In the spring, Singapore recently played host to the opening chapter of 74th Arts’ ambitious 2025 program, delivering an enriching blend of contemporary art, design, culinary, mixology, and fermentation innovation. The global arts organization, founded by art industry veteran Becca Hoffman, known for its nomadic, immersive projects, transformed the neighborhood of Ann Siang Hill, Chinatown into a vibrant meeting point for art lovers, curators, and collectors. Launched under the banner The Feast, the Singapore activation offered attendees a multisensory experience rooted in the city’s rich cultural and gastronomic landscape.
For more information on the current program in Marseille, La Mer, visit HERE.
The Feast in Singapore
74tharts The Feast, Singapore, installation view of Karen Knorr, The Way of Ishq, Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, 2019, photo by Zenn Ye, courtesy 74tharts.
Curated in partnership with Singapore-based Joyce Toh, The Feast centered its programming in the historic Chinatown district, featuring a free public exhibition at 66 Club Street alongside a series of exclusive art-dining events designed to provide unique platforms for artists and create intimate connections between creators and audiences. Nine artists and designers from around the globe were showcased, offering works that spanned multiple disciplines and perspectives.
The exhibition included Matteo Cibic‘s playful zoomorphic pottery as terrariums as well as Karen Knorr’s photography exploring themes of cultural heritage, power, and storytelling, juxtaposing animals in opulent architectural settings. Samuel Xun’s meticulous and labor-intensive, playfully wrapped confections brought a bit of whimsy to the exhibition; the works made of metallised lamé fabric, gilding leaf, chiffon, felt, Swarovski crystal elements, embroidery thread, and tinsel ribbon propose the potential of physical materials as carriers of identity and culture. Xun discusses his work further, “‘The work takes from Tim Burton’s Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (2005), and uses the motifs of chocolate to unpack my own personal childhood.”
Among the five curated art-dining experiences, several stood out for their whimsical approach. An Affair of Eight Hands paired the artistry of Chef Marvas Ng and Chef Jack Allibone with visual artist Dr. Yanyun Chen. Guests were invited to engage directly with their food, an homage to the tactile gestures underscoring both culinary and artistic creation. The table linens and napkins were all created specifically for this event through photographs of the chefs and servers present. Another highlight, Sensations for the Senses, merged whiskey, chocolate, and sculpture, while artist Samuel Xun explored themes of identity and material culture in a carefully curated evening.
74tharts The Feast, Singapore, installation view of Studio Wawi Navarroza x Benito Rosario, Manila “Bottle Botanicals, 2025”, photo by Zenn Ye, courtesy 74tharts.
Toh shared with us, “Feasts have long been the coming-together of peoples, a savouring and celebration of life in the sharing of food. And truly, creating The Feast in wonderful partnership with 74tharts, was this sumptuous opportunity to curate across different realms of creative practice – art, design, gastronomy, and mixology – and seeing how they mix and mingle – a feast for the senses and spirit!”
Sustainability took center stage at Sojourns of Salt, where Japanese / Australian husband-and-wife duo Ken and Julia Yonetani’s delicate salt sculptures complemented Chef Hafizzul Hashim’s eco-conscious menu. Meanwhile, the program’s closing chapter, Flora-Fauna-Fantastique, featured luxuriant visuals and refined dining in a cinematic setting, with artists like Wawi Navarroza delivering works that transcended the ordinary.
We dive deeper into the events we were lucky enough to experience and taste, of course.
Sojourns of Salt
Sojourns of Salt.
Sojourns of Salt, a collaboration between Restaurant Fiz and artist duo Ken and Julia Yonetani inspired our ideas of salt beyond our wildest dreams. This culinary masterpiece celebrated salt not only as an essential ingredient but also as a symbol of history, culture, and environmental connection. Known for their intricate salt sculptures that explore themes of fragility and sustainability, the Yonetanis inspired a unique menu for Fiz that dove deep into the multifaceted role of salt in human life.
We were lucky enough to be placed right next to the artists during dinner who passionately expressed, “Sojourns of Salt has been an amazing experience for us, in terms of taking our art practice even further out of the white cube. It enabled us to combine our art and farm practice while collaborating with Chef Haffizul, a truly inspiring culinary master. Art, innovation, creativity and all of the questions of sustainability, food security, and environmental consequences combined in one banquet. A culinary feast that also dives deep into intersecting histories, cultures, and creative expressions.”
Dinner guests were greeted with a striking display of the Yonetanis’ salt sculptures set on a long platform in the center of the restaurant. Sculptures of fish, lobster, oysters, vegetables, fruits, and baked goods spilled out of sculptures of bowls and plate,s accompanied by salt shakers, drinking vessel,s and candelabras all creating this gorgeous tableau of white salt – inspirations for Chef Hashim’s dishes
Sojourns of Salt.
At the heart of the dinner was a narrative built around rivers like Australia’s Murray and Southeast Asia’s Mekong, as well as the culinary traditions shaped by these waterways. Each dish unfolded like a chapter, telling stories of preservation, transformation, and cultural memory. The evening began with a delicate pairing of scallop and kombucha, evoking the purity of water and the clarity salt brings to flavors. From there, the warmth of roasted root vegetables combined with rendang spices captured the alchemy of salt transforming ingredients into something greater than the sum of their parts.
The experience reached a peak with a salt-baked chicken, tender and aromatic, wrapped in lotus leaves and infused with traditional medicinal herbs. This dish embodied salt’s age-old role as both a preserver and a carrier of nourishment and ritual. To follow, a lavish spread inspired by Laos’ Luang Prabang cuisine showcased the ingenuity of fermentation and preservation, incorporating smoked and sun-dried flavors steeped in tradition.
Sojourns of Salt.
The meal concluded on a contemplative note with a monochromatic dessert inspired by the Yonetanis’ sculptures. Salt, miso, and ponzu combined to strike a balance of sweet and umami, leaving diners with a sense of harmony and completion. This distinctive fusion of art and cuisine highlighted how salt, in its simplicity, holds the power to elevate both flavor and narrative, making for an unforgettable sensory and intellectual feast.
Reflecting on the event’s central message, Chef Hafiz shared, “Salt is more than a seasoning—it is a storyteller of civilizations, a keeper of time, and a medium that connects nature, culture, and transformation. From preserving life to shaping economies, salt has journeyed across rivers and oceans, carrying with it the wisdom of ancient techniques and the flavor of memory.”
Sojourns of Salt.
“Salt is more than a seasoning—it is a storyteller of civilizations, a keeper of time, and a medium that connects nature, culture, and transformation.”
—Chef Hafiz
Flora-Fauna-Fantastique
Photo courtesy of Firangi Superstar and Owen Raggett.
Closing out The Feast series, Flora-Fauna-Fantastique unfolded within the cinematic charm of Indian restaurant, Firangi Superstar. This distinctive venue, with its opulent interiors reimagining colonial India through a modern lens, combines vintage elegance and exotic themes, serving as the perfect backdrop for a celebration of the relationship between nature and creativity. A blend of vintage elegance and exotic themes, featuring richly decorated walls, intricate murals, warm lighting, and luxurious furnishings, created an ambiance that was sophisticated and immersive, evoking a sense of refined nostalgia and artistic charm.
Gracing each dining table were funky centerpieces by guest artist Wawi Navarroza. Navarroza’s Bottle Botanicals expanded on the conversation on sustainability, primarily utilized as props in her staged photographs, The Feast provided the Bottle Botanicals, their own story. Each unique handmade sculpture created in collaboration with Filipino artisan Benito Rosario is crafted from up-cycled neon green PET bottles adorned with colorful flowers. Consistent with Wawi Navarroza’s art practice, these objects highlight material history, tropical lushness, renewal and regeneration.
Navarroza shared with us, “My works are very sensorial; not just meant for the eyes but also to be enjoyed with other senses. My process is very layered and just like Firangi Superstar, it’s been informed by history resulting in a postcolonial hybrid. The vibrant hues and polychrome in my work are the colors and birthright of the many Asians; it’s in our DNA. I’m reclaiming it and celebrating it in the bricolage of my photographic tableaus.”
Photo courtesy of Firangi Superstar and Owen Raggett.
“The vibrant hues and polychrome in my work are the colors and birthright of the many Asians; it’s in our DNA,”
—Wawi Navarozza
The evening’s menu seamlessly complemented the artistic narrative, beginning with offerings of spiced potato foam paired with romanesco cauliflower and cashew-raisin vinaigrette, alongside an array of house-made chutneys including cashew-sesame, coriander mint, and smoky tomato. These accompaniments, served with papads and crisps, prepared diners for the layered exploration of flora and fauna to come.
Highlighting the main courses, the tandoori spiced eggplant, served with smoky dhal tadka and grilled radicchio, celebrated earthy, robust flavors. The baked red snapper, wrapped delicately in banana leaf oil and served with kasundi cream, brought a coastal element to the table, bridging sea to plate. Sides such as tawa fried brussels sprouts coated in warming garam masala and the roasted kabocha pumpkin with spiced yogurt further expanded the evening’s depth of flavors.
“The Feast is endeared to me as it brings together my love for gastronomy and art. I’m amazed by the magic the chefs do in the kitchen, their passionate teams, the alchemy, and the instant shared experience when food meets mouth. It’s more immediate (and fleeting) than seeing artwork in the gallery. Here you are meant to confront directly: taste, touch, sound — and yes sight,” Navarroza reflected as the dinner came to a cinematic end.
For dessert, the dining experience reached its crescendo with the ras malai “tres leches” cake, a fusion of tradition and innovation, enriched by pistachio and saffron ice cream. With every detail, from the artistic displays to the carefully curated flavors, flora-fauna-fantastique embodied the spirit of convergence between nature’s beauty and human creativity, offering a fitting and unforgettable finale to this chapter of The Feast. A true celebration of creativity, cuisine, and culture on display.
“It’s all about making the world a smaller place – providing platforms to appreciate, discover, connect, and expand,”
—Becca Hoffman
What’s Next for 74th Arts?
Les Bords de Mer, Marseille, France, photo @wearecontents.
Singapore’s edition set the tone for what’s to come as 74th Arts expands its 2025 vision across continents. This summer, the organization will make its way to the coastal city of Marseille for La Mer, a program inspired by the sea, followed by the alpine landscapes of Aspen for the second installment of The Aspen Art Fair. Each location will offer its own distinctive take on cross-disciplinary engagement, providing unique experiences that celebrate art, design, lifestyle, luxury, culture, and place.
According to 74th Arts founder Becca Hoffman, the organization’s mission goes beyond traditional art exhibitions. “Our goal is to foster meaningful cultural connections and create memorable moments that resonate across communities. It’s all about making the world a smaller place – providing platforms to appreciate, discover, connect, and expand” she said. With Singapore setting a high benchmark for the year ahead, anticipation builds for the next chapters of this international artistic voyage.
