Portals at Battlebox
A new visual arts exhibition snuggled within the Battlebox in Fort Canning Hill conjures a handful of surprising portals into Singapore’s wartime past, showing that history is more than what meets the eye.
Portals, an exhibition which sees seven visual artists respond to the site of the popular, if eerie, tourist attraction, complements the relatively straightforward storytelling in the bunker which consists of wax figures and historical set pieces. It runs till June 29.
Curators Jonathan Liu and Shireen Marican have adopted a metaphorical approach – avoiding the trappings of crowd-pleasing immersive work while still offering a multi-sensory experience that enlivens the space.
Two sound-based works placed in adjacent rooms demonstrate this. Go near artist Victoria Hertel’s darkmode (2025) and her dangling glass vessels respond with their meditative tinkling and phosphorus glow. Her work leads to the escape hatch and provides a counterpoint to the dark battle scenes around the bunker.
Beside Hertel’s work is artist Zul Mahmod’s Electromagnetic Sound: The Hidden Echoes (2025) – which emits a frenzied white noise as it responds to the changes in surrounding electromagnetic waves. Both works nudge the viewer to reckon with how human and non-human presences affect the environment.
For more conceptual fare, artist Anthony Chin’s BMA (2025) – which references the British Military Administration’s return to Malaya after Japan’s defeat – tackles the import of 50 million grains of opium in 1945. Lord Louis Mountbatten’s hand is tied to a fish hook which pulls on a latex screen projecting archival images of coolies.
Artist Anthony Chin’s BMA (2025) is part of Portals, a visual arts exhibition that is nestled within the Battlebox in Fort Canning Hill. ST PHOTO: SHAWN HOO
The result is a restless push and pull that is at once comforting in its rhythm and disturbing to watch up-close – much like the contradictions of opium, a source of suffering and comfort for addicts.
Artists Dongyan Chen, Ernest Wu, Huijun Lu and Jake Tan’s works are also on show. Skip the textual overload – the Battlebox itself is already pretty wordy – and focus on the sounds and sensations of the work. The art, not the words, are the portals to the past.
Where: Battlebox, Fort Canning Park, 2 Cox Terrace
MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Fort Canning
When: Till June 29; Wednesdays to Sundays, 10am to 5pm (last entry at 4pm)
Admission: Free for basic experience; $20 (tourists) and $15 (Singapore citizens and permanent residents) for enhanced experience, which includes an audio tour and access to two projection rooms
Info: www.klook.com/en-SG/activity/116457-battlebox-fort-canning-park-singapore
The Banker’s Journey by Lincoln Townley
British contemporary artist Lincoln Townley’s Banker At SGX (2022) is part of the artist’s acclaimed series of abstract figurative portraits of financial elites.PHOTO: ART WORKS GALLERY
English contemporary artist Lincoln Townley’s abstract figurative portraits of financial elites will be on show in Singapore – a finance hub that the acclaimed artist has drawn inspiration from.
In works like Banker At SGX (2022) and Singapore Banker’s Night Out (2022), Townley’s bold impasto techniques create vivid portraits of extravagance, ambition, luxury and greed. Asked what kind of energy he draws from Singapore, Townley says the city resonates with his fascination with the pressures of success. “I find Singapore an extremely exciting prospect to show my new collection of Banker heads on a bigger scale. I’m fascinated with Singapore’s luxury scene – high-end clubs, casinos and extravagant lifestyles align with the themes of indulgence and what successful people are willing to go through to succeed.”
In 2022, Townley sold 20 works to a private investment group in Singapore. He has often said his collectors see themselves in his works: “They hang these oil works with pride and celebrate the fact that they push boundaries to secure 100 per cent of the deals they are working on within their financial world”.
Townley’s portrait works are reminiscent of the late Ireland-born British artist Francis Bacon’s raw and unsettling figures. Townley’s works have been collected by the likes of American actor Al Pacino and his pieces command six-figure sums on the primary market.
After a sell-out Venice Biennale show in 2024, the Singapore exhibition will offer a preview from Townley’s 2026 collection for the Venice Biennale.
Where: Art Works Gallery, One Holland Village, 7 Holland Village Way
MRT: Holland Village
When: April 3 to 20, 11am to 8pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 10am to 10pm (Fridays and Saturdays), 10am to 8pm (Sundays)
Admission: Free
Info: ac.artworks.com/the-bankers-journey-exhibition-page
SAM Access Showcase 2025: common languages
Artist David Chan’s Utama’s Kitty (2018) is part of the Singapore Art Museum’s Touch Collection, which enhances the contemporary art experience for visually impaired communities and other audiences.PHOTO: COURTESY OF SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM
Is it possible to discuss contemporary art in Singapore Sign Language (SgSL)? How do visually impaired visitors get to experience the visual arts? At Singapore Art Museum’s (SAM) inaugural access showcase – an array of programmes about art and accessibility, which includes the Touch Collection – seeks to answer such questions.
From March 27 to April 13, a glossary of art terms in SgSL, a tactile booklet adaptation of artist Nguan’s photographs and a collection of touchable art adapted from works by Singaporean artists will be on show for free at The Engine Room.
The showcase is accompanied by talks, workshops and performances based on the theme of arts and inclusive programming. For those who want to dive deeper into the topic, non-profit arts organisation Art:Dis has an ongoing Arts and Disability Forum at various locations till March 29.
Where: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road
MRT: Tanjong Pagar
When: March 27 to April 13, 10am to 7pm; various timings for individual programmes
Admission: Free
Info: str.sg/sBD9
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
