Even without a permanent home, The Substation continues to produce and present initiatives that promote the arts, and platforms new talents. In its latest initiative, The Substation presents Gathering Ground, a fresh series of community pop-ups that invites the public to immerse themselves in the arts alongside them. Embodying their long-standing commitment to nurturing independent voices and fostering unexpected collaborations, Gathering Ground will comprise 3 components: Community Fundraising, Multidisciplinary Activations and Arts Experiences.

Under Community Fundraising, The Substation is starting a crowdfunding campaign to re-create The Substation’s beloved murals online, supported by The Sub mural artists, and raise funds for their continuing mission to spotlight and support independent practitioners at every stage of their creative practice. To launch the campaign, The Substation is working with Singaporean illustrator/visual artist Toh Bee Suan, also known as @almostasthma, best known for her mural that was on The Substation’s former building at Armenian Street. Through this campaign, donors can “adopt” an exclusive animal from the illustration.

On 3rd October, Gathering Ground officially opens at Basheer Graphic Books, with a performance showcase by audiovisual artist Lynette Quek. What happens when sound and literature intersect in a beloved bookstore? The Substation, in collaboration with independent publisher fivefingermountain and Singapore’s iconic Basheer Graphic Books, presents a thought-provoking site-specific project that explores this very question.

Lynette is joined by experimental keyboard duo b-l duo, where together, they’ll investigate the acoustic possibilities of the bookstore environment, incorporating Basheer Graphic Books as an instrument in its own right. This performance sets the stage for a month-long artistic inquiry, promising to challenge our expectations and shift our perception of a space we thought we knew. Projects include a ‘sonic bookshelf’ showcasing curated sound art books; a kinetic art piece echoing the flow of ideas within books; and an ‘audible pages’ experience challenging our expectations, all surrounding the exploration of what draws us to physical spaces of literature in our digital age.

Meanwhile, OPEN END explores the legacy of The Substation, as Singapore’s first independent contemporary arts space, through the works of artist Urich Lau, Chong Li-Chuan, and curator Adrian Tan. This exhibition activates the often quiet, still, and polite Rotunda Library & Archive, with text-based compositions, video installations, and soundscapes that critically explore the power dynamics and narratives embedded in the archive’s materials.

Drawing from The Substation Archive which includes publications, exhibition catalogues, ephemera, and digital archives, OPEN END intertwined artworks and archival materials to offer re-readings of the Substation’s history and its communities. Complementing the show are public programming events featuring curator-led tours, artist panel with curator, and a public art performance in the Rotunda Archive. Supported by the Platform Projects Curatorial Award overseen by NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, this exhibition is developed in collaboration with the National Gallery Singapore’s Rotunda Library & Archive, and co-presented in conjunction with The Substation’s Gathering Ground 2024.

Gathering Ground will also be featuring Sub 45 workshops over the weekend from 5th to 6th October, with chances to do doodles, somatic movement, urban filmmaking and even physical storytelling via theatre.

Gathering Ground is more than just an event series—it’s a stepping stone for your creativity, a platform for fresh perspectives, and a meeting point for our community. Whether you’re an emerging artist, a seasoned creator, or simply someone who delights in new experiences, there’s a place for you here. Join the Substation as they gather to ground everyone in shared artistic experiences, embracing the boundless possibilities that arise when diverse voices come together.

The Substation’s Gathering Ground 2024 runs from 16th September to 16th November 2024. Full schedule and list of events available here