5 things to do this week: Jan 3 to 9, 2022

Feeling the festive buzz die down a little after New Year’s? Here is a refreshing lineup to begin the year with.

Treat yourself to either heartfelt art exhibitions or thought-provoking theatre pieces and spine-chilling theme park tours.

Either way, this week’s lineup is as adamant about prolonging the fun and excitement from the holiday season.

Brian Gothong Tan’s heartfelt ‘Swimming Pool Library Exhibition’

Multimedia artist Brian Gothong Tan is ushering in the year with a honest, and heartfelt multi-sensorial exhibition.

 Through the process of making paper sketches, 3D printed sculptures, 3D film photography, and DIY books, Tan brings the audience on a journey of a boy’s rite of passage.

The exhibition unpacks the conventional definitions of masculinity, queer bodies and representation. On selected days, there are guided tours by members of the queer communities, adding another layer of authenticity to the exhibition.

The Swimming Pool Library Exhibition runs Jan 6 – 20, 2022 at 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 239007. Open Tue-Sat 1pm–8pm; Sun 12pm-6pm. Closed on Mon. Tickets to the exhibition are free with registration, tickets available here. Tickets to guided tours are priced at $10 and available here.

The spooky spectacle that is ‘The Secret Life of Haw Par Villa’

Who says spooky is reserved for Halloween? The Secret Life of Haw Par Villa is an interactive, walking tour cum performance that takes you through one of Singapore’s oldest theme parks – Haw Par Villa.

If just the thought of exploring the Ten Courts of Hell doesn’t send chills down your spine, maybe the fact that the Tiger Balm King, Aw Boon Haw himself is taking you through the theatrical spectacle, will.

Come face-to-face with Chinese mythological characters and while learning a thing or two about East Asian principles, ethics and morality.

The Secret Life of Haw Par Villa runs Jan 7 – Feb 26, 2022 at 262 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118628. Tickets are priced at $49 for children under 12 years/students and $59 for adults. Tickets are available here.

The Six Sounds

How does an evening of hard-swinging, blues-drenched numbers sound? The Six Sounds are putting their best foot forth into the year with an entire concert inspired by groups such as The Cannonball Adderley Quintet and The Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet.

The evening is led by saxophonist Sean Hong Wei who, together with the scene’s most distinguished musicians, Weixiang Tan, Nicole Duffell, Aaron James Lee, Matthew Tan and Ben Poh promise an electrifying, carefully-curated lineup for the night.

The Six Sounds is happening Jan 7, 2022, 7.30pm and 9.30pm, at the Esplanade Recital Studio, 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981. Showtimes include. Standard tickets are priced at S$28, and concession tickets are priced at $22.40 for students/NSFs/seniors. Tickets are available here.

Yeo Workshop’s ‘Ornamental’ explores familiar portrayals of various spaces

Yeo Workshop presents Ornamental, a group exhibition featuring five local and regional artists: Quyhn Dong, Santi Wangchuan, Lizzie Wee, Shayne Phua and Stephanie Jane Burt.

From Dong’s exploration of the Vietnamese diasporic experience to Wee’s reflection about the objectification of women, each section of the exhibition deeply engages cultural, social and political elements.

It interactive nature of contents turns the audience into embodied spectators. Ornamental is a great way to step back into physical spaces to experience art.

Ornamental runs till Jan 9, 2022 at #01-25, Gillman Barracks, 47 Malan Road, Singapore 109444. Open Tues-Sat 11am-7pm; Sun 12pm-6pm. Closed on Mon.

Wild Rice presents The Good Citizen

In Singapore, the steps to becoming a good citizen are well-defined – school, work, house, marriage, and children, for example. But what happens when the staircase seems unending?

What happens to those who venture out of the parameters of being a good citizen? Come explore the grey areas, perhaps maybe even question that in black and white with Wild Rice‘s Singapore Youth Theatre ensemble’s own bold, witty and thought-provoking play The Good Citizen.

The Good Citizen runs Jan 8 and 9, 2022 at Level 4, 107 North Bridge Road,  Singapore 179105. Ticket prices start from $25 and tickets are available here.

This article was first published in City Nomads.