OUR YEAR IN events

saw 2025: how to not damage art

SAW 2024 was a blast! During this year’s SAW, we flipped the script with "How to Damage Art," a playful yet thought-provoking exploration of the fragility of art — offering opportunities to explore the world of art and conservation in bold new ways.

Open Studios

Step into our conservation space and discover the delicate science of preserving art through a tour and hands-on exploration of partially-exposed paintings.

37 Keppel Road
Booking is required. Last session available!

Activity booth

Drop by and say hi at our interactive booth to test your skills, learn about art's fragility, and take part in fun, hands-on challenges!

Spine, Tanjong Pagar Distripark
No booking required.

Talks

Join us for insightful conversations that delve into the hidden vulnerabilities of art and the fascinating world of conservation.

Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Booking is required. See below.

alumni Panel
January 11

12:30pm
Ngee Ann Polytechnic

We were at Ngee Ann Poly’s Alumni Panel where our co-founder Keziah spoke more about her journey into conservation after graduating from Diploma in Arts Business Management.

ACTIVITY BOOTH
January 17-19, 24-26

11 - 5pm
Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD)

Visit our booth at the TPD Spine for interactive games that explore art’s fragility—match the damage, spot vulnerabilities, and win prizes! Don’t forget to check out exclusive BARC Labs merch, including our Conservation Crew Tee and Purr-servation sticker packs. Fun, discovery, and surprises await!

open studios
January 18, 19, 25, 26

2 - 3 pm
BARC Labs Studio @ Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD)

Step into our conservation studio and see how we care for art! Our interactive session, "Please Touch the Art" expands into a larger, open space, offering opportunities for visitors to interact with fragile paintings. Experience firsthand how seemingly harmless actions—touching, pressing, or handling—can impact delicate artworks. Be guided by our expert conservators on this interactive installation provides a deeper look into the fragility of art and the meticulous care involved in its restoration, now in an immersive, expanded setting.

Material matters [talk]
January 25

2-3pm
SAM Residency Office @ Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD)

This talk looked into the common and unorthodox materials of artworks on display in SAM's exhibition, Everyday Practices. From collecting fragile pieces to conservation interventions, we explored how artworks are maintained, stored and conserved. Can a work be "saved" if its materials start to degrade, or will doing so change its meaning?

Keziah uncovered the often-overlooked role that materials play in defining art, and spoke about how we can move beyond intervention to prevention when caring for artworks.

Beneath the Surface: Exploring Art with Infrared
January 26

3:30 - 5pm
BARC Labs Studio @ Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD)
SEA Focus VIP Only

Our SEAFOCUS VIPs created their own painting and uncovered its hidden layers using infrared photography, a technique used by BARC Labs experts to understand artists’ techniques. This hands-on workshop blended art-making with conservation science, offering a rare glimpse into the unseen aspects of artworks. Participants took home an infrared photograph of their creation as a unique keepsake from this one-of-a-kind experience!