WHEN: January 24–27
WHERE: Marina Bay Sands Exhibition and Convention Center
HIGHLIGHTS: Taking advantage of Singapore’s strategic role as a bridge between East and West, the second Art Stage Singapore has a strong focus on artists from across Asia, counterbalanced by the presence of leading international galleries from Europe and America, such as White Cube, Victoria Miro, Lehmann Maupin, Galerie Perrotin, and Galerie Eigen + Art. The four-day fair also features a lecture series plus satellite events and exhibitions, including a showcase of Indonesian galleries and artists.
Pictured: Syed Hayder Raza’s painting Yugal, 2012, which Grosvenor Vadehra gallery is bringing to Art Stage Singapore – Courtesy of Grosvenor Vadehra, London
Occupying two historic shop houses in Chinatown, Singapore’s most artistic boutique hotel is as buzzy as ever. As part of the Space Program, an initiative created by the Foreign Policy Design Group to promote Singapore’s cultural and architectural heritage, the 30 guest rooms were reimagined by nine local artists and five designers.
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road
65-6511-4700
Rates: from $220
Pictured: Premier Garden room at the New Majestic hotel – Courtesy of the New Majestic
The hip sibling of the grand old Fullerton Hotel has an elegant interior that includes a dramatic, 72-foot-high sculpture of the Fullerton by Paul-Alexandre Bourieau. All rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and sumptuous decor. The finest of the three on-site restaurants designed by wunderkind Andre Fu is the Landing Point, a terrace lounge with skyline views.
80 Collyer Quay
65-6333-8388
Rates: from $325
Pictured: Anderson Suite at the Fullerton Bay Hotel – Courtesy of Fullerton Bay Hotel
Singapore’s most iconic modern structure is home to a deluxe hotel with more than 2,000 comfortable rooms. The 500-foot-long rooftop pool and lounge overlooking the city is a welcome touch of luxury—and if that isn’t enough, there’s also an art and science museum, a casino, a theater, and numerous restaurants from the likes of Wolfgang Puck, Guy Savoy, and Tetsuya Wakuda.
10 Bayfront Avenue
Marina Bay
65-6688-8868
Rates: from $310
Pictured: Exterior of the Marina Bay Sands – Courtesy of William Cho via flickr
Its location in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay suggested the name for Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton’s new venture. Surrounded by olive trees and tropical greenery, diners tuck into Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as frozen blackberry and goat cheese sorbet, rhubarb consommé with mint oil, and fallow deer tartare with salt-baked beetroot and smoked vinaigrette.
Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Drive #01-09
65-6604-9988
Pictured: The lower level of Pollen restaurant – Courtesy of Pollen
Executive chef Alain Devahive Tolosa is a 10-year veteran of Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli, in Spain. His dishes are trad-mod Catalan and include a potato and meat stew and a shredded cod salad. The restaurant occupies a waterfront glass dome with panoramic views of Marina Bay. Its cocktail bar serves up live DJ sets and creative mixology, such as the Asian Corvette (Rémy Martin cognac, jasmine tea syrup, Cointreau, lime juice, sage leaves, and a whole quail’s egg).
The Fullerton Pavilion
82 Collyer Quay
65-6534-0886
Pictured: The Mystery Backyard cocktail at Catalunya – Courtesy of Catalunya Singapore
Italian hotelier/restaurateur Federico Asaro earned a discerning following in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, for his Thai-influenced aesthetic and updated Siamese cuisine. Now he’s taking on Singapore with a new restaurant (a boutique hotel will follow). A sweeping stone staircase winds up to the 100-year-old colonial villa set in a forested nature reserve perched above the southern coast. The menu includes steamed red snapper in a wild ginger sauce and sour orange curry of white cod and root vegetables.
30 Labrador Villa Road
Labrador Nature Reserve
65-6278-6364
Pictured: Tamarind Hill – Courtesy of Tamarind Hill
Opened in September 2012, this contemporary art center is transformed from a former colonial-era army barracks with tropical surroundings. Once the stronghold of Britain’s Middlesex Regiment, it now hosts 13 leading galleries from 10 countries, including New York–based Sundaram Tagore; ShanghART, from Shanghai; Drawing Room, from Manila; Equator Art Projects, from Jakarta; and Mizuma Gallery, from Tokyo. Pearl Lam will open a space in the complex later this year.
9 Lock Road
Pictured: Exterior of Gillman Barracks – Courtesy of Gillman Barracks
The 250-acre complex has 18 vertical-garden Supertrees reaching a height of 164 feet and connected by an aerial walkway, a glass-encased Flower Dome bursting with seasonal blooms, a treetop bistro, and a twice-nightly Garden Rhapsody combining music with a laser show and stunning projections.
18 Marina
Gardens Drive
65-6420-6848
Pictured: Gardens by the Bay – Courtesy of Tom Soper Photography via flickr
Featuring 41 artists from 10 Asian countries, this exhibition at the 8Q offshoot of the Singapore Art Museum explores fast-changing societies across the region and the resulting pressure placed on natural environments.
8Q Singapore Art Museum
8 Queen Street
65-6332-3200
Pictured: Close view of the Object ii by Jane Lee, on view in the Panorama exhibition – Courtesy of Panorama
This trendsetting furniture store epitomizes Singapore’s penchant for quirky chic. Fred scours the globe for classic and contemporary pieces of furniture, then customizes and reinvents them. Chairs, sofas, coffee tables, and lamps by Arne Jacobsen, Le Corbusier, Isamu Noguchi, and Philippe Starck are among the classics to be graced by the unique Fred treatment.
108 Emerald Hill Road
By appointment only
65-9641-7727 or fred@fredliveshere.com
Pictured: Anniversary Egg Chair – Courtesy of Fred Lives Here
Originally conceived as a pop-up store by two Singaporean lifestyle mavens, Nana and
Bird has evolved into a permanent boutique for followers of individualized fashions. It’s an intimate, unstuffy shop showcasing elegant women’s clothing, with bags and accessories by up-and-coming designers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Tiong Bahru Commons
79 Chay Yan Street
Unit 01-02
65-9117-0430
Pictured: Nana and Bird – Courtesy of Nana and Bird
Where to stay, eat, shop, and sightsee during the city state’s four-day art fair.