Things To Do In Singapore: Singapore Art Museum's New Exhibitions, A Kiki Ball & More
Our weekly edit of things to check out.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
This week, head down to Singapore Art Museum's new slate of programmes at its Tanjong Pagar Distripark site, where there are exhibitions and activities for all demographics – and a new cafe space to relax at within the space. More details below.
Beloved theatre company Wild Rice is re-staging Straight Acting. Written by Thomas Lim, the play first premiered in sold-out runs last year, hence why the company is bringing it back for a limited run. As suggested in its name, the storyline focuses on two LGBTQ+ couples who pretend to be straight in order to start a family and make a life together in Singapore.
For those who first caught it last year and are wondering if you should catch it again, there are slight tweaks to the storyline. “I’m excited to revisit this work and try out some new ideas that I’ve had since its premiere last year,” says Lim in the press release.
Having caught the play in person at its opening weekend this year, we have to say that Straight Acting managed to empathetically convey the perspectives of various stakeholders on various ends of the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Get your tickets here now.
On now till July 2 at Wild Rice @ Funan, Level 4 Funan
Following Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark's official opening in January this year, the institution is hosting a slew of new exhibitions on site. Kicking off the new wave of exhibitions from May 28 to August 14 is Superfluous Things: Paper, which explores the role of paper in today’s world as a medium and carrier of ideas.
Five vibrant works presented by nine contemporary artists, including Cheryl Teo, Nabilah Said, Jumaadi, Li Hongbo, Phunkand Keiichi Tanaami (pictured), transforms paper into objects of visual feast and emotional resonance, with 80 per cent of the material used in the exhibition being paper-based.
Then, there's also the multi-sited Lonely Vectors programme, an exhibition that looks at the different ways we connect to the world through an examination of the global economy and its circulation of goods and commodities – a hyper-timely topic undoubtedly, given the global war for manpower, migration and rising inflation all around the world. The show will run till Sep 4.
And finally, explore the newly opened Epigram Coffee Bookshop, which is co-run by independent local publisher Epigram Bookshop and Balestier Market Collective. It's an excellent spot for coffee and to check out local titles, as it represents Epigram’s only physical store in Singapore, carrying over 450 titles spanning a wide spectrum of genres.
39 Keppel Rd, #01-02
We recently photographed the madcap group behind Vogue In Progress for our June 2022. Comprising (pictured from left) dancer/one-half of the popular dance duo ScRach MarcS, Rachel Lee; nightlife impresario Bobby Luo; drag queen Vanda Miss Joaquim; veteran dancer, choreographer and singer Amin Alifin; and writer-slash-comedian Jess V, they had organised the Crystal Ball in 2019.
The event was Singapoe's first vogue ball but had to be put on hiatus due to the pandemic. This weekend, Luo and co. are back in the thick of things with a Kiki Ball; very fitting, what with it being Pride Month and all. For the uninitiated, a Kiki Ball is where things are more light-hearted than a traditional vogue ball – less competitive and more friendly for beginners to participate in. Head down to the Projector X: Riverside Point to get dazzled.
June 25 from 6:3opm t0 1:30am at Projector X: Riverside Point, #04-13 Riverside Point