Museums, Independent Cinema, Cool Hanging Out places for artsy people 🎨🎞🦋 

✨Content Table✨
1) Independent Cinemas - 2 Places
2) Art Galleries/Museums - 7 Places
3) Independent Book Stores - 3 Places 
4) Cool streets and Graffiti - 3 Places
5) Film Photography Venue (Film developing stores, Film camera stores, Film stores) 🎞 - 4 Places
6) Yearly Art Festivals - 5 Festivals

Only an insider knows!!

Singapore Artsy Venues Hopping

My time in Singapore for 2 year, I spent most of my time exploring their local art scenes. Singapore is a small town with fascinating museums, independent gift stores, independent galleries, and etc. These places are gems that wait for you to explore, visit, and support!!

The Projector is the coolest independent cinema in the town. 📽🍿✨ Their venue come with cozy decoration. You should check out their film screening and amazing craft beer they sell! 🍻 Their hidden charms are the clips before the movie starts and their intermission bar!! They also have an analogue photo booth that can capture memorable photos with your friends (only 4$ for one strip). Another hidden photogenic place is in the toilet! They are also a venue for rave parties which you can check on their Instagram. Go check it out!

Start with the most famous and touristy one, "National Gallery". Can't deny that their venue and their staff are very nice. Their seasonal exhibitions are also very interesting. Their focus is Asian arts, South East Asian Arts, and Singaporean History.

Singapore Art Museum or locals call "Sam" is located in the warehouse in the south of Singapore. It is very quiet and peaceful space to just walk around and look at arts. Their focus is contemporary arts. They always host Singapore Biennale once a year,

Objectifs is a centre for photography exhibitions and film exhibitions. They have a store selling rare film DVDs and photo books. Moreover, they also have educational programs such as a photography workshop. Their bright yellow building makes the space noticeable. 

Aliwal Arts Centre does not always have exhibitions going on. However, they sometimes host a weekend/week art festival for underground graffiti, art exhibitions, performances. It is a cool place to visit, walk around, and talk to people. Plus, it is near The Projector!

If you are going to Aliwal Arts Centre, Haji Lane is a must-to-visit street during the day as well! Haji Lane is well known as a drinking street. However, it is very nice street to thrift and do a souvenir shopping.  

Peranakan Houses located in Joo Chiat Neighbourhood are iconic attraction in Singapore. However, its neighbourhood is so much more fun to explore. Joo Chiat has a lot of cute and local souvenir stores and cool graffiti. It is a nice area to roam around during the day!

Gillman Barracks and Ota Fine Arts are located in the same area. Their space is very quiet which is nice for appreciating arts on Sunday afternoon. 

If you take film photos, and don't know where to develop those, here is the right place to do so. Whampoa Colour Centre is one of the best photo developing stores in the town. More than that, the uncle owner is very nice and friendly. Plus, Whampoa neighbourhood totally has a different vibe from other neighbourhoods. It feels like you go to another world that is underrepresented in Singapore 🏘

Film Photography Venue (Film developing stores, Film camera stores, Film stores) 🎞

Film mainly sells film cameras and develops films. Sometimes, they do have a film camera garage sell. Their film developing result is very delicate and beautiful. They also have a film developing box all around Singapore which you can check on their instagram page.

5) Film Photography Venue (Film developing stores, Film camera stores, Film stores) 🎞 - 3 Places

The Panic Room is a barber shop that also has 8storeytree, the photography shop. 8storeytree has all rare film rolls, polaroid cameras, rare disposable film cameras, toy cameras, film camera strips, and a lot more. Just check it out by yourself if you are into analogue photography! 🎞 Plus, they also have a little corner for selling music vinyls in the store. It is a very quirky and cool place to check out. 

SAINOUSPACE is a venu hosting local artists' exhibitions and performance. They believe in the art of storytelling and supporting local artists. Do check their instagram about the exhibitions that are going on.

1) Singapore Art Weeks (SAW) - Hosted in the beginning of the year (Jan)

Asian Film Archive is a screening space focusing on arthouse cinema all over Asia. The films that they are showing are rarely seen on average cinemas and The Projector. Do check their screening program on their website! 

Home | Asian Film Archive

Their space is nearby fort canning park. You can have a chill walk and then an arthouse movie afterwards!!

Singapore Art Week 2023

3) Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) - Hosted in the end of the year 

Singapore International Film Festival 2022 - SGIFF

SGArtWeek Instagram

SGIFF Instagram

Singapore Art Book Fair

Singapore Art Book Fair Instagram

5) Each country's film festival - Hosted all year long by The Projector, Asian Film Archive, Singapore Film Society

Singapore Biennale 2022

Hip Xiong Photo Studio provides tintype portrait photoshoot and workshops. Check it out if you are interested in old-school film photos!

Photography Singapore | Hip Xiong Photo Studio | Geylang

Cinema Website

The Projector

Peranakan Houses

Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

National Gallery Singapore

Objectifs - Centre for Photography & Film

Aliwal Arts Centre

Haji Lane

Basheer Graphic Books

Gillman Barracks

Ota Fine Arts

Whampoa Colour Centre

Littered with Books

https://www.instagram.com/filem.sg/

Filem

The Panic Room

8storeytree (In The Panic Room)

Instagram

SAINOUSPACE

The French Bookshop

Tiong Bahru

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Singapore Artsy Venues Hopping

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