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Where pure intention begins
Celebrate the opening of SB2025 with artists, talks, workshops and citywide activations.
Singapore Biennale 2025: pure intention presents contemporary art in multiple venues and public spaces, inviting audiences of all walks of life to experience Singapore’s many layers — built by all 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 intriguing juxtapositions.
Scroll down to find out more about the programme line-up.
*Programmes may be subject to change without prior notice. Information accurate at time of publishing.
about Singapore Biennale 2025
Singapore Biennale 2025: pure intention presents contemporary art in multiple venues and public spaces, inviting audiences of all walks of life to experience Singapore’s 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.
Through an exploration of art in everyday environments, audiences will be engaged to see familiar spaces in Singapore with fresh eyes and new perspectives, paying attention to the rituals, histories, lived experiences and aspirations that have shaped our environments and urban lives.
As part of the SG60 celebrations, the Biennale offers Singaporeans an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s historic milestones and shared aspirations while imagining possible collective futures.
The Biennale will engage with spaces ranging from pre-colonial and colonial landmarks transformed into public, green areas repurposed for recreation, residential neighbourhoods and lived spaces, to shopping centres that have evolved into social spaces for Singapore’s diverse communities.
line-up
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Lecture by Ahmet Ögüt
Lecture: Civic Imagination in Practice by Ahmet Ögüt
Date: Fri, 31 Oct
Time: 7–8PM
Venue: The Engine Room, Level 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Free, by registration
Beginning with Pleasure Places of All Kinds, this talk traces a series of projects that explore collaboration and civic imagination. Through works such as Sports Club of the Forbidden Colours, Exploded City, The Silent University, Saved by the Whale’s Tail, Saved by Art, and Jump Up, Ahmet Öğüt reflects on how art can form temporary alliances, address political realities, and offer gestures of resilience. Other projects including Intern VIP Lounge, Volunteers for Volunteers, Rainbow versus Gray, Once Upon a Time: Breathing Apparatus for Breathable Air, Workers Taking Over the Factory, Fahrenheit 451: Reprinted, and Stones to Throw extend these concerns to questions of labour, ecology, censorship, and shared agency. Together, these works consider how art can reimagine social systems and open spaces for empathy, solidarity, and collective responsibility.
Image courtesy of the artist
Artist Talk by Fiona Amundsen
Artist Talk: Attempts to Locate and Work with a Radioactive ‘Hot’ Source by Fiona Amundsen
Date: Sat, 1 Nov
Time: 4–5PM
Venue: The Engine Room, Level 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Free, by registration
This artist talk is a deep dive into Fiona Amundsen's photographic series, Blowing in the Wind (2022–2025), which investigates the complex intersections of nuclear history, militarization, and consciousness. The talk will explore how the series addresses the "latency" of various phenomena—from images and radiation to voices and future warfare—by considering the roles of both human and nonhuman entities.
Amundsen will focus on the series' exploration of Guåhan (Guam) and its ongoing struggle for compensation for exposure to downwind radiation from U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Through this case study, the talk invites audiences to reflect on the lasting and often invisible effects of colonial and military actions on people and the environment.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Artist Talk by Gabriela Golder
Artist Talk: A State of Assembly by Gabriela Golder
Date: Sat, 1 Nov
Time: 6–7PM
Venue: The Engine Room, Level 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Free, by registration
This artist talk will feature Gabriela Golder discussing her new commission, State of Assembly. She will share her process behind the multi-channel video installation and its exploration of how public space serves as both a site of social inequality and a catalyst for transformative action. The talk will also delve into Golder's extensive artistic practice and how she uses video, performance, and site-specific projects to engage with critical social issues.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Artist Talk by RRD
Artist Talk: Alternative distribution models by RRD (Red de Reproducción y Distribución)
Date: Sun, 2 Nov
Time: 1–2PM
Venue: The Engine Room, Level 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Free, by registration
This programme explores independent publishing as a way to foster community, circulate countercultural ideas, and serve as a field of self-expression. By sharing and distributing publications, we can create spaces for participation, dialogue, and collective learning.
Drawing inspiration from DIY practices and the spirit of piracy, RRD's publishing ethos emphasises accessibility, experimentation, and sharing these tools and knowledge. The aim is not just to produce objects, but to open channels of distribution that connect people, support alternative voices, and make counterculture accessible to a wider audience beyond the field of art.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Workshop by RRD
Workshop: Copycat (Mimeograph Workshop) by RRD (Red de Reproducción y Distribución)
Date: Sun, 2 Nov
Time: 2–6PM
Venue: The Engine Room, Level 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
$25 per pax
This workshop introduces participants to the mimeograph—a portable and versatile printing machine—exploring its history, genealogy, and contemporary uses. Participants will work on collaborative writing, illustration, and content editing to create a poster using this printing method. The mimeograph, a forgotten yet valuable tool, is ideal for small organisations and political movements due to its mobility and autonomy. This workshop aims to recover the mimeograph, which favors experimentation and a revival of collective effort. It is open to individuals interested in writing and drawing, with no prior experience required.
Image courtesy of the artist.