Gallery-hop in a bus

SINGAPORE - Art lovers can go gallery- hopping in chartered buses next week, during the busiest seven days in the visual arts calendar.

The inaugural Art In Motion, presented by Art Galleries Association Singapore, will host free bus rides from 11am to 7pm on Jan 18 and 19 to coincide with Singapore Art Week.

The rides give visitors "the ability to tailor their own experience of Singapore during Singapore Art Week", says Mr Benjamin Hampe, 33, director of Art In Motion and treasurer of the association of 28 galleries.

During Art Week, many galleries will be unveiling new exhibitions featuring home- grown and foreign artists. "It's also about tapping into the excitement of Singapore Art Week," says Mr Hampe of the bus tours. "There are people from all over the world coming here and it's an opportunity for galleries to show- case themselves to a captive audience."

Thirteen galleries, such as Singapore Tyler Print Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MoCA@Loewen), will be featured along three designated routes.

Two of the routes begin with a cluster of galleries in Hill Street and end at Art Seasons in Selegie Road. The third route begins at Art Stage Singapore, an annual international art fair held at Marina Bay Sands. The tour goes through Art Plural Gallery and Maya Gallery in the civic area, and ends with two galleries in Keppel Road.

So far, more than 200 people have registered for the tours on both days via the association's website. There is no limit on the number of people the tours can take.

Those who wish to join the tours can also register on the spot.

Two routes will run on each day and the schedule is available on the website. Visitors can take their time at each gallery before boarding the next scheduled bus. With buses picking up visitors at each stop about every 10 minutes, visiting galleries will literally be as easy as hopping on and off a bus.

Not only are the exhibitions curated, but special talks by artists will also be held at these galleries.

Art In Motion is an expanded version of Art Walk, a series of bus tours held by the association from 2007 to 2010.

Local installation artist Dawn Ng, 31, whose work Windowshop is held at Chan Hampe Galleries, welcomes the free gallery tours. "It's a good opportunity for people to have a guided experience of the works," she says.

Mr Hampe, who co-owns Chan Hampe Galleries at Raffles Hotel Arcade, one of the stops included in Art In Motion, says: "We are throwing open our doors. Bring your kids, bring your grandparents, everyone. Everyone is welcome to the galleries."

seemanda@sph.com.sg

ART IN MOTION

Where: Routes begin at either Old Hill Street Police Station, 140 Hill Street or Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue

When: Jan 18 and 19

Admission: Free

Info: Go to www.agas.org.sg to register

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