Formula 1 isn’t the only thing to look forward to this September. Beyond the sure-to-be-crowded confines of the racetrack, there's still a lot to do, in Singapore and beyond. Read on for Options’ round-up of the most exciting happenings next month.
To get lit after dark
Singapore Night Festival
Aug 23–24, 30–31; Sept 6–7
Bras Basah.Bugis precinct
The 15th Singapore Night Festival (SNF) will start at the end of this month and span three weekends. Besides the usual projection-mapping artworks and light installations, participants can look forward to live performances, including a xinyao singalong session.
Themed “Art of Play”, this year’s SNF invites festival-goers to explore “the concept of play and childhood”. The festival’s highlight act, Wonder World, is an experiential creation by artist Sam Lo, also known as SKL0. With amusement park rides, school game stalls and nostalgia-themed food and beverages, you are sure to find yourself transported into another era.
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The SNF will also feature four “festival villages”, including a new entrant, Twilight Playground @ GR.iD. This venue, which opens past midnight, will feature an escape room and beer garden, among other experiences. Three other “villages” from festivals past will also return: Play at SMU Campus Green, Festival Village @ Chijmes, and Pixel Paradise at Armenian Street.
A Date with Tradition
Aug 23–24, 30–31; Sept 6–7
Stamford Arts Centre
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Taking place in conjunction with the SNF is A Date with Tradition, organised by Arts House. Among other performances, participants can look forward to a display of Kathakali dance by Bhaskar’s Arts Academy, by way of a production of Cherita Singapura. Hands-on experiences include a minhwa workshop, where participants can learn to create art in the traditional Korean form.
To make a difference
Aware Ball 2024: Power/Play
Sept 7, 6.30pm till late
Grand Ballroom, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
For over a decade now, Aware has held an annual ball to raise funds in support of its work to advance gender equality in Singapore. The 12th edition of the Aware Ball will take place on Sept 7, with a fundraising goal of $750,000. This will go towards funding the organisation’s services, which support some 5,000 women annually, as well as its advocacy work and community outreach efforts.
Seats — and full tables that seat 10 each — at this year’s event are available for purchase in four tiers: Rook ($500 per seat), Knight ($800 per seat), Jester ($1,200 per seat) and Queen ($2,000 per seat).
Aware also accepts in-kind sponsorships; contributed items with a value of at least $300 will go towards a lucky draw and silent auction that will take place during the ball. The organisation also accepts cash donations; per local regulations on tax-deductible donations, cash donations to an approved Institute of Public Character are eligible for a 250% tax deduction.
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This year’s Aware Ball is themed “Power/Play”; attendees are invited to dress in “ensembles that subvert conventions”, in a “reclamation of power through fashion”. Simply put, go bold and do not hold back. For context, last year’s event, which raised a record-high sum of over $771,000, was themed “Hysteria”; attendees showed up in a gamut of historical and mythological costumes.
To go on an art-filled getaway
Busan Biennale
Aug 17–Oct 20
Various locations, Busan, South Korea
September in South Korea offers a goldmine of cultural experiences, with the end-of-summer weather just slightly cooler than Singapore’s, to boot. Chief among the art events taking place in the country is the Busan Biennale, which opens on Aug 17 and runs through Oct 20.
This is the 15th Busan Biennale since its inception as the Busan Youth Biennale in 1981, and the first to open in August; the biannual event typically commences a month later. Also for the first time, the Busan Biennale has named two artistic directors: Vera Mey from New Zealand and Philippe Pirotte from Belgium.
Among the spaces throughout the city that will be used for this year’s biennale are the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan; the former Hyundai Showroom — which once housed office spaces and a car display centre; and Choryang House, a 1960s building shaped like a ship. With 62 artists and collectives participating, there will be no shortage of art to take in.
Do Ho Suh: Speculations
Aug 17–Nov 3
Art Sonje Centre, Seoul, South Korea
While you're in South Korea, stay a while in the capital city to catch Do Ho Suh’s solo show at the Art Sonje Centre. Taking place just over two decades after the first solo show of his career at the same venue in Seoul, Suh returns with works from his Speculations series, architectural films and more.
To bask in local design
Singapore Design Week
Sept 26–Oct 6
Various locations, Singapore
“People of Design” is the theme of this year’s Singapore Design Week (SDW), an annual showcase of Singapore’s unique design talent and style. Jody Teo, this year’s festival director, says SDW 2024 will shine a spotlight on “innovators whose impactful ideas help us all to live better”.
Three “pillar” events will anchor this year’s SDW. The Design Futures Forum will include presentations and a panel discussion on what is in store for design amid recent technological booms. The Design Marketplace comprises Find — Design Fair Asia, which takes place at Marina Bay Sands from Sept 26 to 28; and the Emerge @ Find talent showcase, which will bring together over 50 young designers from around the region. The third pillar, Design Impact, will feature seven designers and collectives with innovative design solutions in a showcase at the Asian Civilisations Museum.
SDW 2024 is also set to present commissions, exhibitions, experiences, installations, workshops, and more, at three districts: Bras Basah.Bugis, Orchard and Marina. Look out for works by Atelier Hoko and Nathan Yong, among others.
For those who prefer evening activities, SDW 2024 will also hold curated tours, interactive virtual reality experiences and experimental food explorations at the Bras Basah.Bugis district on Sept 27, as well as a festival with music, design, food and craft across four zones — Marina Square, Millenia Walk, South Beach and Suntec City — on Oct 4.
