The show goes on for Singapore Art Week despite tourist restrictions, with a focus on introducing art to the community
- The arts are more important than ever in a global crisis, says festival organiser, and commissioning new works supports artists and art businesses
- One such project consists of installations and interventions by Singapore-based artists at stops along an east-west bus route in the city state
Singapore Art Week (SAW) gets under way this week, even though the country has yet to relax quarantine requirements for most overseas visitors.
The event will feature dozens of exhibitions and public art installations, a symposium and the third edition of a boutique Southeast Asian art fair, kicking off on January 22. While much of the nine-day programme is taking place live, virtual tours and online talks may still attract a healthy number of international participants and keep the art week from being a parochial affair, Tong says.
The arts take on even more importance during a global crisis, Tong says. The commissioning of projects for SAW by the arts council, a Singaporean government body which took over the festival’s programming in 2016 from the tourism board, provides material support to arts practitioners and art businesses after a tough year.
The city of 5.7 million began a third phase of social distancing relaxations on December 28, which has allowed more people to visit galleries and experience art out on the streets.