SAMCollection: The Present is Unstable

SAMCollection: The Present Is Unstable considers the exhibition as something fluid and constantly changing. Works from the Collection will be brought in and out over time, placed in new relationships, and activated through talks, tours, and public programmes. There is no single theme here. Each time works is taken out of storage and put on display, they tell a different story and each configuration tests a different question. They may reveal concerns that were not visible before and connect older questions to present-day struggles, helping us understand what kind of world we are living in now. In whichever configuration you encounter the Collection, it asks that we begin with one question: what is the work trying to say, and how might it matter today?

Hero banner: Hao Jingban, I Witness, 2025. Courtesy of artist and Blindspot Gallery.
Mobile banner: Nadiah Bamadhaj, Casting Spells for the Movement, 2021, installation view, Jakarta Biennale 2021, Galeri Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo by Yudha Kusuma Putera, MES 56.
Thumbnail: Jason Wee, Labyrinths, 2017, galvanised steel, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist and Ames Yavuz.

related events

check out the line-up of free and ticketed events below!

GUIDED TOUR

Curator Tour
Ever wondered how an exhibition comes to life, or how art helps us make sense of memory, identity, and change? Join the curators of The Present Is Unstable for an insider’s walkthrough of our latest Collection Show.

Meeting point: Level 3, Gallery 4
Free, by registration (Admission fees to the exhibition apply)
• Sat, 3 Oct | 3.30pm - 4.30pm | Register here