
Pioneering performance artist and curator pair up for Singapore’s 12th presentation at Venice’s global art stage.
Singapore Art Museum (SAM) has announced that acclaimed interdisciplinary artist Amanda Heng and curator Selene Yap will represent Singapore at the 61st International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia — in 2026. The Biennale Arte, recognised as the world’s most prestigious contemporary art platform, will run from 9 May to 22 November 2026.
Commissioned by the National Arts Council and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, this marks Singapore’s 12th national presentation at Venice. Heng’s decades-long practice in performance, installation and participatory art has shaped Singapore’s contemporary art scene since the 1980s. Her work, which centres the body as a vessel for ritual, memory and social encounter, remains deeply relevant today.
Heng’s collaboration with Yap extends a curatorial partnership that foregrounds dialogue and process. Yap’s curatorial practice focuses on artists whose works explore the complexities of place, memory and cultural conditions, complementing Heng’s exploration of art and life. Together, they recently worked on Presentation of Works by Benesse Prize Artists in Japan.
SAM’s Director Eugene Tan and NAC’s CEO Low Eng Teong praised the team’s appointment, highlighting Heng’s global resonance and the Pavilion’s role in elevating Singapore’s voice in international art discourse. Full details of the curatorial concept for the Singapore Pavilion at the Arsenale venue will be revealed closer to the opening.
Source: Singapore Art Museum