Singapore Biennale: pure intention
Curated by Duncan Bass, Hsu Fang-Tze, Khim Ong Puay and Selene Yap
Singapore Art Museum
31 October 2025 – 29 March 2026

Singapore Biennale 2025: pure intention presents contemporary art in multiple venues and public spaces, inviting audiences of all walks of life to experience Singapore’s many layers built by all of those who have been a part of its history, collectively creating a city that is as planned as it is full of discovery, surprises and interesting juxtapositions.

Through an exploration of art in everyday environments, audiences will be engaged to see familiar spaces in Singapore with fresh eyes and new perspectives, paying attention to the rituals, histories, lived experiences and aspirations that have shaped our environments and urban lives.

As part of the SG60 celebrations, the Biennale offers Singaporeans an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s historic milestones and shared aspirations while imagining possible collective futures.

The Biennale will engage with spaces ranging from pre-colonial and colonial landmarks transformed into public, green areas repurposed for recreation, residential neighbourhoods and lived spaces, to shopping centres that have evolved into social spaces for Singapore’s diverse communities.

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Álvaro Urbano populates the space with sculptural plants that echo living specimens, their metallic forms revealed through shifting light and shadow, evoking the layered histories of plantation agriculture and orchid diplomacy.