5 Kid-friendly Things to Do at Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (+ $5 off Gojek promo code!)

Have you visited Singapore Art Museum (SAM) in its new digs at Tanjong Pagar Distripark? Here are 5 kid-friendly exhibits and programmes you shouldn’t miss!

We love Singapore’s museums, and were so sad to hear that Singapore Art Museum would be undergoing a redevelopment when it closed in 2017! But SAM’s opening in Tanjong Pagar Distripark means we won’t have to miss out on awesome kid-friendly exhibits and installations during the June and summer school holidays! Entry to this museum is free* and there are lots of fun activities in store for kids of all ages. Here are five highlights:

Kid-friendly Exhibits at SAM

1. Superfluous Things: Paper

Superfluous Things: Paper explores the relevance of paper in an increasingly digital world. We love how each of the five exquisite paper-based artworks invites visitors to view paper in a new light, with displays offering a visual (not to mention Instagram-worthy!) feast for the eyes! Kids and adults alike will be wowed by Land of Fairy Tales by Li Hongbo (pictured above) and Just a Little at a Time by Cheryl Teo, which features more than 80 miniature paper sculptures, each one the size of a matchbox! Don’t forget to bring home free activity sheets next door at The Engine Room as an extension of Superfluous Things: Paper!
When: until 14 Aug 2022
Where: Gallery 2 and The Engine Room, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

2. Lonely Vectors

Taking inspiration from the historic port that SAM is now located in, Lonely Vectors looks at the different ways we connect to the world and vice versa through an examination of the global economy and its circulation of goods and commodities, as well as other terrestrial flows like bodies and histories. There is a lot to learn through the immersive exhibits, including examining the role of labourers as a force often brushed aside in spite of their facilitation of the global flow of goods and capital, and reading about micro-histories to further understand the spaces and world around us.

You can look forward to eight site-specific installations from 10 local and international artists. H for Humidity in particular is one you have to check out, drawing from topics such as the region’s high intensities of rainfall and humidity (so relevant to the recent heatwave and thunderstorms we’ve been having!) as well as our struggle against humidity in the age of climate change. The exhibit comprises a video installation and VR component where audiences are made to embody different states of water.
When: Until 4 September 2022
Where: Gallery 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

In addition to exploring the exhibitions, you can also take part in complementary programmes like art workshops, performances, talks and tours. Here are some other family-friendly programmes at SAM to check out:

3. SAM Late Nights & SAMily Funday

Engage your kids meaningfully with a fun-filled weekend of art experiences for families. Whether it’s exploring SAM after hours with an entertaining line-up of art, performances, talks and tours, or spending an afternoon surrounded by art and activities, there’s something for everyone in the upcoming National Day Weekend!

Highlights include:

• Participating in a National Day-themed contest by illustrating what our Little Red Dot means to you
• Designing your own carnivalesque theme-park universe or psychedelic dreamscapes, taking inspiration from PHUNK and Keiichi Tanaami’s Eccentric City in Superfluous Things: Paper
• Peek into the creative minds of artists in Lonely Vectors and Superfluous Things: Paper through free docent tours. Lastly, look out for SAM’s roving photographers and bring home free polaroids of your art-filled day out!

When: Friday, 5 August, 7-10pm & Saturday, 6 August, 1-5pm
Where: SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

4. Loading/Unloading: A Live Activation by P7:1SMA

Growing up in Singapore, we are surrounded by so many modern buildings and infrastructures that they have become “invisible” to us, including the workers that prop up these systems. Dance performance company P7:1SMA, as part of their work in Lonely Vectors, will be presenting a series of performances at different locations in SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark that urges the public to recognise and acknowledge these often-unseen labour powering our economic activities. Against the backdrop of Tanjong Pagar Distripark as a historic port harbour, this series of performances invites us to pay attention to social issues that arise from various global economic activities, where the flow of goods and people can have an impact on our world.
When: Every Saturday, until 3 September 2022 (excludes 20 & 27 August), 3-4pm
Where: Location varies, full details here

5. Coffee & kids’ books at Epigram Coffee Bookshop at SAM

SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark is also home to the newly opened Epigram Coffee Bookshop, which is operated by Epigram Bookshop and Balestier Market Collective, featuring an all-local menu. Apart from serving up locally sourced coffee and food (you can get your fave kopi and toast here!), browse over 450 book titles at Epigram Coffee Bookshop spanning a wide spectrum of genres, including children’s books written and illustrated by local authors and illustrators.

SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark is also near Seah Im Food Centre, VivoCity and HarbourFront Centre if you’re looking for other foodie options nearby.

Ready to plan a fun cultural day out with the kids at SAM to explore the artworks while learning about contemporary issues?

*Entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents as well as children aged 6 and below, local/locally-based students (from qualifying institutions), persons with disabilities and their caregivers. For other adults entry is $10, while tickets are $5 for Seniors/overseas students. For more information, please visit www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/visit#admission

Enjoy $5 off* your Gojek ride with the promo code GOSAM.
While redemptions last.

SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #01-02 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065, www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/sam-at-tpd