Mapping Creative Ecologies: Korea and Singapore

Following my participation in Creative Connections: Korea-Singapore exchange project, I began compiling two open maps of cultural and creative spaces in Singapore and Korea. The idea emerged from a simple premise that we learn through collective exchange, circulating what we encounter rather than keeping knowledge of cultural scenes closely held. The maps are intended as starting points, a simple orientation tool for artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners encountering these ecosystems for the first time.  

These maps are therefore conceived as modest, collective resources—an attempt to make visible some of the spaces, networks, and environments that shape artistic life in both cities. They are also only possible because of the generosity of many artists, researchers, curators, and practitioners who shared their time, knowledge, and recommendations during the research process.

It includes museums, galleries, artist-run initiatives, independent spaces, and other sites that shape the everyday infrastructures of artistic practice. The categorisations used in each map differ slightly, reflecting the distinct art ecologies of Singapore and Korea, as well as the types of spaces that emerged through the research process. While some categories—such as museums or galleries—are shared, others respond to local contexts and the ways creative communities organise themselves within each city.

For Singapore, a number of historical and spiritual locations are also included, recognising that artistic research often extends beyond formal art institutions. In Seoul, I have only begun mapping bookstores, craft studios, and sustainable practices as such spaces often function as informal intellectual hubs and sites of alternative economies within artistic communities. Both maps should therefore be read as provisional and evolving resources. Cultural ecosystems are constantly shifting as spaces close, relocate, or re-emerge in new forms particularly in cities such as Seoul and Singapore, where artistic infrastructures change rapidly alongside urban development. These maps remain open-ended and will continue to grow over time, tracing the shifting networks of spaces, communities, and encounters that shape artistic forms and life in both cities.

To share the maps, use:
Singapore https://tinyurl.com/sgartmap
South Korea https://tinyurl.com/krartmap