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S I N G A P O R E ’ S C R E A T I V E C L U S T E R S
civil societies, students and the special
needs community,” she explains.
“
As an art space, we want to be
approachable, versatile and open to all
kinds of art and cultural practices; yet
at the same time we want to challenge
artists, and have a preference for work
that takes risks and explores.”
This entails developing core
programs they can proud of, such as
the Open Call and Associate Artist
Research Programmes. “These have
enabled both established and younger
artists to explore aspects of their work
which they may not have had the
resources to otherwise.” It has paid
off, says Chelsea, judging from the
promising artists who have gone on
to “bigger and better things”— like
previous Visual Art Open Call
recipients Debbie Ding and Bruce
Quek, who’ve exhibited their pieces
in the city’s museums.
It also means you can expect variety
—
from a photography festival with
no themes, bronze sculptures and
multimedia installations that highlight
pressing social issues, functional pieces
from recycled parts, to drawings and
paintings about the simple things. On
top of visual arts, The Substation also
covers film, literary and performing arts.
“
A lot has changed in the Singapore
art scene since The Substation first
opened its doors. But during all this
time, The Substation’s mission hasn’t
changed nor has its unique position.
We’re always keen to encourage less-
recognized forms of art,” she reiterates.
Having just celebrated their 22nd
anniversary last month, The Substation
is looking forward to the rest of the year
and the next.
Independent
The Substation
They look to themselves as
“
Singapore’s first independent
contemporary arts center”, and
appreciate it when the public refers
to them as an organization that’s
“
experimental and not-for-profit”.
“
At The Substation, we have
supported — and continue to support
—
an impressive array of artists while
maintaining their independence.
Principally, we develop long-term
relationships and engage in intense
curatorial and artistic dialogue,”
says Chelsea Chua, The Substation’s
marketing manager.
And they’ve been at it since 1990.
“
From the beginning, The Substation
has always seen itself as a ‘home’
not just for the art community, but for
Above: The
Substation is
Singapore’s first
independent
contemporary arts
center; (below left)
an activity at
Shall
We Play Another
Way,
a series of six
play-shops for kids
