Happenings this week

We highlight the best our city has to offer and what’s keeping it abuzz. Here are the best things you can do in Singapore this week.

Sydney-based painter, Myles Young. Photo by Art Works Gallery

Double feature: Myles Young and Anthony White

When: 24 April to 24 May 2025

Where: Art Works Gallery

Happening concurrently at Art Works Gallery are two solo exhibitions, where each artist invites viewers to examine the personal and political in thought-provoking ways and more. Presented side-by-side, 89 Seconds to Midnight is Anthony White’s urgent response to a world on edge, navigating the evolving threats of ecological collapse, authoritarianism, and civil unrest, while A View to Yourself by Myles Young offers an introspective, visually rich journey characterised by vibrant botanicals and disorienting perspectives. More here.

Silent Voices

When: 26 April to 24 May 2025

Where: La Galerie, Alliance Française de Singapour

Presented by Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery as part of the vOilah! France Singapore Festival, Silent Voices is an exploration of the enduring resonance of still life, a genre that’s served as a mirror to cultural, philosophical and artistic shifts over centuries. It brings together three artists, showcasing 20 of their works. Pierre Boncompain, a distinguished modernist from France; Ziad Dalloul, a Paris-based Syrian celebrated for his mastery of painting and etching; and Denis Laget, a French painter known for his impure aesthetics subversive approach. Prior to the exhibition, there will also be a talk featuring two art collectors from Hong Kong and Singapore, and it will be moderated by Catherine Kwai, founder and CEO of Kwai Fung Hin. More here.

Artwork still of Moving Castles’s ‘Moving Castles’ (2025). Photo by Moving Castles

Open Systems 2: Operating Systems

When: Now until 31 May 2025

Where: Online

As the second installment of the museum’s Open Systems initiative, OS2_Operating Systems is a virtual exhibition that questions the impact of ideological and technological systems on contemporary existence. Unveiled across four chapters, it covers themes from traditional knowledge systems and reinvigorating ecosystems to alternative models of collective organisation.

Experience some forest bathing at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photo by Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra/Unsplash

Paragon’s Spring Soiree

When: Now until 1 June 2025

Where: Various locations

Dive into the art of self-care at Paragon’s Spring Soiree, a celebration of creativity, relaxation and wellbeing. Highlights include forest bathing by Mind Science Centre and NParks; a Jo Malone punch needling class; and a Venchi Chocolate and flower bouquet workshop. More here.

A set of 84 hand-carved model pagodas from Shanghai have been reunited for the first time in over a century. Photo by Asian Civilisations Museum

Pagoda Odyssey 1915: From Shanghai to San Francisco

When: Now until 1 June 2025

Where: Asian Civilisations Museum

In this special exhibition, a set of 84 hand-carved model pagodas from Shanghai have been reunited for the first time in over a century. Not since they travelled thousands of miles to San Francisco for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915, a massive world’s fair that attracted more than 18 million visitors during its 288-day run. Remarkably detailed, these pagodas offer a good look at China’s rich architectural heritage, and will be complemented by Towers of Faith, a photography exhibition of religious landmarks in Singapore, as well as a series of public programmes. More here.

Crack a murder mystery as you wander the halls of the National Gallery Singapore. Photo by Hidden/National Gallery Singapore

Framed: A Murder Mystery

When: Daily

Where: National Gallery Singapore

Combining the love of video games and real-life immersive experiences, the National Gallery Singapore has collaborated with Hidden on Framed: A Murder Mystery, a fun, new way of discovering art. Available on the phone for solo explorers or otherwise, one will play the accused murderer, solving puzzles and uncovering hidden secrets as they explore the various exhibitions. Tickets are at S$29.90 per participant, inclusive of a general admission pass to the National Gallery itself.

Coming up:

Hendrick’s Sunset Cinema

When: 8 to 25 May 2025

Where: Tanjong Beach

A movie at sunset? On the beach? Talk about romantic. Set on Singapore’s beautiful Tanjong Beach, Hendrick’s Sunset Cinema will offer a refreshing way to spend the evening under the stars, with a lineup of award-winning films, gin cocktails and seaside views. Happening from 5.30pm over 12 nights, shows to be screened include The Substance, We Live in Time, Concave and more. Tickets at S$44.80, inclusive of one Hendrick’s cocktail, deck chair and use of wireless headphones.

Across nine thematic rooms, experience how Chong employs everyday, commonplace objects and scenarios to confront society’s contemporary geopolitics and infrastructural ironies. Photo by Singapore Art Museum

Heman Chong’s first major survey exhibition

When: 10 May to 17 August 2025

Where: SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

Heman Chong: This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness is the first major survey exhibition by the prolific multifaceted artist. Bringing together 50 artworks and new commissions from the early 2000s to the present, the show will examine Chong’s post-conceptual strategies and gestures, expressed through works that work through image, text, performances and situations. More here.

Lady Gaga will be making her return to Singapore, since her last tour 13 years ago. Photo by Live Nation

Lady Gaga in Singapore

When: 18, 19, 21 and 24 May 2025

Where: National Stadium

Lady Gaga is making her big return to Singapore with four stadium shows this May. Performing for the first time in 13 years, her four-show run will feature Mayhem, a new album that’s all about embracing the fractured pieces of oneself. Watch her unveil a deeply immersive journey, with each song weaving complex narratives with striking melodies. Tickets are for sale now, with various VIP experiences to choose from.

Let your kid attend a futsal clinic and learn tips from some of football’s legendary players. Photo by Resorts World Sentsoa

Clash of the Giants

When: 24 May 2025

Where: Resorts World Convention Centre

Manchester United and Liverpool will be going head-to-head at Resorts World Convention Centre’s futsal pitch this 24 May 2025. Enjoy non-stop futsal action and relive the rivalry between the most lauded legendary football players from both teams, such as former striker Louis Saha, centre-back Jaap Stam and goalkeeper David James, and look forward to various other activities, like exclusive futsal clinics and special autograph sessions. Tickets here.

Sign up for a night of laughter with Kumar and his crew of drag queens and dancers, who are here to reignite the nation’s sense of humour. Photo by Base Entertainment

SOS Kumar

When: 17 July to 3 August 2025

Where: Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands

There’s no better way to celebrate Singapore’s 60th than enjoying a night of laughter with local standup comic, Kumar. Together with his fabulous “Gorgeous Riotous Crew” of drag queens and dancers, join him for a wild ride of quirky (and current) affairs and love-hate relationships with cultural icons, told with a brand of humour that’s bold, loud and unapologetically Singaporean. Tickets here.

Featured photo by Art Works Gallery