Singapore Biennale returns with theme of pure intention
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(From left) Singapore Art Museum curators Hsu Fang-Tze, Selene Yap, Duncan Bass and Ong Puay Khim will be leading the Singapore Biennale 2025.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM
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SINGAPORE – The Singapore Biennale returns from Oct 31 to March 29, 2026 with the theme of pure intention.
The eighth edition of the Biennale (SB2025) aims to encourage visitors to consider Singapore, its history and its future, as the Republic celebrates its 60th birthday in 2025.
The Singapore Art Museum (SAM), which organises the event commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC), announced the theme and curatorial team in a statement on Jan 17.
SAM curators Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Ong Puay Khim and Selene Yap have invited artists from overseas and Singapore to contribute to the event. There are also curatorial contributors including Indonesia’s Hyphen and Germany’s Savvy Contemporary, as well as Singapore’s Asian Film Archive and Hothouse.
The curators said in a joint statement: “This Biennale explores how art can act as a lens through which we better understand the complexities of space, identity, and transformation.
“Artists engage with the city’s evolving landscape – architecturally, socially, and culturally – offering fresh perspectives on what it means to navigate and shape urban life in a time of flux.”
The Biennale aims to engage audiences with works in public spaces across the island – from Fort Canning Park to the Rail Corridor – as well as residential neighbourhoods and shopping malls.
Dr Eugene Tan, SAM’s chief executive and director, said in a statement that by embedding art in the environment, the city will be seen anew. “We hope that local audiences and international visitors will be inspired to see our city anew and imagine possible futures together,” he added.
SAM’s statement also emphasises SG60 and links the event to Singapore’s ever-evolving identity. “SB2025 invites audiences of all walks of life to reimagine Singapore with pure intention, experiencing its many layers built by all of those who have been a part of its history, collectively creating a city that is as planned as it is full of discovery, surprises and interesting juxtapositions.”
The biennale’s focus on public engagement and accessibility is a contrast to the 2022 biennale, which was nicknamed Natasha in a baffling move, and events were staged in far-flung corners such as Lazarus Island.
