Themed 'Image and Sound of Fragrance', multi-disciplinary arts festival ARTWALK Little India returns for a grand celebration of the cultural precinct’s rich heritage via the arts.
This year, the festival features an extended programming over 16 days – its longest period yet. ARTWALK Little India 2019 will run from January 18 to February 2.
Visitors can look forward to new highlights including an immersive exhibition at UltraSuperNew Gallery, according to a press release. Five more murals will also be unveiled, adding to the vibrancy of Little India.
The exhibition at UltraSuperNew Gallery is a first for ARTWALK. It will feature works by acclaimed artists Tan Ngiap Heng, Bani Haykal and more. Curated by Cultural Medallion winner and LASALLE’s Senior Fellow Milenko Prvacki, the artists will collectively transform smell into a visual soundscape for a truly multi-sensorial experience.
Making first-time appearances are young artists SONG, who will unveil an ambitious wall mural that captures all the sights and smells of the neighbourhood; and Susanna Tan, who encapsulates her well-wishes for the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society in a mural along Starlight Road.
Theatre fans can enjoy a re-telling of Kuo Pao Kun’s 'The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole' by students from LASALLE’s Diploma in Performance programme. This rendition of one of Singapore’s most famous classic plays, as conveyed by a young Indian woman in modern day society, was staged in France’s Limoges Festival in 2018 where it received praise for its inventiveness and stagecraft.
Established in 2015, ARTWALK is jointly organised by LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association.
Well-loved festival highlights returning in 2019 include master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran, who is back to breathe life into back-alley whispers from Rowell Road. Artists ZERO and Shah Rizzal add their unique signature to the walls of the district once more. Monster Day Tours, SIFAS, Mural Lingo and the Indian Heritage Centre present a host of specially created programmes. There are also various exciting fringe activities – visitors can make their own bath salts in a spice workshop, or try their hand at creating music with a two-headed mridangam drum.
ARTWALK is managed by a team of eight BA(Hons) Arts Management students from LASALLE. Student Jack Kenneth Tan said, “Facilitating cross-cultural bonding and interaction has always been a goal of ARTWALK. Traditions and rituals that seem ordinary to the community can sometimes be hard to understand from an outsider’s perspective. The arts are a way to lower these barriers, propel conversation, and allow visitors and residents alike to walk away with insightful discoveries.”
“ARTWALK Little India brings the area’s rich heritage and culture to life, enabling locals and overseas visitors to experience Little India at a deeper level, while ensuring it stays relevant to the younger generation,” said Ms Serene Tan, Director, Arts and Cultural Precincts, STB.
Check out more details here.