Art in Singapore

Most people who just visit Singapore report that it's a sterile place, with more sky-rises than soul, with no independence from simply consuming and regurgitating art and design from other places. There are art galleries but it's true, you don't see alleyways of graffiti or hear independent artists playing music at bars in the evenings. It's hard to find the boutiques with hand made things and independent clothing labels. That said, Singapore's art scene is there, it's underground and it's popping up every now and then if you know where to look.

We went to check out a Flea Market this past Saturday called Pubic Garden. The market was a small collection of tables at a venue known as the Old School.  About half the vendors were girls clearing out their closets (hey at least they supported something good with those knock off handbags) and the other half were independent artists with their handmade goods. The artists represented a little group spanning the underground network of art here in the city and I wanted to show off a few that I thought were quite remarkable. The first was an Illustrator, a young woman who in known as MessyMsxi. Her work was a brilliant narrative about the human experience. The two books I looked at were her view into our world of waste and pollution.

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I also found the table for Books Actually. They have an independent book store in Singapore and showcased chapbooks and notebooks with local talent and some interesting typography.

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There was also a table with a collaboration of graphic designers and artisans. Check out Session and Pupil People.

So that's the tip of the iceberg. I'm looking forward to checking out some cafes and galleries off the beaten path in the next little while. Art is here in Singapore but you need to look for it and sometimes I think that hidden or underground nature is something we reminisce about it the West. How many times have you seen a sullen hipster complaining that everything is mainstream? How many artists have you known who are constantly in the swamp of post-modernism complaining that it's all been done before? Cheers to emerging.