Film: Eugene Kotlyarenko, Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara talk ‘Vintage Violence’ at SGIFF 2026
As the closing film of the 2026 Singapore International Film Festival, Eugene Kotlyarenko’s latest chaotic feature brings together Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara in a delirious exploration of online identity, internet fandom and the strange ways we turn our lives into content. Vintage denim and livestreaming. Japanese genre cinema and American internet culture. Online fandom, urban exploration and organised crime. In the hands of most … Continue reading Film: Eugene Kotlyarenko, Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara talk ‘Vintage Violence’ at SGIFF 2026
★★★★★ Theatre Review: CATS The Musical (2026) by Base Entertainment Asia
An eccentric, otherworldly musical that embraces its own peculiarities, this latest production of CATS is a mesmerising showcase of theatrical imagination, feline physicality and musical grandeur. Duration: 150 minutes, including a 20 minute intermission There is perhaps no other musical quite like Cats. Even by the standards of Andrew Lloyd Webber, it is an unusual beast, with a premise that is difficult to explain, a … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: CATS The Musical (2026) by Base Entertainment Asia
Art: Yoo Hyun Mi – The Blank Puzzle (The Image Yet to Come) at STPI
From floating puzzle pieces to sculptures that look like stone but are made of paper, the Korean artist invites visitors to reconsider the boundaries between image, object and imagination. A jigsaw puzzle is usually an exercise in bringing things together. Each piece has its place, and the satisfaction comes from seeing the fragments resolve into a complete picture. For South Korean artist Yoo Hyun Mi, … Continue reading Art: Yoo Hyun Mi – The Blank Puzzle (The Image Yet to Come) at STPI
Design: Philanthropy that thinks outside the box with Lien Foundation’s ‘Radical Remedies’ first-aid kit
With its 2024/2025 biennial report, Lien Foundation turns a familiar first-aid kit into an unconventional portrait of radical philanthropy. In collaboration with Kinetic Singapore, the project explores how creativity can make difficult social issues more accessible, challenge established ideas of care and inspire new ways of thinking about impact. Annual reports are not usually objects people look forward to opening, let alone keeping within reach. … Continue reading Design: Philanthropy that thinks outside the box with Lien Foundation’s ‘Radical Remedies’ first-aid kit
★★★★☆ Opera Review: Verdi’s La Traviata by The Opera People
The Opera People’s Singapore-set production of Verdi’s beloved opera is a colourful, engaging theatrical experience that preserves the emotional force of the original while giving it distinct local flavour. Duration: 150 minutes, with two 15 minute intermissions, Performance attended 29 October 2026 Opera always provides good melodrama. Give it romance, social disapproval, a family feud, a public humiliation and an impending tragedy, and you have … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Opera Review: Verdi’s La Traviata by The Opera People
Art: Singaporean artist Tang Kok Soo’s “A Big Flower” wins UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award 2026
From a field of repeated hearts and light to paintings exploring memory, social identity and the interconnectedness of life, this year’s UOB Painting of the Year winners reveal how Southeast Asian artists are expanding the possibilities of painting. A flower composed of countless tiny pink ‘hearts;, each radiating its own halo of light, has earned Singapore artist Tang Kok Soo both the 2026 UOB Southeast … Continue reading Art: Singaporean artist Tang Kok Soo’s “A Big Flower” wins UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year Award 2026
Art: No Straight Lines by The Independent People explores the intimacy of being seen
There is jam and butter beside the loaf of bread. Not a metaphorical pat of butter, not a painted image of butter, but quite literally, butter, set out with a butter knife beside a lampshade made from a loaf. It is a funny little arrangement, almost absurdly literal. It is also a rather good introduction to No Straight Lines, an exhibition that understands how much … Continue reading Art: No Straight Lines by The Independent People explores the intimacy of being seen
Art: Helutrans (Thailand) connects people and art with BAB Fringe’s Chiang Mai Artists’ Studios
Art has a way of bringing people together, crossing boundaries of place, experience and perspective. Through its work in art logistics and its new exhibition space in Thailand, Helutrans is exploring how the movement of art can become a meeting point between artists and the wider world. BANGKOK, THAILAND – A work of art begins somewhere: in a studio filled with unfinished ideas, beside a … Continue reading Art: Helutrans (Thailand) connects people and art with BAB Fringe’s Chiang Mai Artists’ Studios
★★★★☆ Film Review: Rose dir. Markus Schleinzer
Markus Schleinzer’s stark, folktale-like drama is anchored by a remarkable Sandra Hüller, examining the absurdity of gender norms and the courage it takes to claim a life of one’s own. Duration: 93 minutes The first thing that strikes viewers about Rose is its striking black-and-white cinematography. The monochrome palette draws attention to the textures of faces, clothing and the pastoral landscape, giving the film the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Film Review: Rose dir. Markus Schleinzer
★★★★★ Film Review: Look Back dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
Live action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit one-shot celebrates the labour of love and sacrifice that goes into art-making against the backdrop of heartbreaking tragedy. Duration: 100 minutes Having already received a fantastic anime adaptation back in 2024, the prospect of yet another version of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hit one-shot manga Look Back might initially seem unnecessary. What more could a live-action adaptation offer a story … Continue reading ★★★★★ Film Review: Look Back dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
