Things To Do In Singapore: Singapore Clay Festival Opens & More
Our weekly edit of things to check out.
By Keng Yang Shuen & Hidzir Junaini,
November is off to a good start with a variety of events this weekend – pottery lovers should definitely make a beeline for the Singapore Clay Festival, which is the genre's largest event of its kind here and presents a good overview of the scene. It's also a good place to start shopping for all those Christmas gifts – there'll be a market where over 3,000 works will be up for sale. More details below.
Pottery continues to be on the rise: after last year's hit debut edition, Singapore Clay Festival is moving to a bigger space at ArtSpace@HeluTrans in Tanjong Pagar Distripark to better accommodate enthusiasts. This year, its Clay Makers’ Market will feature over 3,000 works for sale by more than 200 makers (read: prep your wallets), alongside three specially curated exhibitions that all represent different facets of the development of Singapore’s studio pottery culture since the 1980s.
There are established masters like Agnes Lim, Steven Low Thia Kwang and Teo Huey Ling, who will be conducting masterclasses, but there will also be many emerging names showcased, so it's essentially the festival is essentially a snapshot of the thriving pottery scene in Singapore at the moment.
Get your tickets here.
Nov 2-5, 12pm-8pm (Nov 2), 10am-8pm (Nov 3-4), 10am-6pm (Nov 5), at Artspace @ Helutrans, #01-05 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road
VISIT THIS SEMINAL ARTIST'S NEW EXHIBITION
The final part of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery's ongoing 21st anniversary celebrations is one to savour: a solo exhibition by none other than the celebrated Korean artist Lee Bul. For the uninitiated, she's the artist who put contemporary Korean art on the map, known for her performative pieces that incorporate wearable, soft-sculptural forms that question conventional views of beauty.
The exhibition features over 60 works made in collaboration with the experts at STPI Creative Workshop, using unusual materials like copper powder and iron filings to push the boundaries of printmaking (STPI's specialty). A highlight is Untitled – SF (pictured) the work appears like thousands of pieces of broken mirrors, and was created through the laborious layering of as many as 16 layers of screen- and foil printing. The image call to mind dizzying nightscapes of a neon-lit concrete jungle where urban development and decay collide.
P.S. This exhibition contains a corridor with a mirrored floor, so audiences are advised to wear pants when visiting.
Nov 4-Dec 23, 10am-7pm daily (till 5pm on Sundays), at STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, 41 Robertson Quay
Cutting-edge collective Strange Weather follows up its eye-opening and inspiring rave last August at TheatreWorks (we still can’t get Elena Colombi’s set out of our minds) with a return to its Kelab Malam series at Boat Quay hotspot Ikigai. November’s edition features special guest Phuong-Dan, a German-born Vietnamese DJ known for his long-serving residency with Hamburg club, Golden Pudel. Beyond that, the well-travelled selector has turned heads with his idiosyncratic mixes that encompass everything from leftfield techno and EBM to rare disco and minimal wave. His deconstructed style is the perfect complement to Strange Weather co-founders A’alely and Kindergarchy, who will be the night’s supporting acts. And true to Strangeweathers' signature blend of art and music, there are also surprise performances by butoh artist XUE and an art installation by artist Sharon Shum.
Get your tickets here.
Nov 4, from 9pm till late, at Ikigai, 20 Upper Circular Road
For the last two years, OH! Open House, an experential arts group, has been running New World's End, a walking tour of Jalan Besar that allows audiences a new way to see, hear (through provided headphones), and smell Singapore. Now they're adding taste to the mix, with the launch of a new bar titled Exit Stage Left.
The group says Exit Stage Left is the first bar to only use distilled spirits from local stalwarts such as Tanglin Gin, Brass Lion, Compendium Spirits, and Singapore Distillery. These liquors are then artfully blended with natively grown or found ingredients to capture various aspects of Singapore. Highlights include Haw House Sour ($22), a gimlet infused with the familiar flavours of hawthorn berries and nutmeg; and The Songbird ($24), a twist on the classic Jungle Bird with pineapple and mango wine as well as a blend of spices. Exit Stage Left is now open to attendees of New World's End and anyone who wants to drop by for just the bar.
Open now (Wednesdays to Sundays, 5.30pm - 12am) at 85 Desker Road
If you're a fan of La Bottega Enoteca – you know, the place that nabbed the 19th spot at this year's 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific awards – well the man behind it, chef Antonio Miscellaneo, is now opening a new space named Casa Vostra. This is where you can find more experimental flavours that are exclusive to this weekend-only space, as well as the comforting pizzas, pastas and gelatos that have made La Bottega Enoteca such a hit. Here, you can also purchase pizzas to eat in the comfort of your home - the recipes have been tweaked to ensure the nosh survives the journey from oven to home. And just for this Saturday only, you can enjoy 1-for-1 Aperol spritzes.
Opens Nov 4, 11am-10pm, at 8 Ann Siang Hill
The winner of this year's Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard (the festival's section for young filmmakers), How To Have Sex is the debut feature by emerging star Molly Manning Walker. As you might guess, it's a coming-of-age piece focused on a trio of teenage girls, Tara, Skye and Em, who land in the Greek party town Malia in Crete for the vacation to end all vacations. It's an especially important vacation for Tara, the only virgin among the trio, who's looking to change that status - before the arrival of a couple of boys next door to her hotel room gives her some hope for a memorable summer. The film has a 95% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been described to capture the joy and pain of teenage girlhood without the usual coming-of-age cliches.
Get your tickets here.
Screening now at The Projector, #05-00 Golden Mile Tower