From January 13-19 2014, Singapore’s visual arts scene will come alive with the return of Singapore Art Week. Join art collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world as they flock to Singapore to attend the flurry of multisensory blockbuster art events and exhibitions around the city. Here is our pick of four not-to-be-missed events for all arts aficionados.

Art Stage Singapore

Seize the opportunity to enjoy the newest and most cutting edge masterpieces at the fourth edition of Asia’s leading contemporary art fair. Underscoring the fair’s Asian identity, Asia-Pacific galleries form 80% of the 100 galleries, and are set to exhibit a stunning range of quality works. This year, fair goers can also look forward to eight specially curated Platforms; each curated with a museum-like layout showcasing art from a specific region or country—such as Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. You will also get the chance to attend guided tours as well as talks and panel discussions featuring renowned artists and curators.

Jan 16-19 2014. Halls D, E, F, Level B2, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Ave., www.artstagesingapore.com. S$33 (day pass), S$63 (season pass).

An Evening at Gillman Barracks

Formerly a colonial barracks, this picturesque enclave comprising 16 galleries is Asia’s latestn contemporary art destination. On opening night, galleries will premiere their new shows, providing the perfect opportunity to enjoy Gillman Barrack’s diverse art offerings while connecting with fellow art lovers. During the week, be sure to stop by the Centre for Contemporary Art for exhibitions and engaging talks by art professionals. Also, don’t miss out on experimental pop-up concept, The U Factory, an eclectic showcase of Singaporean tastemakers in design, culture, art and dining.

Jan 17 2014. (Exhibitions are ongoing throughout the whole of Art Week.) 9 Lock Rd., www.gillmanbarracks.com. Free admission.

Singapore Biennale

Singapore’s premier contemporary art exhibition invites you to reconsider the world we live in through this multi-venue showcase. Titled If The World Changed, the Biennale draws on the expertise of 27 curators and features over 100 artworks from 82 artists and artist collectives. This is also the first time that more than half the works on show will be Biennale commissions. The majority of artworks are concentrated at venues in the Bras Basah and Bugis areas, making it more convenient to move from one venue to another. If you have a smartphone, you can download the special Biennale app to guide you through three special walking trails or even create your own trails based on works that you are interested in.

Through Feb 16 2014. Various venues, www.singaporebiennale.org. $10.

ART IN MOTION

Don’t forget to sign up for this bespoke art tour that will bring you to 13 participating galleries across the city’s arts and heritage district, including Raffles Hotel Arcade, Tanjong Pagar Distripark and Old Hill Street Police Station. With each gallery putting up their best exhibitions and programs, you will get to enjoy Singapore’s vibrant gallery scene in a hassle free experience. You can also look forward to mingling with artists and the who’s who of the art industry at the official launch as well as at the various brunches andcocktail receptions during the tour.

Jan 18-19 2014. Various venues. To register, log onto www.agas.org.sg or email info@agas.org.sg. Free admission.

This article was brought to you by Singapore Art Week.

Cool art exhibitions are opening every week in this Little Red Dot of ours. Not only that—next year’s Singapore Art Week will feature more than 60 independent exhibitions, alongside mammoth art fair Art Stage. Perhaps most excitingly of all, five new independent galleries have just opened with more on the way (Pearl Lam brings her Shanghainese style to Gillman Barracks from January). Here we take a look at these new arrivals and peek ahead at what’s to come.

28th Fevrier

What: Run by former photographer Dominic Khoo, the 8,000 sq. ft. art gallery is luxury and artistry personified. It was just a couple of months after Khoo decided to close down his former space at Jalan Kilang Barat (which in November held the Super O Season pop-up parties) that he reopened at this picturesque spot. “I still wanted to push the idea of art and I wanted a space where viewers can see the works through a more realistic setting, where the pieces are placed at home,” says Khoo.

Who: Never mind that it boasts a rather chi-chi setting  (customers get to rest on the luxury sofas and sip on tea or coffee while they browse), the art pieces here are an infectious mix of street art influenced works and charming one-offs, including rare early works by Samantha Lo a.k.a. SKLO and Parisian Kongo ($20,000 upwards). Images from Khoo’s photography collection, of celebrities like Maggie Cheung and Lindsay Lohan, are also on sale ($6,888 upwards), as are one-off furniture piece by Italian brand Manoteca ($11,888 upwards).

Why: The friendly atmosphere and warm ambiance makes you want to come back again and again.

Where: 6 Kay Siang Rd., 6366-4642.

When: Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 1-6pm.

Barnadas Huang

What: The latest gallery to open in Dempsey is the sister gallery of Spain’s Barnadas Huang, a 1,500 sq. ft. space that offers some of the best in European art. “We brought the gallery to Singapore because we thought there was a gap in the market when it came to contemporary European art,” says partner Abigail Wong.

Who: A staple of both veterans and emerging European artists, including names like Fernando Adam, Jesus Curia, Marc Jesus, Joan Longas and Gabriel Schmitz. Currently on show is The Real Barcelona. Works are priced from $500 upwards.

Why: Apart from one-off shows, there has never been such a huge and diverse collection of European artists under one roof in Singapore.

Where: 22 Dempsey Rd., 6635-4707, www.barnadashuang.com.

Art Stage Singapore
No self-respecting art fan should miss this one. There will be more than 100 galleries from all over the world participating, with a strong focus on the Asia Pacific region. Apart from the best in contemporary Asian art, keep a look out for big-name works from Brit greats, like Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst. It’s like Art 101 all over again.  
Jan 16-19. Halls D,E,F, Level B2, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Ave., www.artstagesingapore.com. $33 (day-pass) $63 (season-pass).

ART IN MOTION (AIM)
Art enthusiasts will have the chance to experience the best in contemporary art from 14 participating galleries, located around Bugis, Bras Basah, Gillman Barracks and Raffles Hotel Arcade, including Chan Hampe Galleries and Art Plural. You’ll get to gallery hop for free, and there are dinner parties and cocktails, in-between tours, to look forward to.  
Jan 18-19. Sign up at www.agas.org.sg/aim_event.acv or email info@agas.org.sg.

Kiko Escora
The talented Filipino artist Kiko Escora depicts the dichotomy between paint and charcoal, through his intricate exploration of contours, shadows and tones, resulting in a series of drawings of human figures in various state of ennui. This long-awaited show by the flamboyant Escora is one that we’ve been looking forward to for years.
Jan 10-16. The Drawing Room, #01-06 Gillman Barracks, 5 Lock Rd., 6694-3289, www.drawingroomgallery.com. Free.

see all exhibitions at Singapore Art Week 2014

Days We Met
This photographic exhibition from local collective 5ive Foot Way features work they’ve shot, produced and edited, of the streets both in Singapore and abroad. It is striking, thought-provoking and a window into their undeniable love for the photographic process.
Jan 8-24.Objectifs, 56A Arab St., 6293-9782, www.objectifs.com.sg. Free.

The Sanctuary of the Topsy Turvy
A showcase of wonderful, quirky photographs by 42-year-old Japanese artist Yuki Onodera. Created over the past decade, the pieces are imbued with a dichotomy of sense and wonder, as well as curiosity and insight, and feature a hip, collage-like aesthetic.
Jan 15-Feb 28. 2902 Gallery, #02-02, 222 Queen St., 6339-8655, www.2902gallery.com. Free.

Herb & Dorothy 50 x 50
Directed by Megumi Sasaki, this insightful “road movie” traces the efforts of art collectors Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who donated their entire 2,500 artworks to museums across 50 states in the US, featuring rare interviews with the couple as well as interviews with curators, visitors and other famous artists. Masaki’s earlier film Herb & Dorothy, made in 2008, will also be screened as a companion piece.
Jan 18, 4:15pm, 9:15pm; Jan 19, 4:15pm. Herb & Dorothy is on Jan 18, 2pm, 7pm; Jan 19, 2pm. Screening Room, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429, +65 6336-3021, www.theartshouse.com.sg. $12 from the website or venue.

see all exhibitions at Singapore Art Week 2014

Tell us what Art Loft is all about.
Art Loft is a platform that features interesting Asian contemporary artists. We go beyond the artwork to share their creative process which often goes unheard. Through collaborations in both physical and virtual spaces, we hope to break down conventional barriers and encourage everyone to discover, learn and collect art.

Who do you work with?
We collaborate with art spaces, organizations and schools to build greater exposure for artists to showcase their works.

What does Art Loft have planned for the year?
During the month of December, we'll be collaborating with The Old Parliament House for our online charity initiative, For Art's Sake, on our website. Part of the sales proceeds from selected artworks will be donated to The Business Times Budding Artist Fund, an initiative of The Old Parliament House that seeks to provide art education to disadvantaged children and youth.

Any plans to hold a physical exhibition?
We do have an intimate, creative space in a shophouse along Mohamed Sultan Road, which we currently use as a showroom and for meetings with our partners and clients. In 2014, we're also looking at exploring a rotating gallery format to showcase emerging artists in different venues, including Design Hub and other spaces.

To view and purchase works, log on to the Art Loft website.

How did you come up with the name?
Pythagoras was supposedly the first philosopher, but he was also the founder of a religion, where the disciples had to listen to their master's teachings from behind a screen or a veil of curtains so that one was able to focus entirely on just the voice without any visual distraction.  This was the starting point, or the organizational principle for this exhibition.

How was it conceptualized?
The show is essentially built around four works. The first is a 2009 piece called “NEWTON” (named after the scientist), the second is a six-minute fragment which I extracted from my 2009 work called “EARTH”, and which I renamed MILTON (after the poet of Paradise Lost). The third is a 2013 piece called “GOULD” (after the pianist), and the fourth is the new video work made for this exhibition, called “PYTHAGORAS”, which involves the projection of curtains onto a set of automated curtains. Then I worked on creating a system which allows me to show all four works in a single space, choreographed in such a way that they resonate and react with one another.

Tell us more about the video piece.
I find curtains to be highly fascinating objects. They are screens that veil but are, at the same time, screens for the projection of desires. They make known the presence of wind, passing through openings and cracks. But I'm also obsessed with the voice—voices in the head, voices hidden behind veils, disembodied voices, voices of authority and trickery.

What fascinates you as an artist?
I'm interested in sensations that can't be named.

PYTHAGORAS is on through Dec 15. Michael Janssen Gallery. Free.