Key arts venues to visit in the APAC Region

With travel back on the cards, we are dying to visit our fave arts institutions in the Asia Pacific region. Here’s a list of great venues to add to your itineraries

National Gallery Singapore
Singapore
@nationalgallerysingapore

National Gallery Singapore is a leading visual arts institution which oversees the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art. The Gallery is housed in two national monuments - City Hall and former Supreme Court - that have been beautifully restored and transformed into this incredible 64,000-square-metre venue. NGS is a progressive museum, opening dialogues between the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the world through collaborative research, education, long-term and special exhibitions, and innovative programming.

Esplanade
Singapore
@esplanadesingapore

Presenting the best in the performing arts, Esplanade hosts a diverse range of dance, music and theatre performances, in addition to captivating visual arts exhibitions and more. Being one of the busiest arts centres in the world, with 3,000 performances yearly out of which 70% are free, you are always bound to find some captivating and memorable work being presented.

West Kowloon Cultural District
Hong Kong
@westkowloon

The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most significant cultural projects in the world. A vibrant cultural quarter situated on the harbour and with ample open public space, the district features various performing arts venues, a cultural institution with museum functions and an exhibition centre.

Tai Kwun
Hong Kong
@taikwun.hk

Tai Kwun is Hong Kong’s Centre for Heritage and Arts — a cultural destination for inspiration, stimulation and enjoyment. Uniting multiple genres of arts, heritage, culture and lifestyle, here visitors can find thematic exhibitions and immersive public programmes that explore Hong Kong’s history and culture, alongside a multitude of vibrant and inclusive contemporary art presentations and performing arts offerings all year round.

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Kanazawa, Japan
@21_kanazawa

The 21st Century Museum is one of the most visited art museums in the world, often encouraging artists in the collection to produce site specific works. With a strong focus on the democratisation of art, with a strong focus on an ‘open museum’ which is perhaps best captured in the architecture of the building. The building has a circular form, featuring multiple entry points, while the galleries are of various proportions and light conditions – from bright daylight through glass ceilings to spaces with no natural light source.

Taiwan Contemporary Cultural Lab
Taiwan
@taiwancontemporaryculturelab

Since its inception in 2018, C-LAB is gradually becoming a leading light of Taiwanese contemporary culture. They host various lecture series, screenings, workshops, performances, collaborative experimental projects, and multidisciplinary exhibitions. Each initiative pushes and blurs the boundaries of art, science, technology, and social experimentation.

Basement Theatre
New Zealand
@basementspace

Our friends from across the pond, Basement Theatre is a place where independent artists develop and perform urgent and adventurous live performance works. Presenting a range of performances across two spaces, Basement Theatre is redefining the way theatre is made in Aotearoa.