The Art Lover’s Guide to Singapore

Since Crazy Rich Asians, Singapore has often been viewed as a glossy fantasy of excess—but the city’s cultural life tells a far more nuanced story. Singapore is well on its way to becoming one of Asia’s major culture and style destinations. Last November brought Chanel’s cruise 2025-26 show to the city-state’s iconic Raffles Hotel, while the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize exhibition is scheduled to open in Singapore this spring. Later this year, the arrival of NoMad Singapore will mark the hotel brand’s first location in Asia.

From January 22 to 31, Singapore Art Week (SAW) will electrify the city, anchored by ART SG, the annual art fair held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, alongside a constellation of exhibitions, activations, and events across the island. Expect to see a mix of artists, curators, dealers, and collectors from the region and beyond to descend on the city-state. “During Singapore Art Week, the city becomes a vibrant hub of artistic activity, with programming presented by visual art museums, private collections, and cultural partners,” says Magnus Renfrew, cofounder of ART SG and former director of Art Basel Hong Kong.

The 2026 edition of ART SG will feature more than 100 galleries from over 30 countries, including White Cube, Thaddaeus Ropac, Goodman Gallery, Commonwealth and Council, and Sundaram Tagore Gallery. Highlights this year include the fair’s first Performance Art sector, showcasing artists John Clang and Brian Fuata, as well as a film program titled “Would You Tell Me a Story Until I Fall Asleep?” with works by Samson Young, Lêna Bùi, Lo Lai Lai Natalie, Marcel Odenbach, plus more at the ArtScience Museum. This year also introduces the ART SG Futures prize, which rewards $10,000 to an outstanding emerging artist in the Futures sector. Additionally, the eighth edition of S.E.A. Focus, a platform centering Southeast Asian contemporary art, will present work by artists such as Enka Komariah, Ben Loong, and Nicole Coson, through galleries including Silverlens, Mizuma Gallery, and A+ Contemporary.

Singapore’s art scene has been on an upward trajectory since the 2010s, marked by the transformation of Gillman Barracks into a gallery hub, the opening of National Gallery Singapore, and the inaugural edition of ART SG in 2023. “The scene has matured quickly in both confidence and infrastructure,” ART SG director Shuyin Yang says. “There is greater ambition in programming, stronger international visibility, and a deeper network connecting galleries, institutions, independent spaces, and collectors. Importantly, there is now a clearer sense of Singapore’s role within Southeast Asia—not just as a market, but as a platform for artistic exchange and long-term ecosystem building.”

Along with Renfrew and Yang, W invited three art-world voices to reflect on their favorite places to see art in Singapore: Bessie Ye, founder and designer of the Singaporean minimalist clothing label Rye; Ute Meta Bauer, director of the Centre for Contemporary Art and professor at Nanyang Technological University’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; and Kristen Millar, global brand director of NoMad Hotels.

Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait

Named after a modest one-star hotel in Chinatown Penang, Malaysia, this group exhibition—featuring 20 artists like Stephanie Comilang, Joshua Serafin, and Dawn Ng—will take over The Warehouse Hotel for 12 days. A collaboration between ART SG and Shanghai’s Rockbund Art Museum, the exhibition explores archipelagic thinking and maritime identity. “This special iteration transforms the lobby of The Warehouse Hotel—a restored heritage property on Robertson Quay—into an immersive exhibition space,” Renfrew says.

National Gallery Singapore

With a collection spanning thousands of Southeast Asian works from the 19th century to today, National Gallery Singapore holds the world’s largest public collection of modern and contemporary art from Singapore and Southeast Asia. Yang recommends the museum for “its incredible collection of Southeast Asian art,” while Ye calls it “a constant reference point for Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art, offering depth, context, and historical grounding.” Bauer notes that Bras Basah and the Civic District, the area surrounding the museum, “offer insight into the region’s diverse historical, modern, and contemporary art histories, from the National Gallery Singapore to the Asian Civilisations Museum, the Peranakan Museum, and the National Museum of Singapore.” Prepare to be impressed by the museum’s illuminated facade this January, as part of Light to Night.

STPI

Comprising both a workshop and gallery dedicated to printmaking, STPI (Singapore Tyler Print Institute) invites international artists—including Rirkrit Tiravanija, Do Ho Suh, Trenton Doyle Hancock, and Haegue Yang—to participate in intensive printmaking residencies and exhibitions. According to Bauer, STPI “provides a cutting-edge interpretation of what printmaking can encompass today.” Ye calls it “a cornerstone of Singapore’s art ecosystem, particularly for its rigorous approach to printmaking, material experimentation, and long-term artist collaborations.”

New Bahru

This lifestyle destination, home to local independent brands, reflects Singapore’s ambition to foster creative communities. Referred to by Bauer as “the newest kid on the block,” New Bahru brings together galleries, restaurants, and emerging design enterprises, including the Tanoto Art Foundation’s temporary home. Ye notes that “Rituals of Perception,” the foundation’s Singapore Art Week exhibition, “underscores New Bahru’s emergence as one of Singapore’s most dynamic cultural clusters.” The exhibition explores the relationship between body and matter and features an opening performance by Sriwhana Spong.

Gillman Barracks

Formerly British military barracks, Gillman Barracks was relaunched in 2013 as a contemporary art destination. Currently home to NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Sullivan+Strumpf, Ota Fine Arts, and others, the precinct is expected to remain a gallery district until 2030, when it may be rezoned for residential use. Bauer describes it as “home to international and local galleries presenting high-quality works by artists from around the globe.”

NoMad Singapore

Although NoMad’s first Asian outpost will not open until the end of this year, the luxury lifestyle hotel is already positioning its Singapore property as an art destination. The hotel has acquired 1,800 artworks, including pieces by Andy Yang, Robert Zhao, Toni Cuhadi, Yanyun Chen, and Kayleigh Goh, with 90 percent of the collection by Singapore-based artists. NoMad Singapore is also partnering with Art:Dis, a foundation that advocates for and creates opportunities for people with disabilities through art. “NoMad Singapore offers a new platform for expression and discussion—partnering with, acquiring, and commissioning a significant number of Singapore-based artists,” said Millar. “By fostering moments of cultural exchange and connection with guests from around the world, we are delighted to support local culture and offer a different kind of experience for both artist and viewer.”