Walking through the doors of Canvas Singapore, one gets the sense they’re entering an underground club — it’s dark and mysterious, yet so clean and minimalist it looks like it might not be there anymore when you return in the morn. Black leather chairs and red stools dress the wooden tables set low — typical of a clubbing environment. True to Canvas’ makeshift form, these dotted the perimeter of the indoor space on preview day.
All this pay tribute I believe, to the aim of this Home Club 2.0: to provide a blank slate for artists to showcase their talents, not just in music, but in the conventional arts.
For its opening, Canvas, which is a club, gallery and venue space for creatives, invited Phunk Studio co-founder Alvin Tan to work on a ceiling installation, equilateral reflective triangles forming a 2.5m-long chandelier by the entrance. Inside, Russell Wong’s landscape photography and celebrity portraiture juxtapose well against the dark interiors.
Stepping back outside, I’m glad Canvas has retained the old Home Club patio, though it’s been furnished in the brand’s signature red, black and white combo. The breezy space has provided many a 9-to-5er with an after-work escape, complete with a lovely view of the Singapore River.
The other thing Canvas has kept is its quality selection of music, brought forth by Home Club mainstays Ming (pictured below) and Jeris, as well as newcomer William J from local outfit Darker than Wax. There’ll be underground and commercial music, and of course a roster of international DJs for good measure. At last night’s opening, Canvas hosted Eton Messy from the UK.
Overall, clubbers will be happy to find that Canvas Singapore is not much different from its old flame, but it’s better. It serves up the underground without the dankness, and the indie in spades.
Canvas Singapore (website, Facebook) is at #B1-01/06, 20 Upper Circular Rd., 6538-2928. Open Mon — Tue 3 —midnight, Wed — Sat 3pm — late.
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