January 2025 Round-Up: Singapore Art Week Edition

Tanoto Art Foundation, Louis Vuitton X Murakami, New Art Museum, Haridas Contemporary, Objectifs, Gajah Gallery and ART:DIS
By Alana Malika

In a special edition of Art & Market’s monthly round-ups, we bring to you our selection of Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2025 projects. You may also like to read our preview of S.E.A. Focus and ART SG. See you at SAW!

Tanoto Art Foundation Symposium: Soul Song of a New Organisation

Performance still, Melati Suryodarmo. Image courtesy of the Tanoto Art Foundation.

The Tanoto Art Foundation (TAF) aims to support arts programming that facilitates discourses around Southeast Asian art. It will hold the TAF Symposium: Soul Song of a New Organisation during Singapore Art Week. The highly anticipated one-day event distills the spirit of the foundation’s mission to create spaces that nurture people’s engagement with contemporary art locally and regionally. The symposium features a keynote presentation and talks by leading art practitioners, as well as performances by Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo and Chinese artist Chang Yuchen.

‘Tanoto Art Foundation Symposium: Soul Song of a New Organisation’ will be held on 14 January 2025 at School of the Arts in Singapore. More information here. Register for the event here.

Louis Vuitton x Murakami Pop-Up

Facade of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami Pop-Up in Singapore. Image courtesy of Gusto Collective.

Louis Vuitton unveils a re-edition of its iconic collaboration with Takashi Murakami two decades after their first collection. The new collection includes 200 new pieces that reprise popular designs such as the smiley flowers while debuting cutting-edge technology that further enhances the technicolor prints Murakami is known for. The pop-up in Singapore will celebrate the milestone with an immersive set design and in-store activations.

‘Louis Vuitton x Murakami Pop-Up’ is on view from 4 to 19 January 2025 at 72 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore. Register for the pop-up here.

Alternate Reality

Nurrachmacht Widyasena, ‘QE II N-C #1,’ 2023, enamel paint on resin, 80 x 110 x 9cm. Image courtesy of New Art Museum Singapore.

‘Alternate Reality’ will be the first exhibition at the New Art Museum Singapore exclusively featuring Southeast Asian artists. Curated by Nim Niyomsin, the show will feature eight artists from: Ong Kian Peng from Singapore, Imhathai Suwatthanasilp from Thailand, Le Quy Tong from Vietnam, and Maharani Mancanagara from Indonesia. The participating artists’ works contemplate the ambiguities of perception, because of how narratives can be easily manipulated through propaganda, emotion, perspective, and other factors that make objectivity elusive. 

‘Alternate Reality’ is on view from 20 December 2024 to 2 March 2025 at New Art Museum Singapore. More information here.

Another Day in Paradise

Esmond Loh, ‘Paradise,’ 2024, acrylic on canvas, 180 x 120cm. Image courtesy of Haridas Contemporary.

‘Another Day in Paradise’ is a solo exhibition by Singapore artist Esmond Loh taking place at Haridas Contemporary. The series of paintings explores Loh's multifaceted perspective on ‘Paradise’ within the context of the human experience. While weaving together a reservoir of inspirations such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Mirror, and more. The artist indulges in many themes associated with paradise such as slow living, contentedness, and escapism. Loh simultaneously draws on his experience growing up in Singapore, which is often touted as a utopia in Southeast Asia. For instance, ‘Paradise’ and ‘Big Catch’ were inspired by his childhood memories of fishing in Singapore’s reservoirs which contrasts with the city’s urban centres.

‘Another Day in Paradise’ is on view from 11 January to 16 February 2025 at Haridas Contemporary in Singapore. More information to come on the gallery’s webpage.

Hope you are keeping well!

Arabelle Zhuang, screenshots of 'Skinfolk, Kinfolk', 2025. Image courtesy of the artist.

Arabelle Zhuang, screenshots of 'Skinfolk, Kinfolk', 2025. Image courtesy of the artist.

‘Hope you are keeping well!’ is a group exhibition that will be showing at Objectifs’ Chapel Gallery this January. Four Singapore artists Hu Rui, Genevieve Leong, Huijun Lu, and Arabelle Zhuang, will present the realities of working as a professional artist under capitalism, and the resultant commodification of artistic labour. The exhibition and accompanying programmes will discuss the impact of two government initiatives in particular: the productivity campaign that ran between 1975 and 1990, and the more recent Smart Nation initiative.

‘Hope you are keeping well!’ is on view from 14 January to 9 March 2025 at Objectifs in Singapore. More information here.

Big Bang: A Myth Of Origins

Jose John Santos III, ‘From the Horse's Mouth’, 2024, assemblage of resin castings and found objects, 102 x 84 x 24cm. Image courtesy of the Gajah Gallery Singapore.

Gajah Gallery Singapore presents ‘Big Bang: Myth of Origins,’ a group exhibition delving into humanity’s long standing fascination into creation. Curated by Joyce Toh, the exhibition explores the different folk stories, scientific theories, and personal meditations that emerge from ruminating on the creation of the universe. Eleven artists from Southeast Asia are featured: Jane Lee and Susie Lingham from Singapore, Yunizar and I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih from Indonesia, Jose John Santos III, Pam Yan-Santos, Mark Justiniani, and Agnes Arellano from the Philippines and more. The works draw a parallel between humanity’s pursuit for a true narrative on creation and practising art, framing both as a journey characterised by continuous evolution.

‘Big Bang: A Myth Of Origins’ is on view from 17 January to 2 March 2025 at Gajah Gallery Singapore. More information here.

Turning Points II

Zulkhiari Lutfi, ‘Beyond the Horizon,’ 2024, painting. Image courtesy of ART:DIS.

‘Turning Points II’ is the second iteration of a group exhibition by ART:DIS that will debut 20 new artworks by artists who have received mentorship from established artists. Abraham Koh was mentored by Tang Lin-Nah to develop his practice beyond traditional representation. Under the guidance of Andy Yang, Amelia Tan will debut a large-scale triptych about coming-of-age and growing up. And Noah Tan has worked with Leo Liu to further evolve his style in creating hyper flat artworks. Last but not least, Zulkhairi Lutfi is supported by Justin Lee in his exploration of architectural painting, influenced by pop art elements.

‘Turning Points II’ is on view from 22 January to 1 February 2025 at The Arts House. More information here.