ARTWALK Little India is back for its 6th edition as Singapore Art Week returns this January. Jointly organised by LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, ARTWALK Little India is a multidisciplinary arts festival taking place over two weekends in January, and brings a new perspective and spark of life to the precinct with the power of art.
With this year’s edition themed ‘Passage of Time’, look out for everything from interdisciplinary performances, to workshops and art murals to engage all of your senses. Says Sangitha, a student representative from the BA(Hons) Arts Management team: “Stimulated by the area’s culturally diverse nature, ARTWALK is the perfect opportunity to explore one’s imagination. By marrying different disciplines and encouraging visitor participation, we aim to inspire conversations and sharing of experiences so that the relationship between the public and the artist is deepened.”
On the street art front, for this year, street artist Boon has created the ‘longest mural in Little India’ along Belilos Lane, and displays proud peacocks on a 70-meter stretch of wall on the Aqueen Heritage Hotel Little India. Over at the newly opened Tekka Place, artist Jezlyn Tan unveils her first permanent installation, a homage to the meditative qualities of the mandala. Well-loved murals from previous editions of the festival will also be getting a breath of new life thanks to augmented reality animation created by LASALLE students.
In essence, what ARTWALK Little India does is use the shops and space Little India offers to present a series of site-specific performances, workshops and street art, leveraging on the area’s rich history and atmosphere to enhance each artwork. One such example includes the LASALLE Year 2 Diploma In Dance students’ performance of ‘Crossings’ on the streets of Little India, responding and dancing along the daily travelled pathways.
Over at the UltraSuperNew Gallery on Rowell Road, master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran returns to the festival, this time with a new show Nakshatra: The Lunar Mansion, as she tells stories of the stars together with musician Raghavendar Rajasekaran. Audience members will even get to be a part of the show by participating via folk painting.
At Apolo Bistro, visitors can create their own immersive experiences at a sound painting workshop conducted by Dr Timothy O’Dwyer, Head of LASALLE’s School of Contemporary Music. Through simple movements and noises, they will orchestrate a composition that takes inspiration from and recreates the visual bustle of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Much like how Kamini told stories at CreatureS restaurant last year, this year’s edition of ARTWALK Little India will also bring together food and theatre, as three tantalising new plays written by LASALLE’s MA Creative Writing students are presented by Year 3 Acting Students across two restaurants – MEATSMITH and Chimichanga, in the form of a ‘Starter’, ‘Main Course’, and ‘Dessert’. A meal is included, and gives a whole new meaning to dinner entertainment.
Says Ms Serene Tan, Director, Arts and Cultural Precincts, STB: “ARTWALK Little India invites locals and visitors to step out of traditional galleries and encounter art in the streets of one of our key cultural precincts. Through ARTWALK, we hope the public can engage with Little India’s rich heritage on a deeper level. We are also heartened that the Little India community has embraced this event, with landlords lending their walls for art murals and businesses offering ARTWALK promotions. We are confident that our partnership with LASALLE and the support of the Little India stakeholders will continue to enhance Singapore’s appeal as a vibrant arts and lifestyle destination, and boost Little India’s relevance to a younger audience.”
ARTWALK Little India runs from 10th to 11th, and 17th to 18th January 2020 around Little India. For more information and tickets, visit their website here
Singapore Art Week 2020 takes place from 11th to 19th January 2020 across various locations. For a full list of events and more information, visit the website here
Bakchormeeboy 
0 comments on “Singapore Art Week 2020: ARTWALK Little India 2020”