DECK is a an arts organisation where all can gather through photography arts. DECK aims to be a leading platform that promotes visual literacy and champions diversity by showing all facets of contemporary arts and photography to the widest possible audience. DECK is the organiser of Singapore International Photography Festival (www.sipf.sg).
Today, DECK is embarking on a new milestone to build Singapore’s first permanent home for photography. Support this independent initiative and #BUILDECK with us on build.deck.sg.
DECK Photography Art Centre Ltd (UEN 201215478E) is a registered Charity and Institution of a Public Character in Singapore. DECK is supported by the National Arts Council Singapore under the Major Company Scheme from the period of 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.
Vision
• Promote literacy and champion diversity in photography arts.
• Present all facets of photography to the widest possible audience.
• Cultivate photography as a contemporary medium of expression.
• Bridge global conversations through international contents and discourse.
• Be a conduit between artists and the public.
Mission
D-E-C-K as an acronym represents how we think photography can transcend time and space. Our arts space on Prinsep Street is a physical embodiment of these ideals:
Discovering diverse contemporary values through photography.
Engaging all minds in new ideas and critical thinking in photography
Connecting the global community through the exchange of visual cultures.
Knowledge sharing through photography, public programmes and workshops.
Our Story
DECK is built on the support of a community and envisioned as a space where growth can happen organically with the community at its heart. In 2013, we proposed a dedicated gallery in the city centre for contemporary photography. This space would embody the belief that photography should be for everyone. A small team then roamed the ground and pitched to several agencies before arriving at a small vacant plot of land on Prinsep Street. This would become home to DECK.
With the help of generous public donations, the site was activated with a temporary structure composed of 20 repurposed shipping containers. We envisioned this art space to speak for a generation and serve as a conduit between the community and the artists.
DECK was officially launched on 3rd October 2014. It houses a photobook library, a workshop studio, an artist studio, three gallery spaces and an analogue darkroom. The library currently holds 3,823 publications, of which 1,600 were generously donated by Steidl Publishing.
Today, DECK continues to push the boundaries of photography with curated year-round exhibitions, education programmes and artist residencies. Central to DECK’s ongoing mission is the development and promotion of literacy in photography arts. DECK aims to be a leading photographic institution that champions diversity in contemporary arts and photography in Singapore and Southeast Asia.