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Singapore arts guide (Sept 2 to 9): Malaysian Modernist Latiff Mohidin ventures into bronze
Malaysian artist Latiff Mohidin's first cast-bronze sculpture Burung 1 (Bird 1) (2026). PHOTO: GAJAH GALLERY Latiff Mohidin: Lines To Form At 85, Malaysian Modernist artist Latiff Mohidin is forging ahead into a new medium and unveiling his first cast-bronze sculpture. Burung 1 (Bird 1) was first made in 1967 at a smaller scale in ciment fondu and has been reborn as a 1.8m-tall bronze sculpture. The 2026 work, which bears the same name, is scaled from the original ciment fondu sculpture and therefore visibly bears the intimate fingerprints of the artist. Latiff’s abstraction of the bird here is almost childlike, resembling two cocked fingers and an open palm. The bronze work belongs to Latiff’s iconic Pago Pago series, a term he coined in the 1950s that blends the words “pagoda” and “pagar pagar”, which refers to the distinctive architectural feature of Minangkabau houses. It is realised in collaboration with Yogya Art Lab, Gajah Gallery’s foundry arm based in Yogyakarta, which has pushed artists like Suzann Victor, Jane Lee and Han Sai Por to work in new materials or at larger scale. Curated by Syed Muhammad Hafiz of Kuala Lumpur-based LM Studio, which is devoted to promoting Latiff’s legacy, the bronze work is presented alongside paper works. There are wetlands, forests, peat swamps and mangroves. Seen together, they evoke the stunning breadth of tropical forms. Where: Gajah Gallery Singapore, 03-04 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road MRT: Cantonment When: Till Sept 20; weekdays, 11am to 7pm; weekends and public holidays, noon to 6pm Admission: Free Info: str.sg/JP8Sj
《风油阿伯》绘本用新加坡华语为孩子上生命课
《风油阿伯》绘本具有新加坡社会及语言特色，为儿童述说生命教育。 （互联网） 用在地华语，为孩子说一堂爱与告别的生命课。《风油阿伯》绘本由郑婉妮博士创作、翁敏佳绘图，以新加坡组屋邻里生活为背景，讲述一名小男孩与邻居阿伯之间的跨世代友谊。当阿伯离世后，孩子面对死亡的抽象概念，从困惑、不安到逐渐理解与接纳。本书以温柔细腻的叙事方式，引导儿童认识生命的流动与离别的意义，同时通过气味串联记忆与情感，让思念以另一种方式延续。 绘本融合本地语言、生活场景与文化元素，不仅展现新加坡多元文化社会的真实面貌，也回应儿童在成长过程中对生命、关系与情感的提问，是一本兼具人文关怀与教育意义的生命教育绘本。 《风油阿伯》的新书发布会上，作者郑婉妮将从儿童发展与生命教育的角度，分享《风油阿伯》的创作缘起，以及绘本如何陪伴孩子认识生命与告别。南洋理工大学国立教育学院陈志锐副教授担任主持人兼对谈嘉宾，与作者从新加坡华语、儿童文学和在地书写出发，谈绘本中的“巴刹”、“安哥安娣”和“咖啡乌”等生活语言，如何承载新加坡独有的文化经验与邻里记忆。 报名费为5元，可在当日买书折抵。 ▲《风油阿伯》新书发布会 9月13日（星期日） 下午3时至4时30分 地点：草根书室（25 Bukit Pasoh Rd S089839） 报名链接：bit.ly/4gXyq44
Ancient Egypt takes over Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome for Lilytopia
Lilytopia at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome. PHOTO: GARDENS BY THE BAY Feast your eyes on more than 7,000 lilies at Gardens by the Bay’s (GBTB) latest seasonal floral display, Lilytopia. Situated in the GBTB Flower Dome, it draws inspiration from the nature and mythology of Ancient Egypt and is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Singapore. Highlights include the Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana, which are giant water lilies. These were grown from seeds by the GBTB team over the last 1½ years. Visitors will also find other plants closely associated with daily life in Egypt, such as the papyrus, which is thought to have been used to manufacture paper in Ancient Egypt as far back as 3,000BC. Anchoring the floral display are sculptures and architectural facades – look out for statues of Egyptian deities, including Ra and Thoth. Where: Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive When: Till Sept 27, 9am to 9pm daily Info: Admission fees to Flower Dome apply. See str.sg/mhEf for details.
London’s Goldsboro Books partners BookXcess to open outpost in Malaysia
Goldsboro Books has opened its first permanent international retail space at The Sunway Library by BookXcess in Bandar Sunway, Selangor. PHOTO: BOOKXCESS/INSTAGRAM Book lovers can now browse the shelves of award-winning British bookseller Goldsboro Books without travelling to England, with its first permanent international retail space having opened on Aug 27 at The Sunway Library by BookXcess in Bandar Sunway, Selangor. The Goldsboro Room is a compact 13 sq m purpose-built space designed exclusively for Goldsboro Books, echoing the look and feel of its flagship store in London’s historic Cecil Court. The outpost set-up – the first phase of the collaboration – will offer readers access to Goldsboro Books’ collection of signed first-edition hardbacks, exclusive editions and highly collectible books, bringing the specialist bookseller to South-east Asia for the first time. Founded in 1999 by David Headley and Daniel Gedeon, Goldsboro Books is recognised for its exclusive collaborations with publishers and authors, as well as cultivating a strong community of book collectors. The Sunway Library by BookXcess, the largest 24-hour bookstore in South-east Asia, opened at Sunway Square Mall in December 2025. BookXcess co-founder Andrew Yap says the company is proud to partner Goldsboro Books to make previously hard-to-access editions available locally. “When we founded BookXcess, our mission was simple: to make great books accessible to more people. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to remove barriers between readers and books, and this partnership with Goldsboro Books is another exciting step in that journey,” says Yap.
把创作现场搬上台 作弹会让华乐新作公开试炼
新加坡国际华乐室内乐作曲比赛“作弹会”通过公开排练，让观众了解华乐室内乐新作从乐谱走向舞台的过程。 （鼎艺团提供） ▲作弹会2026：公开彩排A组决赛 8月29日（星期六）上午10时 滨海艺术中心音乐室 票价：9元 购票：sistic.com.sg/events/cata0826 ▲作弹会2026：公开彩排B组决赛 8月30日（星期日）上午10时 滨海艺术中心音乐室 票价：9元 购票：sistic.com.sg/events/catb0826 ▲作弹会2026：获奖作品音乐会 8月30日（星期日）晚上7时30分 滨海艺术中心音乐室 票价：30元 购票：sistic.com.sg/events/prize0826 作曲家的工作通常在闭门中完成，观众听见的是定稿后的作品。由本地鼎艺团发起的“作弹会”，把排练、修改过程纳入决赛，也把一部华乐新作从乐谱走向舞台的过程开放给公众。 第五届新加坡国际华乐室内乐作曲比赛“作弹会2026”时隔五年回归，共收到来自八个国家及地区的95部作品，投稿来源远至阿根廷、委内瑞拉及意大利，体现了世界各地作曲家对华乐创作日益浓厚的兴趣。 参赛作品分为A组和B组。A组要求作曲家按照鼎艺团13名演奏家的全团编制写作；2026年增设的B组则由西洋弦乐四重奏与华乐四重奏（任何四样华乐乐器）组成。这一编制将历史、音色和演奏方法各异的两种四重奏形式并置，八件乐器如何建立关系，成为作曲家必须回应的课题。 决赛将呈现七部作品，包括A组和B组各三首经初赛选出的作品，以及获“新加坡青年作曲家奖”的本地作曲者王秉仁的《和频》。决赛评委会由鼎艺团首席艺术指导叶聪担任主席，评委包括叶小纲（中国）、郝维亚（中国）、陈永华（中国香港）、Narong Prangcharoen（泰国），以及罗伟伦（新加坡）。 重奏思维是评判核心 叶聪认为，评判华乐室内乐作品，首先要看它是否真正具有“重奏思维”。他说，不少写给小乐团的作品，采用的仍是大乐团写法：“基本上是一个大旋律，底下‘嘣嚓嘣嚓’，缺乏对位和多重性思维。” 叶聪直言，写好室内重奏有时比写大乐团作品更难。人数较少并不意味作品更容易处理。七八名演奏者可能对应七八个具有独立意义的声部，作曲者必须处理它们之间的关系。 他也期待作曲者突破沿袭已久的结构观念，未必遵循西方曲式的发展逻辑。“现在很多作品都给西方捆住了，传统曲式要求AB后面非要回到A段，为什么不可以是ABC、ABCD？” A组公开排练于8月29日举行，B组公开排练于隔8月30日上午举行，两场活动均于上午10时至下午1时，在滨海艺术中心音乐室举行，公众可购票观看。 公开排练是评审的一部分 公开排练不仅是演出前的准备，也是评审的一部分。入围作曲者须与评委、指挥及演奏者交流，回应作品在实际演奏中出现的问题。评委除了考量乐谱和最终呈现，也将观察作曲者如何阐述、理解和调整自己的作品。 鼎艺团驻团指挥黄德励说，这种探索也触及一个尚未解决的问题：华乐室内乐是否拥有自己的固定编制和音乐语言？西洋室内乐已有成熟的四重奏、五重奏传统，华乐虽然曾发展出丝弦五重奏等形式，却仍缺乏获得广泛采用、能够持续累积作品的组合。 黄德励把“作弹会”形容为“催化剂”，通过公开排练把作曲者、指挥和演奏者结合起来。写在纸上的音符是否真正能够演奏，作曲者又能否听取演奏者和指挥的反馈，这些检验的过程，都直观呈现在观众面前。 鼎艺团过去曾把比赛作品纳入保留曲目，也在作曲者得奖后继续委约创作。黄德励举刘豫徽《吕韵·陆——年画》和蔡宗玲《忆·元宵》为例，这些作品后来获得新加坡以外的乐团演奏，在不同指挥、演奏者和观众的参与中逐渐扩大影响。
一生逐海绘南洋风情 李文苑：看不到海就无法呼吸
李文苑油画《泰国水上市场 》（62x91厘米，2008） 李文苑油画《峇厘乡村》（91x62厘米，1999） （海卉画廊提供） ▲帆渡南洋——新加坡第二代画家李文苑画展 即日至8月25日每天中午12时至傍晚6时30分 海卉艺苑（1 Coleman Street #04-46 The Adelphi S179803) 海卉艺苑主办“帆渡南洋——新加坡第二代画家李文苑画展”，展出李文苑（1934－2016）不同时期作品三十余幅，涵盖油画、水彩、素描，横跨海景、风景、市井众生、人体艺术等题材，展现这位写实派画家的艺术造诣和创作历程。 从小住在海边，家里经营渔业的李文苑说过：“看不到海就无法呼吸”。他一生爱开着红色游艇，乘风穿梭附近海域，海洋、舟船成为其核心创作母题。渔港泊船、落日帆影、潮起浪涛、滨海黄昏的景致，出现在他的画布上。作为赤道艺术研究会联合发起人，其写实技艺精湛，海浪层层翻涌的肌理质感、市集摊贩生动鲜活的神态、人体流畅自然的骨骼线条，形神兼备，光影塑造扎实细腻，既真实又富有生命力。 李文苑踏遍东南亚各地采风写生，深入热带雨林、滨海渔村、南洋乡野，把赤道日光、海岛地貌、南国风物纳入画作中，定格原生态的自然风貌。他走进老街巷和菜市场写生，细腻捕捉商贩劳作、市井往来的日常百态，人间烟火画面质朴温暖，同时潜心人体写实创作，以沉稳的笔触勾勒人体体态线条的美感。 李文苑毕业于南洋美术专科学校（今南洋艺术学院），后来任职广告公司，1980年代起全职作画，生前办过11次个展。他为文莱波基亚苏丹家族，诗家董的董氏家族及印度尼西亚富商画过肖像。
Still building at 70: The architecture firm behind Jewel, Westgate and other beloved Singapore spaces
RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, one of Singapore’s earliest architectural design firms, has been a driving force in a range of building projects. PHOTOS: ST FILE SINGAPORE – When picturing Singapore’s iconic landmarks, the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay, the three towers of Marina Bay Sands and the rain vortex at Jewel Changi Airport are likely the first images that come to mind. Nevertheless, even as all three are architectural wonders, they are not necessarily buildings and sights that most Singaporeans see and interact with on a daily basis. But how about residential estate The Pinnacle@Duxton or heartland mall Westgate? Or school campus ITE College Central or office building CapitaGreen? RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (RSP), one of Singapore’s earliest architectural design firms, has been a driving force in all of these building projects that serve Singaporeans in their everyday lives. It has also been a key player in the design and construction of iconic landmarks like Jewel Changi Airport. RSP has even designed spaces for animals. One of its most recent big-ticket projects was Bird Paradise at Mandai Wildlife Reserve, which opened its doors to the public in May 2023. The firm’s extensive participation in building modern Singapore has been captured in a new exhibition, 70 Years Of RSP: Where Design Meets Humanity. It runs until Oct 26, with free public tours available for booking. Meanwhile, the newly launched commemorative book, RSP 70: The Stories We Build, can be read online at rsp.design/rsp70
NUS makes AI courses compulsory, gives all students and staff free ChatGPT Edu access
The moves are part of a new AI strategy announced by NUS on Aug 11. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN SINGAPORE – From August, all National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduates will be required to take at least two compulsory courses in artificial intelligence before graduating, regardless of their field of study. This includes a new introductory AI course for all incoming students, alongside changes across schools’ common curricula and majors. All existing and incoming students and staff will also get free access to ChatGPT Edu, a version built by OpenAI for universities and schools to use. The moves are part of a new AI strategy announced by the university on Aug 11. Under the plan, AI will be built into how each discipline is taught and used in students’ day-to-day work, while ensuring that they still develop distinctly human qualities like judgment and communication. “The core business of a university is really to develop the human, not to develop the AI,” said NUS deputy president (academic affairs) and provost Aaron Thean, speaking to media ahead of the announcement on July 27. He added that the goal is for all students to be “AI fluent” by the time they graduate, while a smaller group specialising in the field would go on to master it. NUS has about 29,600 undergraduates across 15 colleges, faculties and schools.
梨园群英聚狮城 新加坡国际戏曲节首设专业组比赛
京剧《卖水》由李琳（左）饰演小姐、阎丽饰演梅英，是第七届新加坡国际戏曲节开幕晚会节目之一。 （主办方提供） 两年一届的新加坡国际戏曲节将于8月20日至24日举行，今年迈入第七届，除了汇聚本地多个戏曲团体共同参与，也首次增设专业组比赛，开放给中国及世界各地的专业戏曲院团报名，为本地观众带来高水平戏曲演出。 由新加坡华族戏曲协会主办的新加坡国际戏曲节自2014年创办以来，坚持每两年举办一次。本届戏曲节由新加坡平社、天韵京剧社、敦煌剧坊、新艺剧坊、剧艺之家、陶融儒乐社、余娱儒乐社、延戏、三江会馆梨园社、华族戏曲工作室、华戏荟及新加坡华族戏曲博物馆协办，开展演出、戏曲比赛、大师工作坊、专题讲座及国际交流演出等活动。 8月20日晚，开幕式暨“梨园荟萃聚狮城”戏曲晚会将在淡滨尼天地佳节艺术剧场（Festive Arts Theatre @ Our Tampines Hub）登场，免费向公众开放。演出涵盖京剧、越剧及歌仔戏等多个剧种，包括新加坡华族戏曲协会呈献的京剧《卖水》，延戏演出的歌仔戏《铁弓缘》，以及三江会馆梨园社带来的越剧《碧玉簪·三盖衣》，展现本地多剧种并存的戏曲生态。 北美戏曲演员登台献艺 来自美国西雅图“吴小妹北美协会”的京胡演奏家何兵与京二胡演奏家吴小妹夫妇，也将率领北美戏曲演员参与本届戏曲节，并以京胡、京二胡协奏《爱情鸟》为开幕式拉开序幕。 开幕晚会压轴节目则由新加坡华族戏曲协会艺术总监黄萍率学生符岂华和汪端瑞，共同演出京剧《拾玉镯》，展现师徒同台传承戏曲艺术。观众可于活动前一周起，前往淡滨尼天地一楼服务柜台领取门票。 除了演出，戏曲节期间还安排多项推广活动。8月21日上午，黄萍将在新加坡华族戏曲博物馆（布业中心，200 Jalan Sultan #02-38 S199018）主持“大师传艺工作坊”，以折扇为主题，介绍戏曲程式表演中折扇的运用；8月22日上午，天韵京剧社副社长兼艺术总监林美莲将主讲《从〈拾玉镯〉谈戏曲虚拟性的表演与运用》，结合经典剧目解析戏曲虚拟表演艺术。 今年戏曲比赛分为专业组及业余组，涵盖京剧、粤剧、潮剧、越剧、昆曲、琼剧及歌仔戏等剧种。初赛将于8月21日晚举行，采取闭门评审方式；决赛及闭幕式则于8月23日晚在醉花林俱乐部举行，并结合国际戏曲交流演出。观众除可欣赏来自新加坡、中国及海外戏曲演员的演出，也将有机会观赏中国专业院团呈献《天女散花》《杨门女将·探谷》等经典剧目。 新加坡华族戏曲协会会长卞会宾说，希望透过持续举办戏曲节，为本地戏曲界搭建交流平台，也让更多公众接触和认识中华戏曲艺术。报名及购票咨询请联络：97506666（WhatsApp，卞会宾）。
askST: How worrying is Singapore’s haze outlook, and how can you protect yourself?
Firefighters battling a spreading peat fire in a residential district in Pengerang, Johor, in January. PHOTO: ST FILE SINGAPORE – Dry conditions that have worsened fires in the region are expected to persist this week, raising the risk of haze over Singapore. On Aug 9, the Republic’s haze task force announced its readiness to roll out plans after the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) entered the moderate range in central Singapore in the afternoon. Following the recent warning of the possible return of hazy weather, The Straits Times looks at what residents need to know to protect themselves. How worrying is the recent haze outlook for Singapore? Singapore is among the southern South-east Asian countries at high risk of severe haze affecting the region for the rest of 2026. These conditions are expected to peak from August to September, according to think-tank Singapore Institute of International Affairs. This is due to unusually hot and dry weather, fuelled by an intensifying El Nino climate phenomenon. El Nino occurs when the atmosphere reacts to a sustained warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface temperatures above average levels, bringing less rain, longer dry spells and higher temperatures to South-east Asia. Scientists have warned that the 2026/2027 El Nino could become a “Godzilla” or Super El Nino, with temperatures in the tropical Pacific warming rapidly. El Nino events tend to have the greatest bearing on Singapore’s rainfall during the dry south-west monsoon season from June to September.
9月相约新诗讲堂 听三作家教现代诗创作
本地作家郭永秀（左起）、林高与李茀民，将传授写诗的快乐与书写的自由。 （互联网） 新加坡作家协会将于9月至10月开办“新诗讲堂”，邀请本地作家郭永秀、林高与李茀民担任讲师，带领学员从赏析到创作，从平面书写到立体呈现，探索现代诗的不同可能。 讲堂将于9月至10月的星期日，下午2时30分至4时30分开课。郭永秀将在第一堂课（9月6日）讲授“如何创作现代诗？”，并于第三堂课（9月20日）分享“诗与多媒体／诗与微电影”；林高在第二堂课（9月13日）主讲“文学启蒙：从读一首诗说起”；李茀民则在第四堂课（10月4日）讲授“诗歌创作的N次方”。 课堂地点位于新加坡作家协会会所，开放15至17个名额。工作人士收费180元，在籍学生收费120元，作协会员则收150元，完成至少三堂课的学员将获颁证书。 有意参加者可电邮 contact@singaporewriters.org.sg，附上中英文姓名、年龄、手机号码、地址等资料报名。截止日期为8月31日，或额满为止。
Singapore to boost defences against animal-borne diseases with six new research projects
The projects will help Singapore better anticipate public health risks that can arise from climate change and the cross-border movement of people, animals and agents that carry and transmit diseases. ST PHOTO: JASEL POH SINGAPORE – Amid a surge in pet ownership and human-wildlife interactions, the National Parks Board (NParks) has awarded grants to projects that investigate how animal-borne diseases spread here. Announced on Aug 5, the projects are funded by the $15 million Biosurveillance Research Programme, which taps the local research community to deepen scientific knowledge of animal-borne diseases and develop strategies to manage them. Led by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the projects will help the Republic better anticipate public health risks that can arise from climate change and the cross-border movement of people, animals and agents that carry and transmit diseases, said NParks. Six of the seven proposals submitted were selected. Chua Tze Hoong, group director of veterinary health at NParks’ Animal and Veterinary Service, noted that even as Singapore remains free of major animal-borne diseases such as rabies, the Republic is a major transit hub for migratory birds and animal products, and is located in a region with many animal-borne diseases. The research supplements Singapore’s biosurveillance efforts during “peacetime”, said Chua. Under the grant, researchers will study novel molecular approaches and paint a clearer picture of the complex interactions between disease-carrying organisms, humans, animals and the environment. This includes analysing how land use and human behaviour influence animal movement and disease distribution. One project, led by Gavin Smith, professor and director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, will investigate disease pathways in settings like dog runs, veterinary clinics and animal shelters, among other things. The project will involve sampling the environment for diseases of concern as well as lesser-known bacterial parasites and viruses, painting a clearer picture of how they move between humans and animals, said Smith. By understanding how diseases spread, the authorities can implement simple but effective interventions, such as targeted cleaning protocols, to reduce the spread of specific disease-causing agents, he added. Veterinary consultant Teo Boon Han, who is a co-investigator of the project, said: “Given how close we are with our pets; how we hug them, kiss them... there has been an increase in interest and new evidence regarding the interactions and transmission pathways of certain pathogens from companion animals to humans.” On a personal note, Teo, who is a managing partner at VetTrust Singapore, said the research will help him better protect his veterinary care staff by studying the poorly understood risks that they face on the job. Another project will assess and quantify the risk of diseases spreading from local wild mammals to humans through shared environments. Led by Janelle Thompson, an associate professor from NTU’s Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, the team will focus on otters, civets, plantain squirrels and fruit bats, as these are commonly found in urban spaces. Thompson said the team will cast a wide net by measuring biomaterials shed in both nature reserves and high-traffic human-animal interfaces, such as housing estates and parks. She added: “The point of our project is not to pick one pathogen and focus on it, but to use an approach that could handle any pathogen.” The Biosurveillance Research Programme, launched in 2025 under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 Plan, is rooted in the World Health Organization’s “One Health” approach.