Asia-Europe Cultural Festival 2025 (AECFest) - Closing Curtain

Expanding its reach to touch more countries across Asia and Europe, for the first time, the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival 2025 (AECFest) presents its Closing Curtain across two countries — Singapore and Lao PDR. This milestone edition showcases a rich tapestry of artistic projects from eight countries across Asia and Europe, spanning exhibitions, dance, multidisciplinary performances, and panel discussions, exploring identity, culture, and creative collaboration in the two regions.

In Singapore, from 4 to 12 October, the festival features three distinctive projects reflecting migration, cultural dialogue, and innovative artistry.

The exhibition titled Between Lands: Migration as Transformation, developed in collaboration with The Substation and its festival Gathering Grounds, will be held at the Goethe-Institute’s Lab space from 4 to 12 October 2025. Featuring seven artists from Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam, the exhibition offers a multi-voiced exploration of migration and displacement. Developed with three young Singaporean curators, the project creates space for emerging curatorial voices, enriching the narrative with fresh perspectives. Through diverse viewpoints, Between Lands presents migration not as isolated crises but as ongoing, shared human experiences that shape identity and artistic expression. The opening vernissage on 4 October includes performances and panel discussion, inviting audiences to engage deeply with themes of movement and transformation.

Highlighting cross-cultural partnerships, Calligraton and Aéras — projects included in the official programme commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Italy and Singapore and Japan — present unique collaborations between Italy and Japan.

On 10 October at the Asian Civilisations Museum, Aéras offers an immersive concert that unveils the sound of silk, transforming this precious fabric into a living musical instrument through innovative sound processing and performance. A fabric installation interacts with musicians in a tactile, visual, and auditory journey celebrating silk’s symbolism of lightness, beauty, and cultural heritage. The concert weaves together tradition and innovation, reflecting centuries of craftsmanship and global cultural exchange.

On 11 October at Stamford Arts Centre, Calligraton brings together the duo Schnitt (Amelie Duchow and Marco Monfardini) and Japanese calligrapher Aoi Yamaguchi. The performance fuses electronic soundscapes with the ancient art of shodō (Japanese calligraphy), where brush and sound engage in an intimate dialogue.

The final event will be held in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 15 October in conjunction with Meeting Point 2025 organised by Mekong Cultural Hub. Choreographer Noutnapha Soydala and the Fanglao Dance Company will present Phuying, a powerful dance performance portraying the lives and emotions of contemporary Laotian women. Combining traditional dance with hip hop influences, Fanglao — meaning “listen to Laos” — offers an honest meditation on identity and change in a rapidly modernizing society.

Together, these closing events embody AECFest’s mission to nurture cultural diplomacy through artistic innovation and dialogue. Supported by key international institutions including the the Embassy of Italy in Singapore, the Japanese Cultural Centre in Singapore, The Substation, Goethe-Institute Singapore, AECFest 2025 honors longstanding partnerships and opens new horizons for creativity and connection across Asia and Europe.

All events are free by registration, book your tickets now!

BOOK Between Lands: Migration as Transformation

BOOK Aéras

BOOK Calligraton