Breast Stupa Project began during the pandemic where an art space was transformed into an eatery, touching on food as a medium to be creative and also something that brings people together. The Sanpitak-Brehm collab will have a special menu "that responds to the ideas and motifs of the artist's practice," says the Artling. "Drawing inspiration from the image of Sanpitak’s breast-cloud and the Pali-Sanskrit term payotara which means ‘beholder of milk and water’, this food and art experience will explore ideas of ritual, nourishment, fertility and the union of opposites."

The Institutum And Delfina Foundation Presents: “Happy New Year: The Politics of Food”
Senang Supper Club, January 15

It's been described by Vogue Singapore as a "first-of-its-kind culinary experience" in the Lion City where "food, art and design come together in glorious fashion." The folks behind Senang Supper Club—prolific culinary author Bryan Koh, who is also chef at Chalk Farm, and John Lim, florist and architect—knows how to put together unique, delicious, and sensually gratifying dinners and promise to deliver another scintillating experience this Art SG weekend. There will be a showcase of artworks from Indochina while Svay Sareth and Yim Maline from Cambodia will talk about their artistic practice as well as the Blue Art Center, a nature-surrounded home turned non-profit art school in Siem Reap. 

Curator-led tour of Appetite
Appetite, Jan 15, 3 PM - 4 PM

Appetite is as much about art and music as it is about food and cocktails in a very chic home setting, and a tour of the establishment would indeed be a proposition not easy to refuse. Known to change their displays of exciting artworks every so often, it is collaborating with leading gallery Sullivan + Strumpf during Art SG to present a Tan Siuli-curated show. Expect to see works by Singaporean Tiffany Loy and Australian artists like Michael Lindeman and Yvette Coppersmith. But naturally, this will culminate in a special dinner, and this one is conjured by the combined imaginations of Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, another artist from Australia, and the aforementioned Ivan Brehm who is also chef and founder of Appetite. 

Canvas Of Dreams: Singapore Art Week 2025 Opening Party,
National Gallery Singapore, January 15, 7pm - 11pm

If you've ever wondered what it's like to attend a party at the stately National Gallery, the premiere art museum in Singapore, well, here it is. Be part of a gathering of artists, collectors and art enthusiasts off to celebrate the spirited and eclectic Singapore art landscape. Says the Artling, "The 'Canvas of Dreams' metaphor refers to a boundless space, filled with creative possibilities, while the 'night' setting evokes an atmosphere of inspiration and intrigue."

Following this, there are three other big parties you might want to get yourself into. Art SG, after all, is also all about schmoozing, making new connections, and having a good time. There's Artscience Museum presents: ART SG Opening Party at the ArtScience Museum (January 15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.); a Collectors Party happening at Capella on the 17th, Friday, beginning at 6 p.m.; and Soho House Presents Art SG: Art After Dark which takes place at the Warehouse Hotel, Saturday, January 18.  

For more information about ART SG and how to get into these events, visit their website (artsg.com), Instagram (@art.sg) and Facebook (artsgfair). Tickets to ART SG are available online via artsg.com/tickets. For more information about the Singapore Art Week, visit artweek.sg and its social media pages.