Singapore Art Gallery Guide
1
2
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Editor's Note "Art is our lifeblood, it has not only an aesthetic but also moral and socio-political roles. It is the only language that transcends national boundaries and is understood the Lorenzo Rudolf, founder and director of Art Stage Singapore world over.” In 2015, Singapore celebrates 50 years of independence. This momentous occasion will be honoured by numerous events and celebrations throughout the year, not least of which are those taking place in the art world. Indeed, the jubilee will be kick-started with a flurry of prestigious exhibitions, awards, and art fairs, all of which further cement Singapore’s international reputation as one of the world’s top cities to watch for exciting contemporary art. For starters, Singapore Art Week (17th – 25th January) is a nine day celebration of the visual arts held all over Singapore, appealing to residents and international visitors alike. It includes a myriad of offerings: a major international art fair, gallery openings and lifestyle events, world class exhibitions, public art walks, and discussions. A core part of Singapore Art Week is Art Stage Singapore, the flagship art fair of Southeast Asia, featuring 145 galleries from 29 countries, with a strong emphasis on Asia: around 70% of the galleries come from across Asia, 34 are Singapore-based. The fair is the major platform to discover and interact with contemporary art from the region. January also features the Prudential Eye Programme, in collaboration with ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. This includes Prudential Singapore Eye, a major exhibition and accompanying book featuring the best contemporary Singaporean artists. Alongside the exhibition are the Prudential Eye Awards, recognising the best of emerging Asian artists and art infrastructure. Finally, Art Stage Singapore and the US Embassy in Singapore have announced the inaugural Joseph Balestier Award for the Freedom of Art, to be launched in 2015. The award honours an artist or curator from the Southeast Asia region who is actively committed to the ideals of freedom and liberty. We hope you enjoy this creative and eventful start to the year. Happy viewing, and 恭禧發財 (Gong Xi Fa Cai)! Irene Marx irene@sagg.info
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
1
January/February 2015 Vol 11 | N° 1
Singapore Art Gallery Guide 27 Woking Road #01–01 Singapore 138705 +65 3108 0301 editor@sagg.info www.sagg.info Front Page Cover Artwork Ice Cream and Energy Drink (Es Krim dan Minumam Berenergi) by I Nyoman Masriadi (b. 1973) 2005, Acrylic On Canvas 200 x 100 cm Presented by Larasati Auctioneers Editor-in-Chief & Art Director Irene Marx, irene@sagg.info Editors Zoe Goldstein Tessa Ann Wong Kelly Reedy
4 Singapore Art Week Highlights 6 Art Stage Singapore 8 Eye on Singapore 12 Best of Asian Art 14 Utopian Pictures 18 Imprint 20 Larasati Singapore Sale 2015 22 Film, Spirituality, Forgetfulness 24 雙明鳳歌仔戲 Hokkien Opera 26 P. Perumal 28 Leonardo da Vinci 30 Ugo Untoro 32 PantoneMyArt - Tattoo in Colour 36 The Family Tree 37 Gender Politics 38 Yang Fudong: Incidental Scripts 40 Diego Rivera 42 Singapore Art Fair 44 LOOK BACK 46 Exhibitions & Event Listings 60 Venues & Maps 66 Art Services 2
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Published by Rene Daniels Printed by Craft Print International Ltd. Permit MCI (P) 121/12/2013 ISSN 1793-0510 Deadline for March 2015 issue: Friday, 06 February 2015 Deadline for April 2015 issue: Friday, 06 March 2015 Deadline for May 2015 issue: Monday, 06 April 2015
We have taken great effort to assure the information provided in the Singapore Art Gallery Guide (SAGG) is correct, but disclaim liability for all loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, arising out of or in connection with the use of or the reliance on the contents of the SAGG and advise you to confirm or verify crucial information with the relevant galleries/ venues.
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
3
Features
Singapore Art Week 2015 | 17 – 25 January 2015
Highlights If you love art, or if you’re just curious about it, you’ll be spoilt for choice at the Singapore Art Week 2015, taking place over nine days in January. Celebrate the myriad of art talents at more than 100 events, including a blockbuster art fair, thought provoking art exhibitions, exciting gallery openings, art walks, block parties and rigorous art dialogues. Here are some of the highlights. Singapore Art Museum The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is organising a special lineup of events as part of Singapore Art Week 2015, such as film documentaries, late night live music in the SAM courtyards, talks by guest artists and art personalities, as well as an artisan market. Both SAM and SAM at 8Q will see extended opening hours over four days, from 10 am to 9pm, on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21th, Friday 23th and Saturday 24th January 2015. Throughout Singapore Art Week, SAM will bridge the visual arts with other artistic fields. Amongst the highlights of the week is the unveiling of a new lawn artwork commissioned by SAM – Utama’s Cat by David Chan.
For the full event program at SAM, go to www.singaporeartmuseum.sg.
4
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
The Finalists at SAM
APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Finalist, Liu Jianhua, Trace, 2011, Porcelain, Variable dimensions
The finalists selected from 105 nominated artworks from 24 countries and regions are exhibited at the triennial APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2014 Exhibition. First established in 2008 by the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation and the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), this competition has put the spotlight on a spectacular showcase of the most outstanding contemporary artwork over the last three years. Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition Till 15 Mar, at Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road, 10am – 7pm daily
Features
Art Week Special Gillman Barracks Formerly a colonial barracks, the picturesque enclave of Gillman Barracks comprises 17 galleries. Apart from their shows, be sure to drop by Yang Fudong's first solo exhibition “Incidental Scripts” at the Centre for Contemporary Art. Arnoldii Arts Club presents hourlong art talks. And the “Art After Dark” Party at Gillman Barracks is an outdoor party set against the new shows at the galleries.
DRIVE – the Barracks’ first festival of curated public artworks. Till 25 Jan, at 9 Lock Road More info at www.artdrive.com.sg Incidental Scripts – Till 1 Mar at Centre for Contemporary Art Block 43 Malan Road Tue – Sun 12pm – 7pm, Fri 12pm – 9pm, Mon and PH closed “Arnoldii How-To” ART 101 Talks Till 25 Jan, at Yeo Workshop and HUFF Studios, various timings. More info on www.arnoldiiartsclub.com “Art After Dark” Party @ Gillman Barracks 23 Jan 2015, 6pm – late, 9 Lock Road
Art Tours
ART IN MOTION invites everyone to experience exhibitions, panel discussions, and events at 18 galleries. Visitors can gallery-hop with ART IN MOTION courtesy buses and enjoy various events around Singapore’s vibrant arts clusters such as Raffles Hotel Arcade, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Old Hill Street Police Station and Gillman Barracks. ART IN MOTION: 16 – 25 Jan, www.agas.org.sg
Travel around the arts and cultural district in the heart of Singapore’s civic centre, and appreciate the architecture and important arts venues housed in the area, including LaSalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, The Substation and the Singapore Art Museum. Visitors will also have the chance to explore current exhibitions at each of these venues. Bras Basah Art Bus Tour: 23, 24, 25 Jan; 2pm – 4pm or 4pm – 6pm Meeting point: Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre Taxi and Drop-off point Free. Register online at: artoutreachprogram.eventbrite.sg For a comprehensive listing of art events please go to www.sagg.info. Our website lists an average of 100 exhibitions and events per day on its practical arts calendar, which allows readers to see all events at a glance by clicking on a specific day.
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
5
Features
Art Stage Singapore 2015 The flagship art fair of Southeast Asia from 22 to 25 January 2015
The flagship art fair of Southeast Asia, Art Stage Singapore, kicks off the international annual visual arts calendar, connecting the world to the best of Asian and global contemporary art. The fair continues to present art projects through its different Platforms, which offer greater understanding of the contexts from which artists and artworks emerge and develop. Art Stage Singapore 2015 features 145 galleries from 29 countries. There is a strong showing of Asia-based galleries with 93 exhibitors – around 70 percent – coming from across Asia. Thirtyfour of these galleries are Singapore-based, such as ARNDT, Art Plural Gallery, Gajah Gallery, Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, and Yavuz Gallery, among others. Among the notable regional and international artists participating in the fair is celebrated collaborative duo Gilbert & George, whose works are presented by ARNDT. Known for their belief in ‘art for all’, Gilbert & George's new work premieres at Art Stage Singapore 2015. The Southeast Asia Platform, titled Eagles Fly, Sheep Flock: Biographical Imprints –Artistic Practices in Southeast Asia, aims to present diverse artistic practices in the region through a selection of works ranging from painting, installation, print and photography, to video and performance. Among the featured artists from Singapore are Mike HJ Chang, Chong Weixin, Choy Ka Fai, Hilmi Johandi, and Zaki Razak. Exhibited over an area of 1,000 square metres, the show is curated by Singaporean curator, Khim Ong. New at Art Stage Singapore 2015 are the Russia Platform, Suzann Victor, Contours of a Rich Manoeuvre Series Image Courtesy of OTTO SAXINGER. the Video Platform and The installation by Singaporean artist Suzann Victor will be the Modern Platform. suspended from the ceiling of the fair ground’s main aisle. 6
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Art Stage Singapore has contributed significantly to Singapore becoming an international visual arts marketplace.
Art Week Special
Several artworks will be exhibited in the public areas of the fair ground, promising visitors to the Ms Thien Kwee Eng, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic fair artistic encounters Development Board (EDB) beyond the exhibition booths and curated Platforms. Gajah Gallery presents the established Singaporean artist Suzann Victor's work Contours of a Rich Manoeuvre, a 12 piece red chandelier, which will be taking center stage at the art fair. A recipient of numerous grants and scholarships, Suzann Victor is one of Singapore’s leading figures in contemporary art. She has garnered significant recognition for her ability to articulate complex ideas into grandeur forms, by incorporating kinetic mechanisms alongside technology in her installations. As the leading contemporary art event in Singapore and the region, Art Stage Singapore brings top international collectors to Singapore. Visiting the fair for the first time is US-based collector Jorge Perez, who is also Patron and Trustee of the newly opened Perez Art Museum Miami, the city’s largest contemporary art museum, and Swiss collector Michael Ringier, Chairman of Ringier AG, the largest internationally operating Swiss media company. In In addition to collectors, international guests to the fair also include European and American museum directors and curators.
Photo credit: Art Stage Singapore
Event: Dates: Venue: Web:
Art Stage Singapore 2015 22 – 25 January 2015 Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level B2, 10 Bayfront Avenue www.artstagesingapore.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
7
„
Features
Eye on Singapore
Prudential Eye Programme at ArtScience Museum Written by Zoe Goldstein
As part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, the Prudential Eye Programme will present Prudential Singapore Eye, the largest ever single exhibition of contemporary Singaporean art at ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, which will run from 17th January to 28th June. The exhibition will be a key highlight of Singapore Art Week 2015, alongside the international art fair Art Stage Singapore and the second Prudential Eye Awards. Established in 2008 by David and Serenella Ciclitira and sponsored by life insurer Prudential, the Prudential Eye Programme is an initiative that nurtures artistic talent. The programme aims to develop arts infrastructure in territories where this is lacking, in order to provide artists with the platforms, support, and recognition they need to develop their Adelinke Kueh, En Passant 2, 2011-ongoing, photograph, careers. Dimensions Variable Previous projects from the Prudential Eye Programme include Korean Eye (2009 to 2012), Indonesian Eye (2011), Hong Kong Eye (2013), and Malaysian Eye (2014). These have featured international touring exhibitions and publications providing emerging Asian artists with opportunities to showcase their work. To date, the programme has held eighteen exhibitions worldwide, which have been viewed by over two million people. Prudential Singapore Eye provides a current overview of the country’s emerging artistic talent from a global perspective. It will showcase the depth and diversity of Singapore’s visual arts scene 8
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Art Week Special
Donna Ong, The Meeting, 2009, Five screen projection, table, photographs and lamps, 12 x 10 x 2.5 m
Jeremy Sharma, Ubuntu, 2014, Blue pigment and cast polyurethane foam, robotic milled unique, 213 x 107 x 40 cm
as well as raise the profile of Singaporean artists in the international art world. To further this goal, the exhibition will be accompanied by a comprehensive book, which will be launched in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition, featuring a wider selection of 75 contemporary Singaporean artists. David Ciclitira, Founder of the Prudential Eye Programme, states: “Singapore is fast gaining recognition as a capital for cultural exchange within the global arts community. (...) This is a major step forward in raising awareness about the outstanding work being created by the art community in Singapore." Singapore Art Gallery Guide
9
Features
Gerald Leow, The Decline of the Western Civilisation, 2010, sculpture
In choosing the 17 artists represented in the exhibition, Honor Harger, Executive Director of ArtScience Museum, joined the international curatorial team, which includes Serenella Ciclitira, Founder of the Global Eye Programme, Nigel Hurst, Gallery Director and Chief Executive of Saatchi Gallery, London, and independent curator and art critic Johnson Chang. The 17 selected artists include Chen Sai Hua Kuan, Chia Ming Chien, Angela Chong, Adeline Kueh, Jane Lee, Sean Lee, Gerald Leow, Charles Lim, Justin Loke, Samantha Tio (Mintio), Kumari Nahappan, Ho Tzu Nyen, Donna Ong, Jeremy Sharma, Jason Wee, Lee Wen, Yeo Chee Kiong. In conjunction with this special exhibition focusing exclusively on Singaporean art, the Prudential Eye Programme will also present the second edition of the Prudential Eye Awards, which will feature a public exhibition of works by the shortlisted artists at ArtScience Museum between 17th January and 31st March. The winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on 20th January. These prestigious annual awards recognise the best emerging contemporary Asian artists, as well as the leading exhibitions, galleries, institutions, and art critics working to promote contemporary Asian art. Some 500 artists, nominated by over 100 art experts from across Greater Asia, submitted portfolios of their work in early 2014. The three most outstanding artists per award category were chosen and their works displayed in the exhibition. Shortlisted Singaporean artists include Genevieve Chua for her intricate and 10
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Art Week Special conceptually complex drawings, Donna Ong for her dream-like theatrical installations, and Sherman Ong (Malaysia/ Singapore), whose photographs display both psychological and thematic depth. The awards feature Yeo Chee Kiong, A Secret Garden, 2013, Installation, 13 prizes, with six Site specific categories of Best Emerging Artist in the media digital/video, drawing, installation, painting, photography, and sculpture. Of the six artists awarded in each category, one overall winner will be chosen for the prize of Best Emerging Artist. Along with prize money, this winner will be given the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at the renowned Saatchi Gallery in London.
Sherman Ong, HanoiHaiku-Hair, 2006, Digital Print on Archival Paper, 75 x 150 cm Courtesy of the artist and Art Plural Gallery
Exhibition: Prudential Singapore Eye Dates: 17 January – 28 June 2015 Venue: ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands Web: www.singaporeeye.com Exhibition: Prudential Eye Awards Dates: 17 January – 31 March 2015 Venue: ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands Web: www.prudentialeyeawards.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
11
Features
Best of Asian Art
A group exhibition at Galerie Belvedere
Art Week Special
Best of Asian Art celebrates contemporary painters from Asia and offers the opportunity to discover works by exciting artists. Arie Smit (b. 1916) is an Indonesian citizen from the Netherlands. His vibrant art celebrates the beauty of Bali and its people. His paintings are visually complex and elegant, with a poetic use of colours. His paintings are in several museum collections, particulary the Sudarisman, Male Dancer, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 25 cm Neka Museum in Bali. Faizal (b. 1965) graduated from the Indonesian Arts Institute in Yogyakarta. He travelled and participated in several solo and group exhibitions in Amsterdam, France, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Jakarta, and Singapore. His works are colourful and filled with imaginary and fantasy characters. His works have been auctioned by Sotheby’s and by auction houses in Indonesia. Herry Dim (b. 1955) is an Indonesian contemporary artist who has held numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Indonesia and around the world. Known as a painter and performance artist, he is also deeply involved in installation and printmaking. He writes essays, some of which were published in the collection Jawinul: Trips in the Woods of Culture (1993). Sudarisman (b. 1948) graduated from the Arts Academy in Yogyakarta and trained at the Academy of Arts in The Hague (1982 – 1983). He juxtaposes contrasting images: abstract and realistic, contemporary and traditional, progress and heritage. His objective is to show the contrasts but at the same time obtain harmony and unity. Other featured artists are Carlo Magno, Jerry Morada, Krijono, Om Mee Ai, Paul Husner, Ugo Untoro and Lydia Velasco. Exhibition: Best of Asian Art Dates: 15 January 2015 – 7 February 2015 Venue: Galerie Belvedere, 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station #01-10/11/12, Singapore 179369 Web: www.galerie-belvedere.com
12
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
13
Features
Utopian Pictures
Gilbert & George at ARNDT Singapore
From 20th January to 5th April 2015, ARNDT presents the first exhibition of Gilbert & George in Singapore. Gilbert & George created 26 new artworks, the UTOPIAN PICTURES, for their first solo exhibition in Singapore and Southeast-Asia. "Since first meeting at St Martin’s School of Art, London, in 1967, Gilbert & George have dedicated their lives to creating art that communicates their vision of the world in a manner that is direct, immediate, open-handed, mysterious, confrontational, generous, dizzying, ghost-like, intensely realistic, visionary and profoundly moral. With a many layered intensity of thoughts and a radically inventive visual creativity, the art of Gilbert & George has always directly addressed the feelings, prejudices and emotions of each individual viewer. The twenty-six UTOPIAN PICTURES, exhibited for the first time in the iconic Gillman Barracks, convey the moral vision of Gilbert & George with monolithic and declamatory intensity. These pictures depict a modern world in which authority and the resentment Gilbert & George of authority, rules and advertising Gilbert & George have dedicated rebellion, and public information, their lives to creating art that communicates their vision of dogma and warning, boasts and threats the world in a manner that is co-exist in seemingly direct, immediate, open-handed, endless proclamations: mysterious, confrontational, in notices and signs, on generous, dizzying, ghost-like, the streets and on public intensely realistic, visionary transport, in historic and profoundly moral. royal emblems, stickers, Michael Bracewell posters and graffiti. (...)
„
14
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Art Week Special
Gilbert & George, CRUSADE, From: Utopian Pictures, 2014, 20 panels, 245 × 377 cm, ILB0147
Gilbert & George have always asserted that the modern human condition, in all its aspects, can be found revealed in the streets around their home and studio in East London. The texts and emblems contained in the UTOPIAN PICTURES provide further proof of this claim. Encountered by the artists in their daily walks around their neighbourhood, the many different signs depicted in these pictures – some attempting to exercise social control, others to assert civic disobedience – take their place within the art of Gilbert & George as a pre-existing visual language that is real and alive on the city streets. A highly inventive and original visual vocabulary embellishes the dense webs of personal, moral and ideological tension that these signs and slogans create. Possessing a universality of content, temper and meaning, they describe the social climate of modern urban life. In seemingly simple, vivid primary colours, the figures of the artists often masked, hooded or obscured, yet always quietly and respectably be-suited, the UTOPIAN PICTURES convey the experience of an accelerated, violent, vertiginous, clamorous, technological, multi-faith and multi-cultural teeming city. It is within this very clamour – this dissonant roar of conflicting intentions and ideals – that we might in fact discern ‘Utopia’: a society describing perfection through its allowance of imperfection and disorder."
Written by Michael Bracewell, British novelist
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
15
Features
The second exhibition presented by ARNDT this January is "20 + 2 YEARS", an exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of ARNDT Berlin and the second anniversary of the gallery in Singapore. Over the past two decades, in its Wim Delvoye premises in Berlin and Singapore, as well as formerly in Zurich, New York, Melbourne and Sydney, ARNDT has produced more than 320 exhibitions with 55 publications featuring leading emerging and established Asian and international artists. ARNDT also participated in more than 140 art fairs around the globe, such as Art Basel, Art Basel Miami, Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Stage Singapore, FRIEZE London and many others. The anniversary exhibition marks the commitment of the gallery and its founder Matthias Arndt to the new location in Singapore. Fifty artworks by 39 artists from Central and Southeast-Asia, the United States, Germany, Europe, Russia and Australia will be presented at ARTSPACE@Helutrans from 16th January to 15th February 2015. Exhibition: 20 + 2 YEARS Dates: 16 January – 15 February 2015 Hours: Tue – Sun from 11am – 6pm Venue: ARTSPACE@Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road, 2nd Floor, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065 Exhibition: UTOPIAN PICTURES by Gilbert & George When: 20 January – 5 April 2015 Hours: Tue – Sun from 11am – 7pm, Sun 11am – 6pm Venue: ARNDT Singapore, Block 9 Lock Road #03-21, Gillman Barracks Event: Gilbert & George Book-Signing at Art Stage Singapore When: Wednesday, 21 January 2015 from 4 – 6pm Venue: Booth E13, Art Stage Singapore, Marina Bay Sands Convention Center Description: A catalogue documenting the UTOPIAN PICTURES will accompany the exhibition at ARNDT Singapore. Meet the artists at Art Stage Singapore for the book signing of UTOPIAN PICTURES. Event: Lasalle Public Lecture Series: In Conversation with Gilbert & George When: Thursday, 22 January 2015 from 7 – 9:30pm (including refreshments) Venue: The Singapore Airlines Theatre, LASALLE College of the Arts (Basement), 1 McNally Street, Singapore 187940 Description: For the first time in Singapore, Gilbert & George will discuss and share insights into their art and life. The session will be hosted by British novelist Michael Bracewell. Register: Free admission but pre-booking is required. Please reserve your seat at www.eventbrite.sg
16
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
17
Features
Imprint
New Works by Suzann Victor
Known for her conceptual prowess and ability to articulate complex ideas in technically challenging forms, Victor is one of Singapore’s most pronounced artists to date; her calibre and long-standing commitment positions her as an exemplary and important figure in our arts landscape – one to highlight as Singapore reflects on Victor's contributions and developments in the art world with Art Week 2015. As celebrations abound for Singapore’s 50th jubilee, STPI kick-starts the year with “Imprint: New Works by Suzann Victor”, a bountiful showcase of the artist’s profound creations in print methods and materials that differ from her customary use of theatrical devices, kinetic mechanisms, performance installations and object experimentations with the body, chandeliers and light. Her residency at STPI evolved into a unique spectrum of over 60 carefully considered works that challenged and exceeded the boundaries of print and paper. As rare additions to her artistic oeuvre and a testament to STPI’s dynamic collaborative space for building and harnessing artistic developments in Singapore and beyond, these delicate and honest works are multiple ‘firsts’ for Victor as well as the Institute. The etchings or ‘acid paintings’ – results of Victor’s abstract, performative approach of circling the copper plate without any fixed orientation – are the largest spit-bite aquatints to be made at STPI; while the décollages mark an initial encounter with the sensuality of the paper process. These works will be shown concurrently at STPI’s booth D13 at Art Stage where her presence proves strong. The etchings have already graced the prominent fair grounds of Art Basel Miami Beach in 2014. As the title suggests, “Imprint” not only refers to the residual trace of the artist’s hand and the characteristics of this body of work but it also references her residency experience and the impression she hopes to leave on viewers. Collectively, they demonstrate sheer critical thought and her proficiency in utilising materiality to draw out metaphorical and literal opacities—leaving much room for varied interpretation. She explores relations between spaces, objects and ideas while engaging the viewer as an active participant to her works. 18
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Art Week Special
Suzann Victor, Water Symphony in Blue Droplets, 2015, Assembled polycarbonate sheets, coloured paper pulp
Sydney-based Victor has garnered much attention in recent years particularly amongst local art institutions, and identifies herself as a Singapore artist who sees her time away as a boon, giving her “the ability to choose and be discerning about the values one embraces to form one’s identity”, a notion she believes to be “less about purity and more about complexity and diversity” for “we learn so much from the ‘other’”. And she does not forget her roots. In the series I was like that myself… we all held each other’s hands, Victor reflects on the ever-changing cultural landscape of Singapore, pondering the loss of what was once familiar and coherent to her such as the local vernacular. The work holds much nostalgia for the artist and induces viewers to ponder our own experience of the transforming nation, where primary markers of “Singaporeanness” are dissipating. Fresnel lenses affixed on top of black and white photographic images from coolie days at once display a sense of dislocation in its fragmented composition. Exhibition: Imprint: New Works by Suzann Victor Dates: 18 January – 21 February 2015 Hours: Tue – Fri: 10 – 7pm; Sat: 9 – 6pm; closed on Mon, Sun and PH Exhibition Tour: Saturdays 2.30pm Panel: with Suzann Victor, Susie Lingham, Eitaro Ogawa, 18 January 2015, 2.30 – 3.30pm, at STPI Gallery Collectors' Talk: with Sylvain Levy (DSL Collection) and STPI Director Emi Eu Supported by The Artling, 24 Jan, 1:30 – 2:30pm, at STPI Gallery Venue: STPI, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238236
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
19
Features
Larasati Singapore Sale 2015 Traditional, Modern and Contemporary Art
Larasati Auctioneers announce the sale of “Traditional, Modern, and Contemporary Art” on 24th January 2015, which offers a strong selection of 20th century Southeast Asian paintings and sculptures. Held at the GoodWood Park Hotel on Scotts Road, the auction features some of today's most important artists, representing Modernism, Indo-European Impressionism, and Contemporary Art. Among the sale’s highlights are Affandi's Boats at Kusamba, Jerry Elizalde Navarro’s Sarong from Solo, and I Nyoman Masriadi’s Ice Cream and Energy Drink. Affandi’s Proas and Sun exemplifies Affandi’s power to create a story from on occasional encounter with people or from the scenery he comes across. He paints with fervent brush strokes, inundating his subjects with such emotion that every work screams out the personality of the artist.
Affandi (1907 – 1990), Proas and Sun, 1964, Oil on canvas, 100 x 129.5 cm
20
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Features
Cover Story Navarro’s Sarong from Solo is one of his most sophisticated works, picturing a female nude lying beside a sarong made of batik cloth on her back. As with most of Navarro’s works, this painting seamlessly portrays the sensuous beauty of an Indonesian lady with the beauty of a traditional batik motif from Solo, composed J. Elizalde Navarro, The Sarong From Solo, 1990 brilliantly by the artist with Acrylic on canvas, 90 x 90 cm varying colours to capture the dramatic setting of the subject matter. Painted in 2005, “Ice Cream and Energy Drink” by I Nyoman Masriadi (b. 1973) is exemplary of the signature wit, smart charm, and uniqueness found in almost all of Masriadi’s work. Since Larasati's first auction held in April 2000 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the regional auction house’s reputation has grown rapidly for auctioning rare and emerging Indonesian as well as other Asian works at record prices. In 2003, Larasati made its entry into Singapore, becoming the first Asian-based auction house that crossed national borders. Currently, One East Larasati manages its I Nyoman Masriadi Ice Cream and Energy Drink auctions in four different countries: Indonesia, 2005, Acrylic on canvas Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. 200 x 100 cm Event: Auction: Viewing: Venue:
LARASATI Singapore Sale 2015 24 January 2015, Saturday, starting at 1.30pm 23 January 2015, Friday, 10.30am – 8pm 24 January 2015, Saturday, 10am – 12pm Goodwood Park Hotel, Tudor Ballroom, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore
Selected Viewing at One East Asia ARTSpace: 21 – 22 January 2015, Wednesday – Thursday, 10.30am – 6pm Venue: 15 Scotts Road, #05-08/09, Thong Teck Building Web: www.oneeastasia.org
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
21
Columns
Film, Spirituality, Forgetfulness By Chelsea Chua
Filmmaker Nelson Yeo is the latest addition to The Substation’s Associate Artist Research Programme (AARP). Nelson’s work often delves into the personal, and his work has previously been showcased in events such as Singapore Short Cuts and the Experimental Film Forum. He recently co-curated Nightmare on Armenian Street, which featured 18 horror short films by Singapore filmmakers. His AARP project, Five Flavoured Tea of Forgetfulness, is an exploration into his oft-favoured themes of religion, spirituality and the self. Seeking to investigate the meaning of the soul in different traditions, the project features fictional characters as they research into the significance of the idea of the soul. Five Flavoured Tea of Forgetfulness will be presented on a website where Nelson will pen his thoughts, showcase short videos and track the progress of his research. Chelsea Chua: What’s Five Flavoured Tea of Forgetfulness about? Nelson Yeo: The title of the project refers to the special brew prepared by Meng Po for the souls who are ready to be reincarnated in the 10th court of Diyu. It induces instant and permanent amnesia for the soul. The project itself serves as a companion piece and also research for a feature film project that I am preparing. It seeks to investigate the meaning of the soul in different traditions. I spent most of my childhood around joss paper and incense, because of my parents' business. Hence I am particularly interested in the significance of Chinese traditional funeral rites and particularly, paper effigies. 22
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Columns
The Substation Soapbox
Mountain of Knives (2014) dir. Nelson Yeo, credit: Nelson Yeo
The project follows the two lead characters from my feature film as they guide us through a documentary about the significance of their souls. I am working on this and the feature film version, titled Paper Soul. Hopefully, this project will serve as an excellent companion to that.
Filmmaker Nelson Yeo, credit: Nelson Yeo
Nelson’s website will be launched in late February, watch The Substation’s Facebook page for details. To get a better feel of his work, watch Nelson’s short film, Nobody’s Home, on Viddsee. It was recently screened as part of the 7th Singapore Short Cuts.
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
23
Columns
雙明鳳歌仔戲 Hokkien Opera A photo-documentary by Arron Teo
Arron Teo photo-documents the 雙明鳳歌仔戲 Hokkien Opera performance on stage and the little details behind the scenes. Arron hopes to document our local 'wayangs' in Singapore before their eventual farewell ...
24
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Columns
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
25
Columns
P. Perumal
A modern master from the Madras School of Arts Written by Vidhya Gnana Gouresan
There are many aspects and angles to the entire social, political and aesthetic progress of the modern and contemporary art of South India. Madras (current Chennai) was the main centre for the arts during the period of early Post-Independence in South India, a region that has played a pivotal role in the development of modern and contemporary Indian art within a wider context. In 1850, the Madras School of Arts (currently known as the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai) was established for the purpose of training native artisans to create handcrafted products (for manufacture). This historic college was instrumental in launching the systematic development of modern art history in India. Indeed, it is significant to note that the Madras School of Arts is the very first arts college that was established in the whole of India, making it the oldest arts institution of the nation. Acclaimed artists from other parts of India, such as Kolkata-based Paritosh Sen, have been students of the Madras School of Arts. Today, the term, ‘Madras School of Arts’, is referred to as an important genre, an ever-significant movement in the modern art history of India, a monumental phase that nurtured the brilliance of modern masters such as P. Perumal. Born in 1935, Perumal was a National Scholar in drawing and painting (1962 – 64). He served as
Toil of Love – 01, P Perumal, Oil on canvas, 2007
26
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Columns
Aesthetic
Awakening
Village Wedding Procession – 02, P. Perumal, Oil on canvas, 2007
a Fellow of the State Lalit Kala Academy (1995), and was awarded a Gold Medal (1998) at a programme by the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal. Perumal’s works are part of private and institutional collections in South Korea, Italy, the USA, Germany and Canada. Apart from being a practising artist, Perumal is wellrespected in the field of art education, having been an art instructor at the Government High School, Chennai (1959 – 1961) and an Associate Lecturer at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai (1988). He is also a recipient of a Senior Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India (1988 – 1990). Perumal received the Indian National Award in 1991. Having had spent his formative years in a village in Tamil Nadu (South India), Perumal endows the villagers; the human personalities in his paintings with what is deemed as the ‘pooryet-happy’ state of emotion, while he effortlessly provides us with his elated perspective of the sentiments of the workforce in an archetypical village in Tamil Nadu. In his art, Perumal captures a distinct innocence and a fatigued satisfaction in the postures of the villagers that he depicts in his staple visual narrative, often insinuating a sense of promise and hope for the tired human bone. Perumal continues to create his elucidating paintings in a corner of the state of Tamil Nadu, rejoicing in his fascinating world of rural nostalgia. To view paintings by P. Perumal, call 9003 2851, send an email to gnani_arts@yahoo.com.sg, or visit www.gnaniarts.com.
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
27
News
ArtScience Museum celebrates the works of
Leonardo da Vinci
Presented alongside the original pages of the Codex Atlanticus – da Vinci’s largest notebook – and paintings from the School of Leonardo travelling from Italy’s Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, are facsimiles of additional pages of the Codex, video projections, models of his inventions, extensive audiovisual material as well as innovative interactive exhibits. Over the course of the exhibition’s six-month run till May 2015, six paintings and 26 pages of the Codex Atlanticus will be on show. Three paintings and 13 pages of the Codex are currently on show till February 2015. Then three new paintings and 13 new pages of the Codex will be presented till May 2015. This not only gives visitors the opportunity to explore the depth of da Vinci’s work through new content and refreshed programming but more importantly, allows these delicate historic pieces to be preserved appropriately. The folio on the Studies on the Flight of Birds (1505) is one of da Vinci’s most striking visual demonstrations of the flight of birds. Da Vinci had sketched the movements of birds to show how their positions differ when they change their flight direction. Using the simple lines to differentiate the bird’s course of flight and wind direction, da Vinci created a dynamic and clear graphic representation of flight on paper.
28
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
News
Original pages of the Codex Atlanticus
Da Vinci: Shaping the Future is also curated to present visitors with a contemporary perspective of da Vinci’s work. On display are five art installations inspired by da Vinci, including three new commissions by Donna Ong (Singapore), WY-TO (Singapore), as well as Semiconductor, Luke Jerram and Conrad Shawcross (United Kingdom).
WY-TO Pte Ltd, Through the Looking Glass
Exhibition: Da Vinci: Shaping the Future Dates: Till May 2015 Hours: 10am – 7pm daily Venue: ArtScience Museum™ at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
29
News
Ugo Untoro
New works by the Indonesian artist at Gajah Gallery
In this new series of works, presented at Gajah Gallery from 23 January to 8 February 2015, Untoro places emphasis on the transcendence of art and celebrates heterogeneity, ecstatic and explosive energy in his work. Ugo Untoro was born in 1970 in Purbalingga, Central Java, Indonesia, and graduated from the Indonesia Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta. He is representative of Indonesia’s late 1990s generation of painters. He does not only sketch and paint; he also creates installations, objects, videos and does other enriching art experiments with various media, including writing. His work is an excellent demonstation of how he releases himself from the limitations of conventional art. He is an inspiration to many of the younger generations. Almost all of his artwork creation processes adhere to the law of “Panta Rei” – which states that everything flows. In his view, it is important to note that this “flow” is not fully driven by the “subconscious”. Known as the painter that paints with his emotion, Ugo deliberately and consciously creates his artworks in tune with a preselected
Ugo Untoro, Peziarah (Pilgrim), 2014, Oil on Canvas, 150 x 200 cm
30
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
News
Ugo Untoro, Young Boy, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 150 x 200 cm
theme. His signature style is raw and spontaneous, yet poetic, while expressing his personal view of the world in his work. Ugo is also one of the artists who have brought contemporary Indonesian art to a new level. He has already been recognized across the archipelago for his strong personality and persistence in creating artworks that reflect the conditions of existence, both at the level of being an artist as well as a human being, showcasing Indonesian contemporary culture for what it is – turbulent, but also a pure and simple part of everyday reality. Over the past decade, Ugo Untoro’s works have encompassed an elaborate collection of paintings, drawings, poems and writings. He has also had more than 10 solo exhibitions in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Yogyakarta, Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya, and has participated in group exhibitions in USA, France, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. His entry to the Philip Morris Art Awards in 1998 was placed within the Best 5; and he was named Man of the Year in 2007 by Tempo Magazine, an Indonesian publication that covers current affairs and politics. Exhibition: Ugo Untoro Solo Exhibition Dates: 23 January 2015 – 8 February 2015 Venue: Gajah Gallery, 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station, #01-08 Web: www.gajahgallery.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
31
News
PantoneMyArt Tattoo in Colour 10 Tattoo Artists. 10 Pantone Colours. 10 Daring Designs. Feroze McLeod
News
In the fifth instalment of the highly successful PantoneMyArt series, tcc – The Connoisseur Concerto presents a new radical perspective to their audience with the PantoneMyArt – Tattoo in Colour exhibition from 15th January to 30th March 2015 at the exclusive tcc “The Gallery” at 51 Circular Road. The exhibition features ten of Singapore’s top tattoo artists, who have each designed an artwork in a predominant Pantone colour of their choice. Instead of using the body as a medium, these artists transferred the body art onto paper and created artworks that have once originated from a design they have tattooed on someone before, or one stemming from their own personal inspirations that is aligned to their tattooing style. Tattoos have existed for over 70 centuries and have undergone a unique metamorphosis throughout the years, taking on numerous forms
above: Ash Goh right: Mr. Purple by Ash Goh
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
33
News
above: Mudohori left: The Destruction of Andhaka by Mudohori
and surviving countless cycles of cultural evolution. Today, apart from being a mainstream cultural force and a creative form of self-expression and style, tattoos are also recognised as a form of body art. Presented by tcc - The Connoisseur Concerto, Ms Abbey Chang, Assistant Vice-President for Business Development, expressed that tcc is proud to support the arts all these years, and is excited to pay homage to the tattooing heritage and to showcase the level of beauty and essence this body art form has to offer. As PantoneMyArt 2015 celebrates the 45th exhibition which art-management.com has organised for tcc, Claude Verly, who is the creative driving force of this exhibition, is looking forward for this exhibition to bring awareness to the popular tattoo culture as well as to push the boundaries of art in this progressive city-state. The artists participating in PantoneMyArt – Tattoo in Colour are: Ash Goh using Iris Purple; Bradley Tan using Sun-glow Yellow; Feroze McLeod working with Tangerine Orange; Fleecircus using Cobalt Blue; Moon Pang using Olive Green; Mudohori working with Deep Pink; Augustine Nezumi using Cyan; Lionel Ng using Jet Black; Vernon. V. Koh using Chestnut Brown; and Chris Sim working with Crimson Red. In addition to these artists' works, the talented 34
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
News
above: Vernon V. Koh left: Mr Brown by Vernon V. Koh
Slovak photographer Jana Zilcayova has taken a series of photographs capturing the soul and essence of each tattoo artist, which will be displayed alongside the artworks.
above: Moon Pang left: Beyond Green by Moon Pang
Exhibition: PantoneMyArt – Tattoo in Colour Dates: 15 January – 30 March 2015 Hours: Sun – Thu and PH: 11am – 12am. Fri, Sat and Eve of PH: 11am – 2am Venue: tcc – The Connoisseur Concerto “The Gallery”, 51 Circular Road
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
35
News
The Family Tree
Vanessa Linares' colourful animal friends
Editor's Visual Picks
In Vanessa Linares’ first solo exhibition in Asia, “The Family Tree”, the artist examines relationships in different forms and colours. Through a series of works with white and black backgrounds, Vanessa, who is heavily inspired by Japanese manga, brings her own interpretation and understanding of the world around her to the canvas. Approaching the theme of family and friendship, Vanessa manages to combine vastly different styles into a cohesive exhibition. As the animals in the paintings soar through the skies and congregate in circles, the viewer is reminded of the relationships that connect and bind us together.
Vanessa Linares, Happy Together (2014), Acrylic on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm
Exhibition: The Family Tree by Vanessa Linares Dates: Till 14 January 2015 Hours: Tue – Fri 12 – 7pm; Sat 11 – 7pm; Sun 11 – 6pm; Closed on Mon Venue: Barnadas Huang, 22 Dempsey Road, Singapore 249679
36
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
News
Gender Politics
A Joint Exhibition by Jon Landa and Marc Figueras
Barnadas Huang ushers in the new year with a contemplative exhibition that will steer the direction of the gallery for the rest of the year. Gender Politics presents modernity and sexuality from two vastly different points of view, provoking and challenging the viewer by asking them to consider the ideas of conformity, assimilation and animal instinct whilst thinking about the difficult questions surrounding gender privilege, gender identity and gender inequality. After celebrating Barnadas Huang's first year anniversary in November 2014, this is the first exhibition at the new gallery space at 61 Duxton Road.
Rhino by Jon Landa, Oil on Canvas, 100 x 100 cm, 2014
Exhibition: Gender Politics Dates: 17 January – 28 February 2015 Hours: Tue – Fri 12 – 7pm; Sat 11 – 7pm; Sun 11 – 6pm; Closed on Mon Venue: Barnadas Huang, 61 Duxton Road, Singapore 089525
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
37
News
Yang Fudong: Incidental Scripts First major solo exhibition by one of China's most well-known film director and photographer
Yang Fudong, a leading international figure of contemporary art and one of the most important artists to emerge out of China in the 1990s, currently presents his first major solo exhibition in Southeast Asia at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. The exhibition shows four of Yang’s works, each emblematic of his multi- faceted approach towards the creation of visual imageries that complicates our understanding of reality/ fiction, and our experience of space/time. As an auteur, Yang does not rely on scripts to drive the narrative. He favours the creation of images that allude to the fragmentary nature of one's experiences and communicates a temperament or state of being. His stylistic inclination for moody, black-and-white 35mm cinematography is evident in his first film work, An Estranged Paradise (1997 – 2002). The film conveys the conundrum faced by a new generation during the raise of China’s bamboo curtain. Presented in Documenta11 in 2002, it received international acclaim and was considered a milestone in Yang’s artistic career. Incidental Scripts marks the conclusion of Yang’s new work, About an Unknown Girl – Ma Sise (2013 – 2 014) featuring a
Still from An Estranged Paradise, 1997 – 2002, Single-channel video, 35mm film transferred to DVD, black and white, sound, 76 mins, photo: ShanghART Gallery, © Yang Fudong
38
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
News
About the Unknown Girl – Ma Sise, 2013 – 2014, Multimedia installation with films and photographs, Dimension variable, Photo: ShanghART Gallery, © Yang Fudong
Production shot of The Fifth Night (II) Rehearsal, 2010, Multi-channel film installation, 35mm film transferred to HD, black and white, sound, 52 mins 10 secs, Photo: ShanghART Gallery, © Yang Fudong
young Chinese actress Ma Sise who frequently appears in his works and includes a fashion spread produced for China’s leading media, Modern Weekly. Conceived as a durational project, Yang inquires into the life and mind of an actress. His oeuvre often examines the real and the imaginary, and with this project, he delves into Ma Sise’s roles both on screen and in real life. The seven-screen installation of The Fifth Night (II) Rehearsal (2010) demonstrates the artist’s experimentation with film-making at a new level. Featuring the film-making process in its entirety, the work establishes multiple perspectives and challenges the viewer’s perception of cinematic time and space, allowing free association unique to each viewing experience. It is striking for its spontaneity, unpredictable and unpremeditated view of what happens on a set. Yang’s interest in unmitigated experiences is demonstrated in On the Double Dragon Hills (2012), a two-screen video that records the lives of workers in Jiaxiang in Shandong Province, a city well known for its resource of blue stone. The unobtrusive recording provides a bare view into the life of the locals whose livelihood centres on the stone-carving trade. Incidental Scripts is curated by Professor Ute Meta Bauer, NTU CCA Singapore Founding Director, and Khim Ong, an independent curator based in Singapore. Exhibition: Yang Fudong: Incidental Scripts Dates: Till 1 March 2015 Talks: Exhibition (de)Tours, 14 January (with Ho Rui An), 6 February (with Ben Slater), and 27 February (with Michelle Lim), 7 – 8.30pm Venue: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore Website: www.gillmanbarracks.com/cca
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
39
News
Diego Rivera
One of the greatest Mexican painters of the 20th century
Widely regarded as the most prominent figure in the Mexican muralist movement, Diego Rivera’s extraordinary body of work represents various facets in art history such as naturalism and cubism, paradigms that deeply influenced the Mexican painters of his time. This exhibition comprises of 34 pieces of art from the state of Veracruz in Mexico, all produced during the 52 years of Master Rivera’s prolific career. Ranging from landscapes to still life, portraits, nudes and scenes of indigenous daily life, the works deploy a range of techniques in painting, aquarelle, collage, pencil, coal and ink drawings, offering a glimpse into the prolific life and works of Diego Rivera. The collection showcases Diego Rivera, Sunflowers, 1921 several works that were produced during his stay in Europe, where he befriended many renowned artists and personalities of the era, such as Picasso, Mondrian, Modigliani, French art historian Elie Faure and Russian writer Ilya Ehrenberg, amongst others. The artistic influence of his prominent circle of friends is reflected in the works of his European Years (19121917). Many of these pieces have been forgotten or destroyed by the artist himself, making the surviving ones in this collection exceptionally special for their debut exhibition in Southeast Asia. The exhibition is presented by the Mexican Institute of Fine Arts (INBA), the Veracruz Institute of Culture (IVEC), the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXID) and the Embassy of Mexico in Singapore in collaboration with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. Exhibition: Diego Rivera: Pride of Mexico Dates: 13 Feb – 12 Apr 2015 Hours: Tue – Sun 11am – 7pm, closed on Monday Venue: Art Galleries at NAFA, 80 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189655
40
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
41
Reviews
Singapore Art Fair Total of 10,500 visitors attended the four-day fair
The inaugural Singapore Art Fair ended on 30th November 2014 on a positive note. It hosted a total of 10,500 visitors across four days. Some 59 galleries from 22 countries, featuring more than 230 artists from the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia (ME.NA.SA) participated in the inaugural fair. “The first instalment of the Singapore Art Fair is a great success. We have learnt a lot in the lead-up, during and even after the fair. What was most significant was we have found that the Singapore community has a curiosity for ME.NA.SA art and is intrigued by it. We are very honoured to have been given an opportunity to contribute to Singapore’s arts scene, strengthening the position of the city state as an arts hub in the region,” said Ms Laure d’Hauteville, Founder and Director of Singapore Art Fair. Galleries from the regions connected and have begun discussions on how they could collaborate and forge closer working ties. Mr Yaser Askar, Managing Director and Partner of Gallery Ward (Egypt/UAE/KSA), said “Singapore Art Fair has introduced us to people whom we have not met before. New friendships developed as a result. We are confident that visitors will continue to show an interest in works by Middle Eastern artists.” Singapore Art Fair 2014
Reviews
The Art Fellas sold all presented works by Dadi Setiyadi at Singapore Art Fair right: Singapore Art Gallery Guide November 2014 Cover
Nadine Majdalani Begdache, owner of Galerie Janine Rubeiz (Lebanon/Beirut) further reiterated, “We may not be that well-established in Singapore as compared to other galleries in this region. However, we are heartened to see interest from the public in our artists’ works.” This was affirmed by several galleries exhibiting at the fair. Mr Ryo Wakabayashi, CEO of Mizuma Art Gallery (Singapore/Japan) said, “The fair has provided us with opportunities to collaborate with galleries from the Middle Eastern and North African regions in the long term. Together, we can strengthen awareness of ME.NA in Asia and Asia in the ME.NA regions.” The majority of galleries enjoyed good sales during the fair with many of their important pieces being sold. Mr Cruz Phua, Managing Director of The Art Fellas (Singapore) added, “We are pleasantly surprised with the quality of visitors. Though our investment in a larger booth was initially bold, we are glad to announce that all the works by Indonesian artist Dadi Setiyadi have been sold. Interestingly, all these works were mostly bought by Singaporeans.” Dadi Setiyadi's artwork "Inside of me" has graced the cover of the Singapore Art Gallery Guide November 2014 issue. Heartened by the enthusiastic response, the organisers of Singapore Art Fair are exploring how it can be taken to greater heights for future editions. The next fair has been scheduled to be held from 19 to 22 November 2015. Singapore Art Gallery Guide
43
Reviews
Singapore International Film Festival Director of Unlucky Plaza Ken Kwek (far left) with his cast
Juliette Binoche
John Woo (centre) with his wife Annie Woo and daughter Angeles Woo
From left ... Mike Wiluan, Chairman of SGIFF, John Woo, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim and Tong Dawei
Zhang Ziyi walking the red carpet on the Opening Night of SGIFF, photo: Fiorenzo Nizi
Chen Bolin and Anthony Chen photo: Bonnie Yap/SGIFF
Winner of Best Film and Best Director Chaitanya Tamhane (left) with his producer Vivek Gomber photo: Bonnie Yap/SGIFF
Reviews
INTERSECTIONS Opening Reception at Gajah Gallery
Opening of 10Sq A creative arts space for young artists
Mr Alvin Tay, Chairman of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund: "The young people will have a place to achieve their dreams."_
10Sq Auditorium Foyer
Guest-of-Honour, Ms Low Yen Ling: "10Sq is the training ground for youth from financially-challenged families."
Events
Exhibitions & Events
For more events and updates please go to www.sagg.info Reception
Exhibition
Performance
Guided Tour
Music
Workshop
Film
Kids
Talk/Reading Lecture
Festival Art Fair
2902 Gallery focuses on artists working with lens-based media such as photography, video art and image-based installation. 2902 Gallery 222 Queen Street, Unit 02-02 % 6339 8655 www.2902gallery.com Opening Hours: Tue – Sat 12noon – 7pm; Sun: 1pm – 5pm; closed on Mon and PH map no. 137
Creative gastronomy meets contemporary art: 7Adam’s kitchen serves up masterfully created modern European cuisine with Asian influences while its gallery offers guests a world of visual delights with exquisitely curated contemporary art pieces. 7Adam Gallery Restaurant 7 Adam Park % 6463 0777 www.7adam.com Gallery Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm daily; Restaurant Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm daily map no. 009
Artist Studio of Marisa Keller. Nature inspired Etchings, Monoprints, Mixed Media Works, and Paintings. Art and Printmaking Studio Block 28 Woking Road # 03 - 05 % 9653 5051 Fax 9653 5051 www.marisakeller.com, www.artprintmakingstudio.com map no. 554
ArtBlue Studio is one of Singapore’s leading suppliers of Vietnamese lacquer and oil paintings and offers clients some of the most exciting artworks from Vietnam, along with a satisfaction-guaranteed service. ArtBlue Studio 26 Oxley Mansion, 26P Oxley Road % 9752 5458 www.artbluestudio.com map no. 521
46
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events UTOPIAN PICTURES by Gilbert & George. The London-based duo's revolutionary approach of making themselves into 'living sculptures' by incorporating private life into the art practice made them famous already by 1969. Now, for the first time in history, Gilbert & George will come to South East Asia. 20 Jan – 05 Apr 20 + 2 YEARS. The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of ARNDT Berlin and the second anniversary of the gallery in Singapore. 16 Jan – 15 Feb ARNDT Singapore stages shows of leading international artists as well as projects and curated shows featuring Southeast Asian art and develops private and corporate collections and artist management in the Asia-Pacific region. ARNDT Singapore Gillman Barracks, BLK 9 (3rd Floor) Lock Road % 6734 0775 www.arndtberlin.com Opening Hours: Tue – Sat 11am – 7pm, Sun 11am – 6pm
Encounters: Poon Lian, 50 Years of Art. In 1969, Singaporean artist Poon Lian graduated from NAFA where he majored in Western painting. This exhibition features works that document the artist’s practice over the past 50 years. 08 – 25 Jan Allegories – The Works of Wong Shih Yaw. Wong Shih Yaw’s painted narratives of the modern times are driven by his pressing need to convey a message. His work features intricate details and rich colour as well as symbolism. 07 Feb – 08 Mar
Wong Shih Yaw (Detail)
Diego Rivera: Pride of Mexico. Ranging from landscapes to still life, portraits, nudes and scenes of indigenous daily life, Rivera's works deploy a range of techniques in painting, aquarelle, collage, pencil, coal and ink drawings, offering a glimpse into the prolific life and works of Diego Rivera. 13 Feb – 12 Apr Art Galleries at NAFA 80 Bencoolen Street % 6512 4043 www.nafa.edu.sg Opening Hours: Tue – Sun 11am – 7pm. Closed on Monday. map no. 131
Art Apart Fair 2015. The Singapore-based hotel art fair highlights works by emerging urban street artists. Personally curated by fair director Rosalind Lim, street works find a new life on canvas as urban art, injecting energy in the sophisticated Presidential Suite. 23 – 25 Jan Art Apart Fair 2015 PARKROYAL on Pickering 3 Upper Pickering Street www.artapartfair.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
47
Events Armen Agop: Transcontemporary unveils new granite and bronze sculptures by Egyptian artist Armen Agop, that are both freestanding and wall-mounted. 22 Jan – 21 Feb Michel Platnic: After is a unique exhibition experience featuring a dramatic series of moving multimedia portraits and prints. 22 Jan – 21 Feb Art Plural Gallery 38 Armenian Street % 6636 8360 www.artpluralgallery.com Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am – 7pm map no. 144
Art Stage Singapore. The 2015 edition of Southeast Asia’s flagship fair. Vernissage: 21 Jan from 6 – 9pm Public Days: 22 – 23 Jan from 12 – 7pm 24 Jan from 11am – 7pm 25 Jan from 11am – 6pm Art Stage Singapore 222 Queen Street, Unit 02-02 www.artstagesingapore.com
Da Vinci: Shaping the Future. Original masterpieces from the world’s most celebrated genius, Leonardo da Vinci, make their Southeast Asian debut at ArtScience Museum. The exhibition presents 26 original pages of the Codex Atlanticus, da Vinci’s largest notebook, which includes some of his most important drawings and writings. Till May ArtScience Museum™ at Marina Bay Sands 10 Bayfront Avenue www.marinabaysands.com/ArtScienceMuseum Opening Hours: 10am – 7pm daily map no. 181
Birds and Flowers by Fan Chang Tien. A fine selection of paintings by the literati artist, Fan Chang Tien (1907–1987). Fan was a exponent of the Shanghai xieyi school of painting, and his work and teaching had an indelible influence on the development of Chinese ink painting in Singapore. He is especially adept in subjects such as the bamboo, landscape, and bird and flower paintings. Till 31 Jan Asia Art Collective (Consultancy & Gallery) 19 Tanglin Road, #03-42 Tanglin Shopping Centre % 6733 2155 www.asiaartcollective.com Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm daily map no. 518
48
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events The new Ancient Religions Gallery traces the spread of religions from India to China, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. A thousand years of sculpture will show the change in art from early cults to international forms of Hinduism and Buddhism. The displays demonstrate how the cultures of Gandhara, Kushan, Tang China, and Srivijaya gave new expression to these systems of belief. ongoing Beginning of the Becoming: Batak Sculpture From Northern Sumatra. Till 29 Mar 2015 Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) 1 Empress Place % 6332 7798 www.acm.org.sg Opening Hours: Mon 1pm – 7pm, Tue – Sun 9am – 7pm, Fri 9am – 9pm) map no. 104
The Family Tree by Vanessa Linares. In Vanessa Linares' first solo exhibition in Asia, "The Family Tree", the artist examines relationships in various forms and vibrant colours. Till 14 Jan Gender Politics, a Joint Exhibition by Jon Landa and Marc Figueras. A joint exhibition between renowned mid-career artist Jon Landa, and the young but exceptionally talented Marc Figueras. 17 Jan – 28 Feb Barnadas Huang 22 Dempsey Road % 6635 4707 www.barnadashuang.com Opening Hours: Tues – Fri 12 – 7pm; Sat 11 – 7pm; Sun 11 – 6pm; Closed on Mondays no. 530
Corcovado Arts Q1 2015 Term: Italian Renaissance: 5 sessions course including a guided visit to the exhibition Da Vinci: Shaping the Future Singapore’s Sculptures Trail: 1 session talk Singapore Contemporary Arts: 3 series lecture Introduction to the History of Modern Art – Bridging the Centuries, from Manet to Picasso: 5 sessions course Introduction to the History of Contemporary Art: 4 session course Corcovado Arts offers quick yet comprehensive courses that will equip any nonart major with the necessary tools to better understand and appreciate modern and contemporary art. Go to www.corcovadoarts.com for dates and registration. Corcovado Arts courses@corcovadoarts.com www.corcovadoarts.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
49
Events Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay kicks off the 13th edition of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts on the second day of Chinese New Year. 20 Feb – 01 Mar Esplanade 1 Esplanade Drive www.esplanade.com/celebrate_december map no. 100
What is Sex? by Edward Lam Dance Theatre
Influence of the Shanghai School of Painting in Singapore. Presented by Asia Art Collective, the exhibition features the grandmaster of the new Shanghai School Wu Changshuo, the Haipai masters Wang Geyi, Wang Yiting and Fan Chang Tien, who brought the Shanghai School to Singapore, as well as works by Fan's students. 08 – 28 Jan, at East Garden Foyer Gallery & The Fullerton Heritage Gallery Art for Autism: Diversity. Celebrating Pathlight School’s inaugural public exhibition Hiong, Cat playing with thread with The Fullerton Heritage, this exposition Lim Kay 2013, Ink and colour on paper features new works by 17 student artists from the school’s signature Artist Development Programme. Art for Autism: Diversity captures the unique perspectives as seen through the eyes of artists with autism. Be amazed at the scaly details on dinosaur bodies, the intricate rendering of the bricks and windows on buildings, and the rough texture of elephants’ skin, all sketched with loving attention! 29 Jan – 02 Mar, at East Garden Foyer Gallery & The Fullerton Heritage Gallery Julien Marinetti Exhibition. In collaboration with The Fullerton Heritage, Galerie Bartoux Singapore presents an exhibition of painted bronze sculptures by French artist Julien Marinetti. Marinetti’s signature pieces such as the Bulldog, Teddy Bear and Panda, are featured along Singapore’s stunning bayfront. Till 30 Jan at The Fullerton Heritage Precinct The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (The Fullerton Heritage) 1 Fullerton Square % 6557 2590 www.thefullertonheritage.com map no. 101
Julien Marinetti Exhibition. Till 30 Jan, at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Clifford Pier, Clifford Square, Customs House, One Fullerton, and Merlion Park. Specializing in contemporary art and master’s pieces, the family Group Galeries Bartoux includes fifteen galleries located in France, in the United States and in Singapore. Galeries Bartoux Singapore ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn #01-12A/13 % 6634 8806 www.galeries-bartoux.com Opening Hours: Sun – Thu 10am – 9.30pm, Friday and Saturday 10am – 10pm map no. 501
50
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events Ugo Untoro Solo Exhibition. Ugo Untoro’s (b. 1970) highly anticipated solo exhibition features new paintings that celebrate heterogeneity, ecstatic and explosive energy that is connected to intoxicating experience that destroys rationalism and instrumental normality of dominant culture. In this new series, Untoro places emphasis on the transcendence of art; frenzy, crime, aesthetics and various levels of marginality. All of this leading up to one biographic conclusion through the painter’s spiritual experience. 23 Jan – 08 Feb Gajah Gallery is a Singapore based art gallery that explores the diverse socio-cultural interests of Asia through art from the region.
Peziarah (Pilgrim), 2014 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 200 cm
Gajah Gallery 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station #01-08 % 6737 4202 www.gajahgallery.com Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat, Sun & PH 12pm – 6pm map no. 110
Festive Art Show celebrates contemporary International painters such as Andre Tan, Brendan Neiland, Cocky Dujivestjin, Juan Ripolles, Rene Lemay, Sarkasi Said, Tay Bak Koi, Zhu Wei, Cocky Dujivestjin. Till 13 Jan Best of Asian Art celebrates contemporary painters from Asia. This show is the opportunity to discover the works of exciting artists from Asia with an international dimension. Most of them have had their works auctioned and have participated in exhibitions internationally. Sudarisman, Male Dancer Galerie Belvedere's award-winning artists are Oil on Canvas, 30 x 25 cm from Indonesia, The Philippines and South Korea: Arie Smit, Paul Husner, Sudarisman, Faizal, Herry Dim, Krijono, Ugo Untoro, Lydia Velasco, Carlo Magno, Jerry Morada, Om Mee Ai. 15 Jan – 07 Feb Galerie Belvedere 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station #01-10/11/12 % 6423 1233 www.galerie-belvedere.com Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat/Sun 12 – 5pm map no. 107
Founded in early 2003, Gnani Arts has been a local and regional trend-setter within its area of research, curation and collection expertise – South Indian contemporary art by masters and international artists. Gnani Arts #02-02A, 41 Kallang Pudding Road Golden Wheel Building % 6735 3550 www.gnaniarts.com Opening Hours: by appointment
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
51
Events “Art After Dark” Party at Gillman Barracks Save the date for Gillman Barracks' next Art After Dark event, a key highlight of Singapore Art Week 2015. An outdoor party set against the new shows premiered by the galleries provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy Gillman Barracks’ diverse art offerings. 23 Jan, 7pm – late Gillman Barracks 9 Lock Road www.gillmanbarracks.com
For and Against Nature by Gary Carsley. Gary Carsley will be showing new photobased works, including photo adhesives and projections. The images include a circular moon gate from the Chinese Scholars Garden in NY that opens up on The Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens in London. Nature as it passes through Carsley's images is malleable and intractably conditioned by human desires. Till 24 Jan I Learned My History From The TV. The exhibition by Samuel Chen draws inspiration from a popular Chinese period drama series, recreating the scenes from this particular work of historical fiction in the form of painting. The images are related to Samuel Chen's estrangement with a particular history, culture and language, an estrangement often acknowledged by many later generations of Overseas Chinese, without shame. However, this sense of alienation towards the 'mother tongue' coexists with a familiarity towards such historical and ethnical amnesia. Till 17 Jan Grey Projects 6B Kim Tian Rd www.greyprojects.org Opening Hours: Wed – Fri 1pm – 7pm, Sat 1pm – 6pm
Modern Love. Coinciding with LASALLE’s 30th anniversary, this major exhibition presents a range of works in various media by around thirty artists who are all previous graduates of programmes at LASALLE College of the Arts. Curated by Khairuddin Hori, Senior Curator at the National Heritage Board and Bala Starr, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, it celebrates the diversity, breadth and innovation of these artists and their works. Its title, after the popular song Modern Love, likens the intensity of artistic creation and experience with similar feelings experienced in emotional relationships. Till 01 Feb Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (ICAS) LASALLE College of the Arts 1 McNally Street % 6496 5070 www.lasalle.edu.sg Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm, except Mon & PH map no. 132
52
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
HaKaren Art Gallery is a leading specialist in contemporary Chinese art featuring a distinctive selection of fine paintings and sculptures by some of China’s most eminent and exceptional contemporary artists. HaKaren Art Gallery 19 Tanglin Road #02-43, Tanglin Shopping Center % 6733 3382 www.hakaren.com Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 10.30am – 6.30pm, Sun & Public Holiday 12noon – 6pm map no. 509
Circles. Visit artist Kelly Reedy in her Wessex Estate studio. Please call for an appointment at 9367 7382 or for more information see also www.kellyreedy.com 01 Jan – 28 Feb Kelly Reedy — Studio Arts 27 Woking Road, #01-01 www.kellyreedy.com map no. 553
Budi Daya Special Exhibition. Showcasing artefacts alongside contemporary art, Budi Daya explores the value and meaning of ‘culture’ from the Malay perspective. This multilayered exhibition features 57 artefacts drawn from the National Collection and private loans as well as 18 new commissions, performances and existing works by artists from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. Till 29 Mar Malay Heritage Centre 85 Sultan Gate % 6391 0450 www.malayheritage.org.sg Opening Hours: Tue – Sun: 10am – 6pm map no. 213
GeoGraphic: Celebrating Maps And Their Stories. Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819, but maps dating as far back as 1602 already mark the existence of our island-state, indicating its long-standing importance in trade and politics. A series of curated exhibitions and programmes showcases how Singapore and the region around it have evolved through hundreds of rare and original maps and creative art pieces. 15 Jan – 19 Jul National Library Singapore 100 Victoria Street www.nlb.gov.sg Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 9pm (except PH) map no. 213
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
53
Events DiverseCity 2014. In its third edition, the three-month multidisciplinary, multisensory arts showcase features 187 collaborative art projects by 127 artists from countries, such as Singapore, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States – among others. Till 28 Feb SINGAPURA: 700 Years takes you on a journey through 700 years of Singapore's history beginning from the 14th century. Experience Singapore’s transformation through the ages as it went from a humble fishing village to the pride of an empire, before finally achieving the status of being an independent nation-state as it is today. Till 10 Aug PLAY @ National Museum of Singapore. A dedicated area for young children to take their first steps towards museum-going with interactive exhibits and special activities that encourage learning through play. ongoing Where The Heart Is - by Asha Bee Abraham explores this more abstract, imagined version of home. It examines the feelings evoked by returning to our hometowns and family homes, and experiencing the changes and the sameness in their place. The exhibition sees artist and human ecologist, Asha Bee Abraham, revisiting Singapore in an attempt to understand something about her (dis)connection with her hometown. 14 – 25 Jan National Museum of Singapore 93 Stamford Road % 6332 3659 www.nationalmuseum.sg Opening Hours: Daily 10am – 6pm map no. 114
LARASATI SINGAPORE SALE 2015 Traditional, Modern and Contemporary Art. Works by Southeast Asian and IndoEuropean masters such as Affandi, I Nyoman Masriadi, Jerry E. Navarro and Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres. Selected Viewing at One East Asia ARTSpace: 21 – 22 January 2015, Wednesday – Thursday, 10.30am – 6pm ONE EAST ASIA is a Singapore-based art management organization founded in April 2010. It is dedicated to enriching the appreciation of Southeast Asian Art globally through exhibitions in Singapore and London, international art fairs, and not-for-profit events.
Jerry Elizalde Navarro The Sarong From Solo, 1990 Acrylic On Canvas, 90 x 90 cm
One East Asia is the sole, officially appointed representative of Sudjojono Center in Singapore. One East Asia 15 Scotts Road, #05-08/09, Thong Teck Building % 6737 1819 Fax 6737 1859 www.oneeastasia.org Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 10am – 6pm, Sat by appointment only, closed on Sun and PH map no. 515
54
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events In 2013, Ms Tran Thi Ngoc Hue established Orient Painting, focusing mainly on contemporary Vietnamese art by Luong Luu Bien, Nguyen Trung Nghia, Alan Nguyen, Nguyen Thi Tam, Cao Thi Duoc, Le Duy Trieu, Phuc An, Nguyen Duy Nhut, and Le Vo Tuan. Orient Painting 10A Mount Sophia, #09-12 % +65 8410 5466 (Ms. Coco Ng) www.orientpainting.com map no. 523
Carlos Rolón/Dzine: Mi Casa. Pearl Lam Galleries presents Mi Casa (My House), Carlos Rolón/Dzine’s inaugural exhibition with the gallery. Growing up, Rolón saw how households adapted to new American middle-class lifestyles by decorating homes with exotic colours, textures, patterns and items – creating a sense of identity and comfort. Rolón pays homage to this culture by incorporating custom culture, faux luxury and excessiveness into his works, produing a shrine-like presentation and embracing the universal themes of home. 20 Jan – 15 Mar Opening reception: 20 Jan, 6 – 9pm Artist Dialogue, 24 Jan, 3pm Please RSVP at diana@pearllamgalleries.com
Carlos Rolon/Dzine (b. 1970), Untitled (Around the way girl 2), Metal, gold leaf, glass, vintage jewellery, quartz crystals and latex, Dimensions variable (72 x 96 in.)
²hide: Solo Exhibition by José Santos III. Till 08 Jan Pearl Lam Galleries 9 Lock Road, #03-22, Gillman Barracks % 6570 2284 www.pearllam.com
Prudential Eye Awards 2015. The second edition of the Prudential Eye Awards features 13 prizes, with six categories of Best Emerging Artist, using mediums such as digital/video, drawing, installation, painting, photography and sculpture. 17 Jan – 31 Mar Prudential Singapore Eye Exhibition. The first-ever Prudential Singapore Eye Exhibition is the largest survey on Singapore contemporary art and also a museum-quality exhibition of the country's best artists, of which selected pieces only by Singapore artists will be displayed at London's Saatchi Gallery. It seeks to showcase the depth and diversity of Singapore's visual arts scene as well as to raise the profile of Singapore artists in the international art world. 17 Jan – 28 Jun Prudential Eye Programme at ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands www.prudentialeye.com
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
55
Events Still Moving: A Triple Bill on the Image. SAM at 8Q presents in one space three cocurated exhibitions focusing on the nature of the image, as explored in the art of photography and new media: an exhibition on contemporary Southeast Asian photographic practices, in partnership with the SIPF; an exhibition of works from the Deutsche Bank collection; and new media works from the collection of the Yokohama Museum of Art. Till 08 Feb SAM at 8Q 8 Queen Street, Singapore 189555 www.singaporeartmuseum.sg Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 7pm, Fri 10am – 9pm map no. 119
APB Foundation Signature Art Prize Exhibition 2014. Established in 2008 by the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation and the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), the triennial APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is returning for its third installment. Seeking to present the most outstanding contemporary artwork from both emerging and distinguished artists over the last three years, the prize puts the spotlight on compelling visual artworks from across the Asia Pacific region. Till 15 Mar
Gerhard Richter, Sechs Fotos 2.5.89–7.5.89, Gelatin silver print
Zhao Renhui, Eskimo wolf trap often quoted in sermons, 2013, Mixed
Once Upon This Island is a new exhibition media installation: knife, bicarbonate that explores the stories and the lives that soda, vinyl text sticker surround us on this island-nation. The exhibition presents a series of contemporary works by Singapore artists that navigate ideas of home, community, identity and memories. It addresses museum-goers from all walks of life – from school children to curious adults. Medium at Large: Shapeshifting Material and Methods in Contemporary Art. Till 15 May Singapore Art Museum (SAM) 71 Bras Basah Road % 6332 3222 www.singaporeartmuseum.sg Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am – 7pm, Fri 10am – 9pm map no. 116
Imprint: New Works by Suzann Victor. STPI presents the first solo exhibition of homegrown artist Suzann Victor, the only female artist to represent Singapore at the national pavilion since its inaugural participation in the Venice Biennale (2001). 18 Jan – 21 Feb STPI 41 Robertson Quay % 6336 3663 www.stpi.com.sg Opening Hours: Tue – Fri 10 – 7, Sat 9 – 6 Closed on Sun and PH, Mon by appointment map no. 402
56
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events Horses’ Home-Sweet-Home: Black-andWhite Photography Exhibition By Billy Mork. Billy Mork is an award winning photographer and founder of Immagini Art Gallery. 05 – 15 Feb Colours of Life – Singapore Our Homeland 2015 features works made during a workshop by 50 children. 15 – 25 Jan SOCIETE GENERALE Gallery, Alliance Française 1 Sarkies Road, Singapore 258130 % 6833 9314 Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat 11am – 5pm www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg
tcc-artshowcase Singled-Out. Singled Out is an art exhibition conceptualised by the collaborative efforts of creative agency fFurious, events organisation art-management.com and Thunder Rock School. With aims to harness the power of music to impact the lives of disadvantaged youths, 50 local designers and artists were invited to transform vinyl records into pieces of art free to their imagination. 08 Jan – 01 Apr tcc – 4 Robinson Road 4 Robinson Road, #01-01 % 6438 3357 www.theconnoisseurconcerto.com Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7.30am – 8pm, Sat, Sun & PH closed map no. 305
PantoneMyArt – Tattoo in Colour In the fifth installment of the highly successful PantoneMyArt series, tcc – The Connoisseur Concerto is proud to present a new radical perspective to their audience with the PantoneMyArt – Tattoo in Colour exhibition at the exclusive tcc “The Gallery” at 51 Circular Road. The exhibition features ten of Singapore’s top tattoo artists, who have each designed an artwork in a predominant Pantone colour of their choice. Instead of using the body as a medium, these artists transfer this beautiful form of body art onto paper, and created artworks that have once originated from a design they have tattooed on someone before, or one stemming from their own personal inspirations that is aligned to their tattooing style. 15 Jan – 30 Mar tcc – ‘The Gallery’ 51 Circular Road % 6533 9033 www.theconnoisseurconcerto.com Opening Hours: Sun – Thu & PH 11am – 12am Fri, Sat & Eve of PH 11am – 2am map no. 303
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
57
Events tcc-artshowcase Singled-Out. Singled Out is an art exhibition conceptualised by the collaborative efforts of creative agency fFurious, events organisation art-management.com and Thunder Rock School. With aims to harness the power of music to impact the lives of disadvantaged youths, 50 local designers and artists were invited to transform vinyl records into pieces of art free to their imagination. 08 Jan – 01 Apr tcc – Raffles Xchange 5 Raffles Place #B1-63/64/65, MRT Station % 6438 3006 www.theconnoisseurconcerto.com Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7.30 – 10, Sat 7.30 – 6.30 map no. 302
tcc-artshowcase Ketna Patel. Ketna’s own cultural background is unsurprisingly diverse, with equal parts of Asia and Europe and a childhood in Africa thrown in. She has made a career out of not-belonging: as a resident, a frequent tourist, and as a perpetual observer, she distils her travels through a soul itself displaced. And there’s nothing clinical or distant about it – this is unmistakably joyous work, by someone who loves being in the thick of things; she revels in and often manufactures the chaos. Till 06 Apr tcc – The Pier @ Robertson 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-01/02 % 6733 8707 www.theconnoisseurconcerto.com Opening Hours: Sun – Thu 8 – 10.30, Fri – Sat 8am – 2am map no. 403
Leonardo da Vinci's 'Earlier Mona Lisa'. This highly-anticipated exhibition is the first public viewing of the ‘Earlier Mona Lisa’ painting with all of its fascinating surrounding circumstances, demonstrating the skill and techniques of the master Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. The painting captured the world’s attention when it was first presented to the media in 2012 by the Mona Lisa Foundation (a Swiss non-profit) which has compiled over 35 years of research on the work. The Mona Lisa Foundation has chosen Operation Smile Singapore Ltd. as the event beneficiary for the worldwide premiere of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Earlier Mona Lisa’. Till 11 Feb The Arts House 1 Old Parliament Lane % 6332 6900 www.theartshouse.com.sg Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm map no. 105
58
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Events The Affair – Solo exhibition by Yeo Siak Goon. The solo exhibition by Yeo Siak Goon showcases early works. Siak Goon’s love for nature and his fascination with tropical islands has defined his style. He was born in 1957, Malaysia, and presently lives and works in Singapore. 10 – 23 Jan The Art Fellas (TAF) aims to create a platform which engages and integrates artists, collectors and investors. The Art Fellas 46 Kim Yam Road, #02-25, The Herencia % 6702 4001 www.theartfellas.com map no. 404
Ishatvam Home Art Decors. For the first time, Ishatvam is on display at The Sandalwood Room, Singapore. This collection includes designers from all over the world bringing a more international feel to the home décor ideas even as it retained its Indian essence and sensibility. There is a distinct design sense in each piece, be it a bird bath or a candle stand. The products range from accessories, cushions, gift items, to frames and more. Ishatvam is an experience ... one that must be discovered. Till 28 Feb Located in a beautifully restored historic shophouse, The Sandalwood Room showcases home décor, fine crafts, cultural novelties, design wear and couture, jewellery and art exhibitions all under one roof. The Sandalwood Room 76 Princep Street, Singapore % 6883 2369 www.thesandalwoodroom.com.sg Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 11am – 8pm; Sat: 11am – 2pm map no. 138
Singaporean Experimental Artists at The Unifiedfield AIR Programme. The Unifiedfield presents the outcome of the projects produced by the Singaporean artists who participated since 2012 in The Unifiedfield´s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Programme in Granada, Spain. A showcase with live performances, experimental music, screenings, artist talks and workshops by Zulkifle Mahmod, Tania De Rozario, Loo Zihan, Kai Lam, anGie seah, Shaun Sankaran & Natasha Noor, Bani Haykal & Shahila Baharom, Harry Chew, Tara Transitory aka One Man Nation, Marta Moreno Muñoz. 24 – 25 Jan The Substation 45 Armenian Street % 6337 7535 www.substation.org Opening Hours: 12noon – 9pm map no. 113
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
59
Venues Orchard & Tanglin Artwalk 501. 501. 502. 503. 506. 508. 509. 511. 512. 513. 515. 516. 517. 518. 520. 521. 523. 524. 528. 531. 532. 533.
Opera Gallery B/3 2 Orchard Turn #03-05 Galeries Bartoux B/3 2 Orchard Turn #01-12A/13 SOCIETE GENERALE Gallery C/1 1 Sarkies Road MAD Museum of Art & Design C/3 10 Tanglin Road #01-01 Art Forum Pte Ltd C/2 82 Cairnhill Road Third Floor Hermes B/2 541 Orchard Road, Liat Towers HaKaren Art Gallery A/2 19 Tanglin Road #02-43 Yang Gallery Pte Ltd A/2 19 Tanglin Road #02-41 Kwan Hua Art Gallery A/2 19 Tanglin Rd #02-09 Peach Tree A/2 129 Tanglin Road, Tudor Court One East Artspace C/2 15 Scotts Road, #05-08/09, Thong Teck Building Li Fine Art A/2 19 Tanglin Road #03-32 Asia Ancient Gallery A/2 19 Tanglin Road, # 03-28, Tanglin Shopping Centre Asia Art Collective A/2 19 Tanglin Road, #03-42 *scape Youth Park C/3 113 Somerset Road #01-02, www.scape.com.sg ArtBlue Studio C/3 26 Oxley Mansion, 26P Oxley Road Japan Creative Centre A/2 4 Nassim Road iPRECIATION E/5 50 Cuscaden Road, HPL House, www.ipreciation.com Bruno Gallery A/2 91 Tanglin Road #01-03, www.brunoartgroup.com Linda Gallery Blk 15 Dempsey Road, #01-03 RedSea Gallery Blk 9 Dempsey Hill #01-10 Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) 27A Loewen Road
tcc art boutique caffès close to the arts 1. 2. 5. 25. 26. 28.
Centrepoint C/3 176 Orchard Road, #01-102/103/104 Isetan Scotts B/2 350 Orchard Road, Level 2 Shaw House Peranakan Place C/3 182 Orchard Road International Building B/2 360 Orchard Road, #01-01 Wisma Atria B/3 435 Orchard Rd, #02-18 ION Orchard B/3 2 Orchard Turn #B2-49 ION Orchard
River Valley Artwalk Art Venues: 401. 402. 403. 404. 406.
72-13 TheatreWorks C/4 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore Tyler Print Institute C/5 41 Robertson Quay tcc – The Pier @ Robertson C/4 80 Mohamed Sultan Road The Art Fellas C/5 46 Kim Yam Road, #02-25, The Herencia DBS Arts Centre C/4 20 Merbau Road - Robertson Quay, www.srt.com.sg
tcc art boutique caffès close to the arts 7. 19.
Great World City B/5 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01-29 The Pier @ Robertson C/4 80 Mohamed Sultan Road, #01-01/02
100 – 299 Marina Bay & Bugis Artwalk [Arts & Heritage District] 300 – 399 Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown & Raffles Place Artwalk 400 – 499 River Valley Artwalk 500 – 530 Orchard & Tanglin Artwalk 531 – 559 Wessex Estate Artwalk
60
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Venues
A
B
C 1
2
3
4
5 A
B
C
Artwalks are listed by area. Venues are listed in numerical order (map numbers). Singapore Art Gallery Guide
61
Venues Marina Bay & Bugis Artwalk [Arts & Heritage District] Art Venues:
100. 101. 102. 104. 105. 106. 107. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 119. 125. 125. 126. 128. 131. 132. 133. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 144. 146. 153. 181. 200. 201. 202. 203. 213.
Esplanade F/5 1 Esplanade Drive, www.esplanade.com The Fullerton Heritage Gallery B/5 1 Fullerton Square DaTang Fine Arts Singapore 1 North Bridge Road #B1-09, High Street Centre Asian Civilisations Museum E/5 1 Empress Place, www.acm.org.sg The Arts House E/5 1 Old Parliament Lane, www.theartshouse.com.sg Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall E/5 9 Empress Place ART-2 Gallery E/5 140 Hill Street #01-03 Galerie Belvedere (S) Pte Ltd E/5 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station Cape of Good Hope E/5 140 Hill Street, #01-06 Element Art Space E/4 Raffles Hotel Arcade, 328 North Bridge Road #02-13 Gajah Gallery E/5 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station #01-08 Mulan Gallery Pte Ltd E/4 36 Armenian Street #01-07 Singapore Philatelic Museum E/4 23B Coleman Street The Substation E/4 45 Armenian Street National Museum of Singapore E/4 93 Stamford Road Singapore Management University - The Gallery D/3 90 Stamford Rd Singapore Art Museum (SAM) E/4 71 Bras Basah Road SAM at 8Q E/4 8 Queen Street, Singapore 189555 Chan Hampe Galleries E/4 328 North Bridge Road #01-21 Kato Art Duo E/4 328 North Bridge Road #02-25, www.nikeifineart.com Ode To Art E/4 252 North Bridge Road #01-36e/f MINT Museum of Toys E/4 26 Seah Street, www.emint.com Art Galleries at NAFA E/3 80 Bencoolen Street Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore – LASALLE College of the Arts E/3 Emily Hill E/2 11 Upper Wilkie Road The Little Arts Academy E/3 1 Selegie Road, #05-01/02 2902 Gallery D/3 222 Queen Street, Unit 02-02 The Sandalwood Room B/3 76 Princep Street Peranakan Museum E/4 39 Armenian Street The Luxe Art Museum D/3 6 Handy Road, #02-01 Art Plural Gallery E/4 38 Armenian Street, www.artpluralgallery.com 11.12 Gallery PTE Ltd D/4 #04-02, 36 Armenian Street Artcommune E/4 231 Bain Street. #02-43, Bras Basah Complex ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands F/5 10 Bayfront Ave I Theatre F/5 27 Kerbau Road, www.itheatre.org W!LD RICE E/2 3A Kerbau Road, www.wildrice.com.sg Bhaskar’s Arts Academy E/2 19 & 21 Kerbau Road Ngee Ann Kongsi A/4 97 Tank Road, Level 2 of Teochew Building Malay Heritage Centre F/3 85 Sultan Gate
tcc art boutique caffès close to the arts 3. 6. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 24. 27.
62
Marina Bay Sands F/5 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B2-120/120A Clarke Quay D/5 Blk 3E, River Valley Road, #01-01 Central D/5 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-84/85/86 The Central Bugis Junction (Main Boutique) F/3 80 Middle Road, #01-92/93/94/95/96 Bugis Junction (Atrium) F/3 80 Middle Road Beach Centre F/4 15 Beach Road, #01-01/02 Beach Center Millenia Walk F/4 9 Raffles Boulevard, #01-44/45 Citylink Mall F/4 1 Raffles Link, #B1-26 Funan DigitalLife Mall E/4 109 North Bridge Road, #01-34/35/36 PoMo E/3 1 Selegie Road, #01-02 & #02-25 Singapore Management University E/4 70 Stamford Road, #01-22
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Venues
A
B
C
1
2
3
4
5 A
B
C
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
63
Venues Tanjong Pagar, Chinatown & Raffles Place Artwalk Art Venues:
302. 303. 305. 306. 308. 309. 310. 311. 311. 312. 313. 314. 316. 317. 318. 321. 322. 323. 325. 326. 330.
tcc – Raffles Xchange E/5 5 Raffles Place #B1-63/64/65 tcc – ‘The Gallery’ E/5 51 Circular Road tcc – 4 Robinson Rd E/6 4 Robinson Road, #01-01 Singapore City Gallery, The URA Centre D/6 45 Maxwell Road Barnadas Huang D/7 61 Duxton Road, www.barnadashuang.com Red Dot Design Museum D/7 28 Maxwell Road ReDot Gallery C/8 ArtSpace@Helutrans, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road Ikkan Art Gallery C/8 Artspace@Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road Richard Koh Fine Art Pte Ltd D/7 Artspace@Helutrans, 39 Keppel Road Valentine Willie Fine Art C/8 39 Keppel Road #02-04 Dahlia Gallery LLP C/8 69A Pagoda Street (2nd Level) Fortune Cookie Projects C/8 45 Mosque Street #03-02 Indigo Blue Art D/6 52B Temple Street Jeremy Ramsey Fine Art C/6 16 Bt Pasoh Rd Vue Privée C/7 63 Spottiswoode Park Utterly Art Exhibition Space D/6 20B Mosque Street Momentous Arts D/5 1557 Keppel Road, #03-27 Instinc D/5 Eu Tong Sen Street, #04-163 Eagle’s Eye Art Gallery D/5 42 Hongkong Street NUS Baba House C/7 157 Neil Road, www.nus.edu.sg/museum/baba Art Xchange Gallery Singapore D/5 6 Eu Tong Sen Street #02-65
tcc art boutique caffès close to the arts 3. 8. 9. 10. 11. 20. 21.
Marina Bay Sands F/5 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B2-120/120A Circular Road E/5 51 Circular Road Raffles Xchange E/5 5 Raffles Place #B1-63/64/65 NTUC Building @ One Marina Boulevard E/6 1 Marina Boulevard, #01-01 Central D/5 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-84/85/86 The Central 4 Robinson Road E/6 4 Robinson Road Samsung Hub E/6 3 Church Street, #01-01
Wessex Estate Artwalk 551. 553. 554. 556.
d’ Art Studio H/2 5 Westbourne Road #02-03 Blenheim Court Kelly Reedy – Studio Arts H/2 27 Woking Road, #01-01, kellyreedy.com Art and Printmaking Studio H/2 Block 28 Woking Road # 03 - 05 Sealey Brandt H/2 1 Westbourne Road #01-02
Greater Singapore, outside the detailed maps tcc art boutique caffès close to the arts 4. 22. 29. 30. 31. 32.
64
Novena Square 238 Thomson Road, #01-56/58 German Centre 25 International Business Park, #01-80 Anchorpoint 370 Alexandra Road #01-07/08 Marina at Keppel Bay 2 Keppel Bay Vista #02-02A Terminal 3 Arrival Hall Changi International Airport Terminal 2 Departure Transit Changi International Airport
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Venues
C
D
E
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8 C
D
E
1
1
2
2
3
G
H
I Singapore Art Gallery Guide
3 65
Services
Art Services Art Consultants & Art Dealers art-management.com
My Mail Box 889794 Singapore 919191
% 6479 2445 Fax: 6491 6427
info@art-management.com, www.art-management.com
art-management.com is a dedicated company that promotes and manages visual and performance artists both in Singapore and overseas. We cover all artistic services from representing to promoting artists, renting out art, organising exhibition openings and art based corporate events. Our expertise in organising and promoting can now be seen in the area of events management as well. We are known for our approach to create events with unique concept and venue.
Conservation & Restoration Art Conservation
10 Ubi Crescent, #04-28 Ubi Techpark Lobby B, Singapore 408564 % 6749 6732 Fax: 6749 1732 www.artconservation.com.sg map no. 698 Established 1994 in Antwerp, 2005 in Singapore. 1994 Belgium M.A of Art Conservation. Services of Conservation & Restoration of paintings. Geranteed top quality restoration.
10 Ubi Crescent #03-11 (Lobby B) Ubi Techpark, Singapore 408564
% +65 67602602, +65 91187478 Email: josephine@thepiastudio.com Web: www.thepiastudio.com
Professional qualified conservators to treat a magnitude of degraded artwork and archival collections and well aligned with aethetics and integrity in both artistic as well as in scientific approach.
Art Education Art Glass Solutions Pte Ltd
39 Kuo Chuan Avenue % 9827 4760 contact@artglasssolutions.com www.artglasssolutions.com
Art Glass Solutions Pte Ltd offers Glassmaking Courses for groups and individuals. Beginners learn about aspects of art glass making. Artist in Residence and Studio Membership available on application.
66
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Services
Transportation & Crating Agility Fairs & Events Logistics Pte Ltd
No. 5 Changi North Way, 3rd Floor Singapore 498771 % 6500 0250 Fax: 6214 9592 finearts@agility.com www.agility.com twitter.com/agility linkedin.com/company/agility
Agility Fairs & Events is the first logistics company in Singapore and Asia to be ISO-certified specifically for fine art logistics. We provide full service, end-to-end fine art logistics, utilising our global network of art handling partners, experienced art handlers, modern art storage facility and temperature-controlled air-suspension vehicles, which cater to the sensitive needs of galleries, museums, collectors and artists alike. We have the capacity to handle art installations, as well as special packing and crating works. Any size. Any volume. Anywhere - We are there for you. Agility is contracted by the Singapore Art Museum for the provision of art handling services.
Crown Fine Arts 36 Pioneer Road Singapore 628504
% 6593 7314 Fax: 6862 2840
wlee@crownrelo.com www.crownfineart.com
Crown Fine Arts, a division of the Crown Worldwide Group, has been providing specialised fine arts packing and transportation services since 1989. With our extensive network, we are able to serve all domestic and major global locations requiring this highly delicate and specialised service. Our personal approach to every project has garnered the appreciation and trust of clients ranging from world-renowned museums and major art galleries to private collectors.
Art Education Corcovado Arts
courses@corcovadoarts.com www.corcovadoarts.com Corcovado Arts offers quick yet comprehensive courses that will equip any non-art major with the necessary tools to better understand and appreciate Modern and Contemporary art. Our mission is to broaden people's understanding on art through continuous education programs in local communities. We collaborate with art institutions worldwide to promote intercultural exchange. Come and visit our website for more info and registration!
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
67
You can also read us here ‌ Besides the printed issues we publish on these platforms:
SAGG has a digital home!
The Singapore Art Gallery Guide website is the most comprehensive art portal focusing on visual art in Singapore. Browse through current and upcoming exhibitions and events, read our editorials, and find information about art venues in Singapore.
www.sagg.info
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter and never miss our featured exhibitions and events. Of course we keep your email address confidential.
www.sagg.info
Download our Print Issues!
The printed SAGG copies are already gone? Download the latest SAGG as a digital version for your mobile devices.
www.sagg.info/online-issues
Read our latest Print Issue Online!
On Issuu.com you can read our print issues online. You can flip the pages just like you would flip through the printed hardcopy.
www.issuu.com/singaporeartgalleryguide
We are on Facebook!
Here we post a mix of news and inspirations. We tell you what we are up to and show you bits and pieces from all kinds of art related happenings.
www.facebook.com/sagg.com.sg 68
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
Singapore Art Gallery Guide
71
72
Singapore Art Gallery Guide