Forum: Feedback will help Biennale be more accessible and inclusive

Recent commentaries and letters on the Singapore Biennale have raised views on its accessibility, audience engagement and role in Singapore’s arts ecosystem. We appreciate the thoughtful perspectives shared.

The Singapore Biennale encourages wide public engagement with contemporary art by local and international artists. Over the years, we have been expanding the reach of the Biennale and bringing the artworks closer to communities. For 2026, we have sought to locate artworks across various sites, to enable Singaporeans to engage with art beyond traditional museum settings, and to encounter art in the course of their daily lives.

We acknowledge that a citywide format can present navigational and experiential challenges for visitors, and that clear contextual framing is important to help audiences engage meaningfully with the works.

We have been continuously improving the wayfinding and signage since the beginning of the Biennale. This includes strengthening online and on-site visitor information, digital navigation, and physical wayfinding across sites, such as clearer on-site cues and more detailed print and digital artwork maps.

In addition, Singapore Art Museum currently offers public tours of the Biennale, which facilitate deeper learning experiences. Taking into account ongoing feedback, we will continue to refine wayfinding and interpretive material to improve clarity and accessibility for the public. 

Contemporary art can offer new ways and perspectives for us to understand and experience the world we live in. The Singapore Biennale continues to be a key platform for local contemporary artists to showcase, experiment and engage through works that speak to local and global audiences. By bringing high-quality international and regional works to Singapore audiences, the Biennale also helps to develop the local arts scene and place Singapore on the global arts map.

We appreciate the feedback and ideas from the arts community and the public. Through ongoing dialogue and reflection, we will continue to review how the Singapore Biennale can best serve artists, audiences, and the wider cultural landscape.

Low Eng Teong
Chief Executive
National Arts Council

Eugene Tan
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Singapore Art Museum