When Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence in 2025, the city will not only look back on its rapid evolution but also look forward through the transformative lens of contemporary art.
The Singapore Biennale 2025 (SB2025), organised by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and commissioned by the National Arts Council, will mark the occasion with a city-wide exhibition featuring more than 80 artists from Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond.
Running from 31 October 2025 to 29 March 2026, the eighth edition of the Biennale will be anchored by the theme ‘Pure Intention’. It seeks to reframe the everyday – our homes, neighbourhoods, and shared urban landscapes – through encounters with art that provoke reflection and connection.
A Biennale Woven into the City
Unlike traditional exhibitions confined to galleries, SB2025 will be dispersed across four distinct areas of Singapore. From the greenery of the Rail Corridor and the historic black-and-white homes of Wessex Estate, to the vibrant bustle of Tanglin Halt market, and the cultural institutions of the Civic District, the Biennale encourages audiences to discover art in unexpected places.
The exhibition extends into familiar yet often overlooked social spaces such as strata-titled malls, including Lucky Plaza and Far East Shopping Centre. These locations, shaped by Singapore’s property policies of past decades, have since evolved into cultural microcosms, sustaining immigrant entrepreneurs and diverse communities. By engaging with such sites, SB2025 invites audiences to reflect on the resilience of social spaces amidst the city-state’s rapid urban change.
Complementing these grounded locations, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, home to the Singapore Art Museum’s main galleries, will anchor key exhibitions and dialogues. Here, historic works from Singapore’s National Collection will be juxtaposed against contemporary installations, sparking conversations between past and present.
Global Voices, Local Reflections
SB2025 will feature more than 100 works, including over 30 newly commissioned pieces across film, installation, performance, and sculpture. Participating artists hail from Singapore, Southeast Asia, Argentina, Australia, Germany, India, South Korea, Türkiye, the United States, and beyond, offering a timely global survey of contemporary practice.
Highlights include:
– Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) and Guo-Liang Tan (Singapore) reimagining cinematic backdrops into a kinetic outdoor installation along the Rail Corridor.
– Emily Floyd (Australia) presenting a vibrant sculptural library at Wessex Estate, doubling as both gathering space and open-access knowledge hub.
– Joo Choon Lin (Singapore) staging a performance installation at Tanglin Halt market that interrogates perception and movement.
– Gala Porras-Kim (Colombia/USA/UK) spotlighting migrant worker poetry as a meditation on labour and rest in the Civic District.
– Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Vietnam/USA) inviting visitors to co-create a healing soundscape from elements of unexploded ordnance at National Gallery Singapore’s rooftop.
– Beyond these, roving projects—such as a pop-up board game centre designed by Akira Takayama/Port B (Japan) in collaboration with students from the National University of Singapore—will appear in regional libraries and community hubs.
Connecting People, Spaces and Stories
The Biennale underscores how Singapore’s layered histories—whether embodied in pre-colonial landmarks, colonial relics, modern malls, or housing estates—continue to shape collective identity. At its heart, Pure Intention is about rediscovering the stories embedded in the everyday, and opening new possibilities for dialogue across communities and cultures.
Event Details
Dates: 31 October 2025 – 29 March 2026
Main venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Other venues: Rail Corridor South, Wessex Estate, Tanglin Halt, Civic District, Orchard Road, and other public spaces across Singapore
Tickets:
– SGD15 (Singaporeans & Permanent Residents)
– SGD25 (Tourists & Foreign Residents)
– Free admission for local and locally-based students and educators
– Early bird tickets (20% discount) available from 17 September – 30 October 2025
– Singaporeans may also use SG Culture Pass credits
Website
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