Traverse through Archaeological Time, a temporal wormhole that directs users through fragments of history and folklore related to the site. Still image of Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B]. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

SAM collaborates with artists and artist collectives on two cutting-edge digital projects that investigate the influence of digital culture on art, exhibition-making, and everyday life

Singapore, 19 March 2025 — The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) unveils two groundbreaking projects that explore the intricate relationship between contemporary art and digital culture. Through collaborations with artists and artist collectives, SAM seeks to interrogate the unseen forces shaping art, exhibition-making, and everyday life in the digital age. These projects, Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B] and Open Systems 2_Operating Systems (OS2), push the boundaries of digital engagement and artistic experimentation.

The first initiative, Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B], is a collaboration with the trans-media research lab, formAxioms. This immersive and interactive experience invites participants to explore a futuristic version of the former St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI) building, now reimagined as a meta-exhibition. Blending elements of gaming, digital archiving, exhibition, and art, it challenges perceptions of architectural heritage, institutional ownership, and cultural memory. As players navigate the digital landscape, they encounter remnants of the past, speculative futures, and natural forces reclaiming the site.

Open Systems 2_Operating Systems (OS2), curated by the artist collective TO NEW ENTITIES, marks the second iteration of SAM’s Open Systems platform. Launched initially in 2023, OS2 expands on its predecessor’s critical examination of ideological and technological structures that govern digital culture. The exhibition features a series of artist-led interventions that prompt audiences to reflect on the mechanisms shaping their digital interactions and the influence of technology on artistic expression.

Shaping Contemporary Discourse on Digital Art

“In today’s technologically driven world, digital culture is an undeniable force influencing how we experience art, interact with one another, and perceive society,” says June Yap, Director of Curatorial and Research at SAM. “As a contemporary art museum, SAM is committed to fostering artistic practices that reflect and interrogate these conditions. By collaborating with artists at the forefront of these explorations, we aim to engage new communities and spark meaningful conversations.”

Curator Duncan Bass adds, “These projects challenge traditional notions of medium specificity, pushing the limits of what digital art can be. They raise critical questions about the future of art and exhibition-making in virtual spaces while encouraging audiences to reflect on the broader implications of digital culture.”

In Deep-Time, fragments of the artworks are scattered across SAM. Interact with these fragments to trigger mutations across the virtual environment. Still image of Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B]. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B]

Now until 30 September 2025

A pioneering collaboration between formAxioms and SAM, ÖK(^)B redefines the exhibition space by blending past, present, and speculative futures. Players navigate a futuristic iteration of SJI’s architecture, shaped by real-time environmental factors and collective digital footprints. The project also features complementary works, including:

Discover the artworks of Hings Lim and Juan Covelli in Linear-Time, accessed through waypoints within the former St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI) building. Still image of Operation Kata-tropical (Aural) Bloom [ÖK(^)B]. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.
  • Speculating the Fragmented Copy by Juan Covelli, a series of digitised 3D scans of Mesoamerican artefacts questioning museum ownership and cultural commodification.
  • Homo Lanterns by Hings Lim, is a real-time simulation transforming colonial architectural fragments into ghostly projections, reflecting on Southeast Asia’s colonial legacy.
Still image of Sharmini Aphrodite, fyerool darma, Shif, POFMAMAXX and Manni Wang’s Junklord Hikayat (2024) as part of Open Systems 2_Operating Systems. Image courtesy of the artists.

Open Systems 2_Operating Systems (OS2)

Now until 31 May 2025

Curated by TO NEW ENTITIES, OS2 presents 12 artist projects across four thematic chapters: Knowledge Systems, Archival Systems, Eco-Systems, and New Systems. Highlights include:

Still image of Dana Dawud’s Noah’s Ark (2024) as part of Open Systems 2_Operating Systems. Image courtesy of the artist.
  • Noah’s Ark by Dana Dawud, is a video essay blending TikTok videos, eco-protests, and ancient flood myths to explore cultural narratives.
  • The Whole Earth Codec by Christina Lu, Connor Cook, and Dalena Tran, integrates planetary sensor networks to simulate a new form of computational reasoning.
  • Triton by Invernomuto is a multimedia project merging ancient myths and contemporary technology to examine ecological interdependencies.
  • MUSH by Most Dismal Swamp, is an exploration of encrypted online subcultures and their parallels with real-world perception.
The Immortals Are Quite Busy These Days: Object Management (2021)
One or Several Agents: Machinic Animism (2023)
 Moving Castles (2021)

Together, ÖK(^)B and OS2 redefine the dialogue between art and technology, urging audiences to rethink their digital realities and the evolving role of museums in the digital age.

Visitors can also access Skill Futures Here.