Julian Casablancas Named Sound Curator for Singapore's 2026 Masters Show
Julian Casablancas, frontman of The Strokes and member of The Voidz, has been named sound curator for The Singapore Masters Show 2026, an exhibition staged by Opera Gallery Singapore. The show runs from Friday, October 2 to Sunday, November 1, 2026, and brings together more than 30 works of modern and contemporary art, including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marc Chagall and Banksy. Casablancas' role, as reported by Far Out Magazine, is to create and curate a sonic environment for the entire exhibition — placing the works back into the cultural context that shaped them rather than presenting them in isolation.
Four thematic chapters, four playlists
The exhibition is organized into four thematic chapters, and Casablancas is producing a dedicated playlist for each — each one responding to the sonic atmosphere surrounding different generations of artists:
- Classical Recital Room
- Jazz Club
- Recording Studio
- The Stage
Opera Gallery Singapore director Stéphane Le Pelletier said art always exists within a larger cultural landscape, of which music is a key part, adding that Casablancas brings a different way of seeing the works while keeping them at the center. According to the organizers, sound here isn't functioning as background music but as a curatorial medium in its own right — offering another lens through which to understand the master works on view.
Exhibition details
- Exhibition: The Singapore Masters Show 2026
- Dates: Friday, October 2 – Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Venue: Opera Gallery Singapore
- Sound curator: Julian Casablancas
- Featured artists include: Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marc Chagall, Banksy and others, over 30 works in total
Where this fits with The Strokes
Casablancas' recent musical work has centered on The Strokes' new album Reality Awaits, which Far Out Magazine reviewed at three and a half stars, noting it carries traces of the band's earlier eras alongside new ideas they were clearly reaching for. The Strokes are currently on tour in North America, with the tour's final dates moving to the UK and Europe in October.