artLIVE – The Singapore Biennale 2025 (SB2025) will bring together over 80 local and international artists. With the theme ‘Pure Intention’, the event takes art to familiar places like residential areas, historical sites, and shopping centers, offering the public an opportunity to explore everyday life through the lens of contemporary art.
Established in 2006, the Singapore Biennale is a prestigious platform for contemporary art that has helped establish Singapore as a hub for international art. SB2025 is more than just a showcase; it’s a cross-border dialogue that connects the past, present, and future, inviting a collective vision of humanity’s shared future.
Art in the rhythm of daily life
The eighth edition of the Biennale is organized by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC). It is also a key event celebrating Singapore’s 60th National Day (SG60). The theme ‘Pure Intention’ offers a new way of looking at art, using it as a lens to reflect on urbanization and social change, and to spark contemplation on the elements that form individual and collective identity.
Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth, Mr. David Neo, shared, “SB2025 provides an opportunity for Singaporeans and international visitors to experience and appreciate Singapore at 60 through contemporary art. Art is crucial in building a cohesive society, and this year’s Biennale will bring art directly to the places where people live, work, and play.”
Participating artists hail from Singapore, Southeast Asia, and countries like Argentina, Australia, Germany, India, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States. They will present over 100 works, including more than 30 new commissions. The works span various forms, including performance, installation, sculpture, photography, and video art.
Curators Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Ong Puay Khim, and Selena Yap, along with their Singaporean and international collaborators, will work with the artists to explore the connections between architecture, society, culture, and the urban rhythm of Singapore, linking local experiences to global narratives.
Art awakens urban memory
A special highlight of SB2025 is the display of artworks along the Rail Corridor and in two residential areas rich with urban memories: Wessex Estate and Tanglin Halt.
These spaces, once tied to daily life, are now ‘awakened’ by creative expression. Artists Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) and Guo-Liang Tan (Singapore) transform cinematic backgrounds into visually rich outdoor installations.
Emily Floyd (Australia) has created an open-air sculptural library in Wessex Estate, which serves as both an art piece and a community space.
At Tanglin Halt market, Joo Choon Lin (Singapore) will present a multi-sensory performance that challenges familiar perceptions of the world around us. These works not only revive historical traces but also offer new experiences where art blends seamlessly with the daily rhythm of life.
A dialogue between heritage and new creation
In the Civic District, SB2025 will feature works that delve into layers of historical memory, from the legacy of immigrant communities and wartime memories to the aspiration for peace and unity.
Artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Vietnam/USA) will present Temple, a work using materials from unexploded ordnance in Quang Tri (Viet Nam) to create a healing soundscape. The audience is invited to a journey of listening and contemplating land, memory, and conflict.
Kapwani Kiwanga (Canada/France) brings her installation Flowers for Africa: Rwanda, a fresh floral triumphal arch that commemorates Rwanda’s independence while reflecting on the fragility and resilience of collective memory.
Beyond historical landmarks, the Biennale also extends its reach to beloved shopping centers like Lucky Plaza and the Far East Shopping Centre. These places are melting pots that house diverse immigrant communities, adding vibrant color to Singapore‘s cultural mosaic.
Through these works, the Biennale shows that art not only retells history but also connects everyday stories, reflecting the richness of urban identity amidst modernization.
Memory and the present meet in a creative flow
At Tanjong Pagar Distripark, SB2025 will create a unique dialogue between works from the National Collection and contemporary creations. Visitors can view classic paintings, prints, and photographs by artists like Liu Kang, Lim Mu Hue, Lim Yew Kuan, and Wu Peng Seng, placed alongside experimental new works.
A notable example is Offspring by Pierre Huyghe (France/Chile), an ambiguous space that shifts with the climate and viewer movement, making each experience unique.
The project Figures, dedications, and civilisations by the curatorial group Hyphen (Indonesia) reinterprets historical Indonesian dioramas, opening new possibilities from collective memory.
More than just an exhibition space, the Biennale will also spread to public libraries, shopping centers, and other familiar city locations, ensuring that art is not a stranger but a true part of daily life.
Art has the power to transcend space and time, connecting the stories of the past with the breath of the present while opening up opportunities for the future. At the Singapore Biennale 2025, classic works from the National Collection are placed alongside contemporary creations, building a bridge that connects multiple generations.
Viewers are not just admiring artworks; they are also feeling how art preserves memory, sparks dialogue, and inspires us to continue writing our own cultural stories.
Photo: Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
