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Singapore Biennale 2025: 'Pure Intention'

This October, the Singapore Biennale 2025 opens its doors, inviting visitors to experience Singapore like never before. Under the theme 'Pure Intention', this is the eighth installment of the internationally acclaimed contemporary art exhibition. Organized by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and commissioned by the National Arts Council of Singapore, this biennale showcases more than 100 works by over 80 artists, including over 30 new commissions specially created for this event.

The theme, 'Pure Intention', serves as a lens for understanding the evolving urban and social landscape of Singapore. This biennale encourages diverse audiences to explore new perspectives on the city, revealing its many facets created by an array of contributors throughout its history. It promises to turn everyday experiences into moments of discovery, surprise, and thought-provoking juxtaposition.

Art can be found in multiple public spaces across Singapore, spanning from pre-colonial monuments, colonial architecture, shopping malls, historical neighborhoods, to green spaces. The exhibition offers a fresh look at familiar locations, allowing people to see everyday environments through a new artistic perspective.

Curators Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Ong Puay Khim, and Selene Yap jointly express that the 2025 Biennale provides a unique opportunity to reflect on how the city has been shaped by both architectural design and the people who inhabit it. They emphasize the importance of inviting diverse voices to respond to pressing issues such as rapid urban development, historical contradictions, and speculative futures. With 'Pure Intention', this edition aims to unravel the multi-layered realities of Singapore within a global narrative, fostering greater dialogue among cultures and communities.

Attendees can look forward to numerous highlighted areas:

• - SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark: This serves as the museum’s headquarters and the central hub for the biennale, hosting new works and creations from the National Collection of Singapore.
• - Civic District: Here, the multifaceted stories of communities that helped shape nations are explored. Notable works include those by Gala Porras-Kim, who reflects on labor and rest through the poetry of migrant workers communities.
• - Southern Rail Corridor: Once a commercial railway, this 24-kilometer route is now a natural pathway reflective of the heritage retained by surrounding neighborhoods. Singaporean artist Joo Choon Lin will present an immersive installation in Tanglin Halt that reimagines human perception as a dynamic event and movement.
• - Orchard Road: Known for its bustling shopping malls, this area reveals how daily spaces adapt to rapid urban shifts. Filipino artist Eisa Jocson will showcase karaoke videos featuring hymns of inspiration, struggle, and perseverance created in collaboration with domestic workers.

Advance tickets for SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark are available until October 30, 2025. Entry to other public venues hosting biennale events is free. For further information, you can visit Singapore Biennale or contact Tate Anzur at [email].

The Singapore Biennale 2025 promises to engage, challenge, and inspire visitors, reinforcing the idea that art is at the heart of urban existence, encouraging a deeper understanding of both the city and its inhabitants.