It’s easy to overlook the city’s smaller, offbeat gems when the city’s top museums dominate itineraries. It’s time to broaden your horizons with these alternatives to heavyweights and explore the world of contemporary art.
Visit these alternative art galleries in Singapore to meet the cool artsy cats. Who knows, you might discover a new favourite artist.
- Shout Art Hub and Gallery
- Cuturi Gallery
- YEO Workshop
- Art Porters Gallery
- STPI
- FOST Gallery
- Singapore Musical Box Museum
- Vintage Cameras Museum
- Yavuz Gallery
- Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film
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Why visit the art galleries in Singapore?
Singapore’s contemporary art scene blossomed soon after the Southeast Asian city-independence state from Malaysia in 1965, with works reflecting the emerging nation’s rich, multicultural heritage and desire to forge its own identity.
From independent shows to professionally curated works, we’ve compiled a list of amazing art galleries in Singapore that you should definitely visit. If you’re local or visiting, these are a must-visit.
Shout Art Hub and Gallery
This Hong Kong-based art hub and gallery is unapologetic about its art and personality. This expansive space in Scotts Square is constantly filled with vibrant and contemporary artwork that is both playful and thought-provoking. In addition, if you really like a piece, you can buy it from the website. Paintings on canvas, ceramic sculptures, and even origami are examples of artwork.
Address: 02-04/05/06/07, Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road, Singapore 228209
Cuturi Gallery
Cuturi Gallery is located in the ethnic enclave of Kampong Gelam, which is part of the larger Bugis area. The gallery space is reminiscent of its beginnings on Scotts Road, with streamlined and minimalistic interiors that don’t detract from the main attraction: the artworks themselves. The gallery is well-known for its artist residencies and for identifying emerging local talent such as Vanessa Liem and Shen Jiaqi, as well as for representing international artists such as Vincent Fournier and Louis Granet.
Address: 61 Aliwal St, Singapore 199937
YEO Workshop
The gallery, named after producer/owner Audrey Yeo, hosts talks and symposiums in addition to exhibitions, with the goal of educating the public. Among the exhibition’s highlights is artist Xue Mu’s intriguingly titled Liquid Truth. Mu, who received his education in both Asia and Europe, deconstructs famous Western paintings such as Rodin’s “The Thinker” and Michelangelo’s “David” by shifting their proportions and modes of presentation. The former is shrunken onto a crumpled piece of paper, while the latter is imposingly projected onto a massive curtain.
Art Porters Gallery
Art Porters Gallery, located on Spottiswoode Park Road in a Peranakan shophouse, focuses on contemporary art and developing relationships with international artists. Drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and digital animation are among the works on display.
Address: 64 Spottiswoode Park Rd, Singapore 088652
STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery
STPI, which is part artist workshop and part gallery, hosts exhibitions that provide insight into the artists’ creative processes.
Their mission is to strengthen Singapore’s position in the art world by providing a platform and forum for international artists such as renowned Belgian artist Carsten Holler, whose work has been featured in the Tate Modern in London and the New Museum in New York, among many others.
FOST Gallery
FOST Gallery has established a reputation as one of Singapore’s more innovative galleries, presenting works by both established and emerging artists from Singapore and abroad since its inception in 2006.
FOST Gallery has established a reputation as one of Singapore’s most innovative galleries, presenting works by both established and emerging artists from Singapore and abroad since its inception in 2006. The gallery, located at Gillman Barracks, features artists such as Adeel Uz Zafar (Pakistan), Lavendar Chang (Taiwan), and Kray Chen (Singapore).
Address: 1 Lock Rd, #01-02 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108932
Singapore Musical Box Museum
In a museum dedicated to these delightful trinkets, be enchanted by tinkling musical boxes. The museum’s doors open to centuries of history. Learn about the history of musical boxes, how they first arrived in Singapore, and how Singapore played a key role in bringing musical boxes to Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The majority of the musical boxes on display are centuries-old antiques, each with its own story to tell about the craftsmanship of yesteryear. The museum’s mission is to preserve these artefacts, and its collections are primarily from Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.
Address: 168 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068619
Vintage Cameras Museum
This museum, the first of its kind in the country, is built to resemble a massive Rollei camera and houses over 1000 vintage cameras. It houses everything from vintage spy cameras to novel pistol cameras, as well as retro images, interesting photography trivia, and a fascinating replica of the first photograph – this museum is a shutterbug’s dream come true.
Address: 8C Jln Kledek, Singapore 199263
Yavuz Gallery
Since its inception in 2010, this gallery has focused on exhibiting art from the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular emphasis on work with social significance. Fear, a photo exhibit by Manit Sriwanichpoom, unflinchingly documented five years of political unrest in Thailand, capturing not only the artist’s personal emotions but also a glimpse of day-to-day life for ordinary citizens. The evocative textile installation Recovering the Past by Burmese artist Htein Lin parallels Myanmar’s history and Lin’s experience
Address: 9 Lock Rd, #02-23, Singapore 108937
Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film
This quaint gallery is housed in a colourful former church that harkens back to the city-British state’s colonial past. The atmosphere is decidedly modern on the inside, with a focus on video installations, photography, and found art sculptures. Ardi Makki Gunawan’s Fantasy Island exhibit sheds light on the Batan sex industry. “Proposal to Gaze-Subverting, Loosely” weaves sex worker reviews onto colourful tapestries strewn with Hello Kitty
Address: 155 Middle Rd, Singapore 188977
Have we missed out on any art galleries in Singapore?
If we’ve missed out on any in your list of the best art galleries in Singapore, leave us a comment and we’ll be sure to add them into the next list we compile.
