Elevating local artists and Singapore visual arts through global exchange

1. Good evening ladies and gentlemen and a warm welcome to the 14^th Singapore Art Week, or SAW for short. Happy to see familiar faces from our local arts community, as well as friends from abroad.

2. Tonight marks the start of 10 extraordinary days where Singapore will be a living canvas – displaying the power of art to connect our communities, inspire new perspectives, and bridge our region to the world.

3. Let me first take a moment to pay tribute to a leader who left an indelible mark on Singapore’s arts and culture landscape.

   1. Dr Liu Thai Ker, who was Chairman of the National Arts Council from 1996 to 2005, passed away last Sunday.

   2. Dr Liu was a visionary builder and urban planner, having made significant contributions to our public housing and urban landscape.

   3. An architect by training, Dr Liu was also an artist. His father, Liu Kang, was one of Singapore’s most prominent pioneer artists, whose works are displayed here in the National Gallery.

   4. Dr Liu himself had a keen eye for aesthetics, and we see this reflected in our iconic cityscapes today.

      1. He was also an ardent supporter of the arts. Under his leadership, the National Arts Council implemented the Renaissance City Report, establishing Singapore as a global arts city and cultivating greater appreciation for local arts and culture.

      2. This vision continues to resonate today in Our SG Arts Plan. We support our artists to venture abroad and showcase their works. And through programmes like ArtsEverywhere@CDC and the SG Culture Pass, we are also widening access to the arts.

   5. So events like SAW stand on the shoulders of giants like Dr Liu.

SAW’s Premier Position

4. SAW has become the premier platform for visual arts in Southeast Asia.

   1. For 14 years, we have brought together artists, curators, thought leaders, professionals, and art lovers from all around the world to enjoy and engage with the very best of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art.

5. And this year, SAW features over 900 practitioners across 200 events and programmes.

   1. And the roster of artists ranges from emerging talent to established masters, spanning generations, cultures, and disciplines. This is our biggest and most inclusive SAW to date.

   2. SAW is more than a festival. It is a confluence point and it is gateway for artistic exchange.

   3. And of course, it is an opportunity for all Singaporeans to enjoy and experience art, not just in museums or galleries, but also in our everyday spaces.

SAW as a Key Incubator for Local Artists

6. Most importantly, SAW is a key platform to profile our local artists, and I am delighted that this time round, more than half the artists showcased in the 200 SAW events this year are Singaporeans.

   1. And we will continue to give our artists a global stage and a thriving marketplace through events like SAW.

   2. Galleries such as Ota Fine Arts, Haridaas Contemporary and Sullivan+Strumpf are featuring solo presentations of exciting Singaporean artists.

7. We are also shining a spotlight on local artists in dialogue with their foreign counterparts.

8. A highlight is Wan Hai Hotel: Singapore Strait.

   1. This is a heritage hotel transformed into an experiential exhibition, featuring works by Ho Tzu Nyen, Ming Wong, Robert Zhao, Dawn Ng, and John Clang, and artists from many different countries, from the Philippines to Guatemala.

   2. The “Hotel” has “travelled” here from Shanghai. This iteration exclusively features Southeast Asian programming, inspired by Singapore’s position as a meeting point for global and regional commerce and culture.

9. So through SAW, we are also showcasing our artists on the cutting edge of visual expression when arts meets technology.

   1. One such example is chapalang, which explores how technologies have been received and configured in Southeast Asia. And the project features Singaporean artists Margaret Tan, Tisya Wong, and Yang Jia, alongside regional artists.

   2. Another example is Ground Loops, a collaboration between local arts and tech research lab Feelers and New York’s School of Poetic Computations that explores language, archives, and contemporary technologies.

10. And through shows like these, we hope to enable our artists to access global networks, expand cross-cultural dialogue, and maybe push the boundaries of visual arts.

Elevating the Southeast Asian Art Market

11. Beyond the creative spark, another core mission of SAW is strengthening the Southeast Asian art market.  

    1. For the first time ever, we have co-located ART SG and S.E.A. Focus at Marina Bay Sands.

    2. And this pairing offers collectors and visitors a good range of international and regional works under one roof.

12. So combined with Sotheby’s return for their second auction during SAW and milestones like Gajah Gallery’s 30^th anniversary, we want to make Singapore the art heartbeat of our Southeast Asian region.

    1. We want to create opportunities for local and regional artists to showcase their work on the global stage, and attract strong interest from collectors.

Arts for Everyone

13. So finally, SAW is about bringing art to everyone.

14. Beyond museums, galleries, and auction houses, SAW 2026 continues the tradition of weaving art into our urban fabric through our island-wide programming.

    1. The “Next Stop: Together!”, jointly presented by NAC, LTA, SMRT, and ART:DIS is one such meaningful project featuring artwork by artists together with persons with disabilities.

    2. Singaporeans can enjoy these precious works of art in eight MRT stations, as well as on a new mobile Art Bus as part of their daily commutes.

    3. And the iconic Light to Night festival just right here in the Civic District celebrates its 10^th anniversary with its longest season ever – four weekends of large-scale installations, projection mappings, and participatory programmes.

15. And we’ve also ramped up efforts to ensure that the art being showcased is accessible to all.

16. So I want to thank all of you here – our artists, curators, collectors, and supporters. It’s your passion that makes SAW possible. Shall we give a big round of applause to everybody here. Thank you for all your support. And we really want to encourage more Singaporeans to take part and enjoy the events and shows.

17. Wishing everybody a great evening. Thank you.