The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) has officially launched Momentary Pulses: Art in the Central Business District, a sprawling free public art trail that weaves contemporary artworks into the everyday landscape of Singapore’s CBD. Running until 31 December 2027, this is one of the city’s most ambitious outdoor art projects to date — and best of all, it’s free and accessible at all times.
What Is Momentary Pulses?
Momentary Pulses invites Singapore-based artists to create works that slip into the space between buildings and pedestrian paths — offering quiet moments of listening and reminiscence amid the city’s bustle. These are not grand gallery installations; they are subtle interventions that fold into the rhythms of daily commutes, drawing attention to the textures and hidden memories of the CBD.
The project responds to the CBD’s layered history — from civic buildings of the 1950s and 60s like Singapore Conference Hall and the former Singapore Polytechnic, to the high-rise transformation of the 1970s and 80s, to today’s work-life integrated developments. Each artwork engages with this ever-evolving urban landscape in a different way.
The Artworks
Seven distinct works by Singapore-based artists are scattered across the CBD, each offering a different lens through which to experience the district:
thusspoke.baby by Teow Yue Han and Federico Ruberto is a real-time generative video and text work displayed on a transparent LED screen. It creates a digital entity that absorbs the city’s daily data streams, developing a personality that mirrors the pulse of the business district.
A fountain when it rains by Catherine Hu uses salvaged ceramic tiles, concrete, and fibreglass to create sculptures that front a glass-and-steel building, their earthy material in deliberate contrast with their surroundings. Sweet Water by Finbarr Fallon draws on architectural references to street vending and cultural memory, instilling social history into built form.
Other works include LOOP – The Resonance of Motion by Zul Mahmod (a sonic score synchronised with the CBD’s daily movements), Clock of the Everyday by Yang Jie (a kinetic sculpture that keeps time out of sync with everyday habits), Neural Panoptic Black by Immanuel Koh (an invitation to observe and imbue the material city with human intention), and Still Afloat by Song-Ming Ang (a speculative work about the future landscape of a business district).
Key Details
- Exhibition: Momentary Pulses: Art in the Central Business District
- Organiser: Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
- Duration: 30 January 2026 – 31 December 2027
- Location: Various sites across Singapore’s CBD
- Admission: Free, accessible at all times
This is the perfect excuse to slow down on your lunch walk and look a little closer at the city around you. Find out more at the Singapore Art Museum website.
