Even though Singapore has excellent, world-class art institutions, such as the National Gallery Singapore, proudly flying the flag for local and Southeast Asian art as a whole, setbacks are still sadly a common theme in Singapore's art and culture scene.
What else can you expect from a conservative society and culture that rewards hustle rather than the chaos of the arts? It’s a challenging environment for artists to thrive in.
Despite that, there are successes. Prashant Somosundram is one of them.
He founded the now-defunct Artistry, a key pillar of Singapore's art scene, a fantastic café and art space in its heyday. Prashant is now the General Manager of the city's most prominent indie cinema, The Projector, that also doubles up as a space for live comedy nights and underground parties.
As such, Prashant is better placed than others to talk about the challenges Singapore's local art scene faces.
"There are a lot of challenges that we experience in Singapore. For one, it's space. There is a lack of space for us just to do our stuff because it's such a high-density environment, right?"
"Even for live music, we've always got to be conscious about noise and the impact of neighbours. Therefore, it then tends to limit much of the work we do or the boundaries we want to push."
"So, I mean, access to space is one of the biggest challenges. And for us, it's always been about trying to be creative in how we access this and open it up for people to use."
Space isn't the only issue. Censorship is a massive obstacle.
For instance, #LookAtMe, a Singaporean film inspired by Amos Yee's 2015 vlogs criticising Christianity and the Prime Minister, was banned this year, despite winning a Special Jury Mention for Best Performer at the 2022 New York Film Festival.
Even though the topic was controversial, we posed the question to Prashant, was outright banning the film the right thing to do?
"I think censorship is one of the most significant challenges the arts community faces. I mean, I understand that the authorities are trying to err on the side of caution, like, okay, this may fan religious sensitivities and create that kind of friction."
"But I think it's also sometimes where you draw the line. And that can be pretty arbitrary. And specific thoughts or certain content gets privileged over the content. And then that becomes a bit more challenging for the arts community."
"So even if our local filmmakers want to create content that may touch on these sensitive topics, they may end up self-censoring. Because they fear that it may not become commercially viable in the future. Then the community will not be more culturally richer in that sense."
"I think there is an opportunity for a more constructive engagement with the art community and the general public. And censorship generally doesn't lend itself to that because you're not in a position to then view and judge for yourself. In the end, you're being told that you cannot see this."
"It's how we strike that balance. And I think it's a continuous engagement. Even at The Projector, we continuously engage IMDA on these fronts to see what content we can create to widen a bit more in terms of the space for dialogue."
Hidden art spaces you never knew about
Space is, of course, a perpetual issue in land-scarce Singapore. But some art spaces have found a way to weave themselves into the city's fabric, withstanding the test of time. Say Tiang Hng (translated to Heaven's Garden in Hokkien) is one such space.
On a visit to this unassuming shop, one of Singapore's last surviving heritage businesses, Prashant takes the time to admire the handcrafted wooden statues of Taoist deities of all sizes from floor to ceiling.
The shop is an excellent example of a family-owned business that has survived the onslaught of gentrification in the area. And if you visit them, the fourth-generation owner will regale you with the colourful myths and legends of Taoist deities and fill you in on the dying craft of making effigies.
It's an old-school spot that's a great place to visit if you want to see another side of Singapore.
And speaking of seeing a different side to the Lion City, many of Prashant's favourite hangout spots are pushing the boundaries of culture in Singapore.
"Asian Film Archive, I feel one of the most underrated kinds of spaces in Singapore. Travellers can find old movies that are still screening there. Asian Film Archive will be a good place at Fort Canning to discover."
"I think the more exciting aspect is looking out for art spaces. Because the challenge for a lot of art collectors in Singapore is they don't have a permanent home in a way. So it's pretty interesting to look out for these art collectives and see spaces where they run their events and activities."
"Northeast Social Club is one art collective that I would recommend following. They do a lot of pop-up gigs with indie musicians and all that in different spaces. So you sometimes get to find yourself in warehouse spaces or many alternative spaces for these kinds of indie gigs."
"Objectifs is another space that I would go to quite often. They have fascinating visual arts exhibitions."
"If travellers go a little further, I would recommend starch, an independent visual art gallery in Tagore Lane, which is in the middle of an industrial estate in the north. They have fascinating visual arts exhibitions and performance activations and all that."
Uncover Taoist heritage in an effigy shop
Singapore may be rife with gentrification, but there are still places that have withstood the test of time. One such spot is Say Tiang Hng, a family-owned craft shop sequestered among Chinatown's skyscrapers and hipster bars. Come here to check out handcrafted wooden statues of Taoist deities filled from floor-to-ceiling at this shop that's been around since 1896.
Cool arts and culture experiences in Singapore
So, the arts may be outside the top of your bucket list when visiting Singapore. But here are some other extraordinary experiences for you to check out:
See the "uncut" version of Singapore
Singapore is clean and green, and these days according to Hollywood, Crazy Rich. But that doesn't mean the city doesn't have an unglam or "uncut" side to see. Go on a walk and visit Singapore as it is by joining a tour that lets you walk into back alleys and narrow stairways to discover unfamiliar sights in familiar sites.
Learn to tuft a rug from scratch
Exercise creativity with a rug tufting workshop at WeTuft. Rug tufting is a modern take on traditional rug-making to make unique designs. Suppose you've always wanted to spruce up your home with pieces that scream your personality. In that case, this is an excellent option to craft a fantastic souvenir to bring home.
Get spinning with experiential pottery
Singapore is home to some pretty good pottery workshops. If it's your first time trying out this ancient art form, head down to the hip hood of Joo Chiat to 3Arts. Here, you can dabble in experiential pottery by joining a class that teaches you to mould and shape clay with the flow of an electric wheel – always good fun!
Design and create your own coasters
Coasters don't have to be an afterthought for you just to place your drink on. They can be stunning too. Join an epoxy resin coaster-making workshop that'll see you create psychedelic patterns and intricate geometric shapes. All you need is shiny foil, glitter, otherwise ordinary pieces of silicone, and your imagination.