Director’s Message

DIRECTOR’S

MESSAGE

Dear friends,

As we move into the third quarter of the year, the Gallery continues to bring compelling art experiences to you whether you’re at home or in our building.

Painting with Light, the Gallery’s annual festival of international films on art, kicks off in July in a hybrid format. For the first time, audiences can enjoy screenings both online and onsite. This year’s edition celebrates the idea of innovation, with over 50 films that speak to the experimental nature of artists and filmmakers. This spirit of originality is embodied in the festival’s first-ever film commission—an anthology of six works by local filmmakers in response to the artists featured in our exhibition, Something New Must Turn Up: Six Singaporean Artists After 1965.

In August, we invite you to experience an exciting collaboration with renowned British artist Antony Gormley, who is best known for sculptures and installations that investigate the relationship between the human body and space. His latest work, Horizon Field Singapore, is our new commission for the Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden. This vast installation, spanning the entire length of the roof terrace, is an open metal matrix that seems to morph as one moves through it. Additionally, three of Gormley’s key earlier sculptures—Sense (1991), Close V (1998), and Ferment (2007)—will be on display within the Gallery’s public spaces, framed by the architecture of these historical buildings.

Finally, the Gallery Children’s Biennale returns in September, just in time for the school holidays. The festival aims to empower children with a renewed sense of empathy and confidence through the imaginative power of art and play. Children can freely explore nine installations inspired by the themes of home, environment, time, and diversity. Alongside these physical works, the festival will present a plethora of engaging online content for kids and families alike to enjoy from the comfort of home.

We welcome you to the Gallery to experience these offerings and connect with art in different ways. While doing so, we will continue to take all necessary steps to protect your health, and ensure that the Gallery remains a safe, welcoming, and inspiring place for all.

Wishing you and your family good health,

Eugene Tan

Director, National Gallery Singapore