Sonic Shaman 2026: Borderless Transforms Singapore Art Museum Into An International Sound Festival

Sonic Shaman features regional and local acts like weish, Salty Xi Jie Ng, and Mervin Wong (Credit: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum)

The delightfully amorphous domain of art gets thrust into the spotlight this January with the annual arrival of Singapore Art Week, and this recurrence brings with it a unique sound festival in 2026. In collaboration with TheCube Project Space from Taipei, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) launches Sonic Shaman 2026: Borderless, a multi-day and multi-disciplinary event at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. The concept is anchored by an appreciation for avant-garde sounds linked to vernacular practices in Southeast Asia, and it makes its Singapore debut with 20 artists and musicians from across the region.

Co-curated by Jeph Lo, Amy Cheng, and Seline Ilana Teo, the lineup promises a left-field and norm-busting assembly of live performances, sound works and oral presentations. They include Infinite Corridor by The Analog Girl, whose gizmo-equipped electronics play with textures and space. Electronic-classical savant Mervin Wong performs Celestial Invocation, an audio-visual long-form performance using spatial sound to shatter perceptions of time. Syndicate’s Cherry Chan joins forces with DJ Zai and Itek for Communal Composition, a participatory installation where visitors can become part of the living artwork inspired by ecology and communal embodiment. And that’s just scratching the surface, with more provocative pieces from the likes of Sl_OWTALK, TZECHAR, weish, Louis Quek, Yuen Chee Wai, Cheryl Ong, Salty Xi Jie Ng, and many more.

Beyond the sound, the festival features immersive performance zones from experimental design collectives A Copy of a Copy (Taipei) and DuckUnit (Bangkok), transforming spaces within SAM into experiences fresh and uncompromising. Visitors can also enjoy the Memory Market, showcasing booths, workshops and culinary collaborations led by Singapore-based creatives and designers. The programme for Sonic Shaman 2026: Borderless definitely doesn’t seem to be hindered by conformity or limits. Wouldn’t you say that’s what art’s all about?

(Credit: Courtesy of Singapore Art Museum)

Sonic Shaman 2026: Borderless, 23-25 January 2026, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #01-02, 39 Keppel Road, Singapore 089065. For more information on programme and schedule, visit their official website. Entry is free.