Watch a Cambodian circus when the Singapore Biennale kicks off this weekend
Titled Every Step In The Right Direction, this year’s festival opens across 11 venues from Friday (Nov 22) and will run until Mar 22, 2020.
Phare, the Battambang Circus from Cambodia. (Photo: Phare, the Battambang Circus)
The Singapore Biennale is back for its sixth edition, and this year’s event will feature 77 artists and art directives from 36 categories and territories.
Commissioned by the National Arts Council and organised by the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Biennale 2019 (SB2019) opens across 11 venues in Singapore from Friday (Nov 22) and will run until Mar 22, 2020.
These sites include the National Gallery Singapore, Gillman Barracks, Lasalle College of the Arts, the National Library and the Asian Civilisations Museum.
Titled Every Step In The Right Direction, there will be a strong focus on Southeast Asia with over 150 works across diverse mediums such as film, installation, sound art and performance. There will also be 50 new commissions and works that have never been presented in contemporary art biennales and exhibitions internationally.
The opening weekend will feature programmes for the public, including artist performances, curator and artist tours and talks. These include Chang En-Man’s showcase of Taiwanese aboriginal recipes and locally-inspired recipes at the Telok Ayer Arts Club on Saturday (Nov 23), and the Phum Style show at Far East Plaza on Nov 23 and 24, featuring Phare, the Battambang Circus from Cambodia.
You can view a complete calendar of programmes here.
SB2019 artistic director Patrick Flores leads a team of six curators who bring together a wide spectrum of interests and experiences. He said in a statement, “I hope that this Biennale will inspire creativity and creation, and renew a necessary sense of curiosity and attentiveness to the everyday.”
Added Rosa Daniel, CEO of The National Arts Council: “The Singapore Biennale offers rich opportunities for Singaporeans to experience and be curious about contemporary art of Southeast Asia, while expanding its visibility and scholarship in the region. With the exhibition sited at historical, cultural, and public sites across Singapore, we hope that through art, Singaporeans deepen their connection with the city and the region, and overseas visitors will discover more about Singapore and Southeast Asia.”
Previous editions of the Biennale ran in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2016. It was established as the country’s pre-eminent platform for international dialogue in contemporary art.
