Reframing Modernism is inaugural exhibition at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, National Gallery Singapore

One of the highlights of the exhibition is from Singapore artist Georgette Chen. Landscape, 1930s, oil on canvas, is from the Collection of Centre Pompidou, Paris, MNAM-CCI © Dr Lee Seng Gee Photo: © Centre Pompidou, MNAMCCI/Jim Purcell/Dist. RMN-GP.

National Gallery Singapore has launched its first international special exhibition, Reframing Modernism, co-curated and co-presented with Centre Pompidou, Paris, France. This landmark exhibition, the inaugural exhibition at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, will showcase more than 200 works from about 50 artists, with approximately half from Centre Pompidou and the other half from Southeast Asia.

According to the National Gallery Singapore, this will also be the first time that an exhibition displays significant Southeast Asian and European artists in parallel through its study of one of the most influential artistic and intellectual drives of the 20th century – modernism – from the perspective of Southeast Asia.

Reframing Modernism challenges the existing paradigm of how modernist painting is presented. It brings to light previously unexplored perspectives which enrich the overall discourse. Taking a comparative approach, the exhibition reveals shared concerns between the artists and their bodies of work to create a different narrative of modernism. The unprecedented presentation includes works by Southeast Asian artists such as Le Pho (Vietnam), Nguyen Gia Tri (Vietnam), S Sudjojono (Indonesia), Affandi (Indonesia), Latiff Mohidin (Malaysia), Galo B Ocampo (Philippines), Georgette Chen (Singapore) and Tang Chang (Thailand), as well as European masters Vassily Kandinsky, Fernand Léger, Marc Chagall, Jean Dubuffet, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

“We are pleased to work with Centre Pompidou to develop this exhibition which reexamines the paradigm of Modernism. This is the first time in Singapore that visitors can view artworks from European and Southeast Asian masters in the same space. We hope the exhibition will inspire fresh and interesting perspectives of the received understanding of modernism and modern art,” said Dr Eugene Tan, Director at National Gallery Singapore. “Along with the Gallery’s long-term exhibitions, Reframing Modernism will reinforce our aim to further the understanding of modern art from Singapore and Southeast Asia within a global context,” he added.

Reframing Modernism is co-curated by Dr Tan, Senior Curator Lisa Horikawa and Curator Dr Phoebe Scott of the National Gallery Singapore, together with the Deputy Director of Centre Pompidou’s National Museum of Modern Art – Industrial Design Centre, Catherine David and Curator Dr Nicolas Liucci-Goutnikov.

“Reframing Modernism testifies to the Centre Pompidou’s international reach and its pursuit of collaborations with prestigious partner institutions around the globe. Our collaboration with National Gallery Singapore on this unique project has been a most fruitful one and this co-curated exhibition is an excellent opportunity for us to learn more about modern Southeast Asian art and how modernism was perceived in this part of the world. The collaboration also gives art lovers in Singapore and Asia the opportunity to view major artworks from the Centre Pompidou, which houses one of the world’s two largest modern and contemporary art collections,” said Serge Lasvignes, President of the Centre Pompidou.

Reframing Modernism is showcased in the Singtel Special Exhibitions Gallery, which consists of three galleries, spanning across a total floor area of approximately 20,000 sq ft. Chua Sock Koong, Singtel Group CEO said, “We are excited that our contribution to National Gallery Singapore will enable Singaporeans to enjoy both iconic masterpieces from around the world alongside equally accomplished Southeast Asian art that we are proud to champion. We congratulate National Gallery Singapore and Centre Pompidou on their first-ever collaboration. Art is for everyone and we hope this will reach as many people as possible.”

Interested?

Reframing Modernism will run from 31 March until 17 July 2016 at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, located on level 3 of the City Hall Wing at the National Gallery Singapore. Admission into Reframing Modernism is chargeable at S$15 and S$25 for Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans respectively. Concessions apply.

The exhibition will open from 10am to 7pm from Monday to Thursday, and Sunday and public holidays, from 10am to 10pm from Friday to Saturday, and the eves of public holidays.

National Gallery Singapore shares preview of opening celebrations

National Gallery Singapore spans the restored and transformed former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings – two heritage buildings which have "witnessed the fall of a colony and the rise of a new nation", in the words of Tan. 

National Gallery Singapore has announced that its opening celebrations and inaugural art festival will include more than 20 free events and activities.

From 24 November to 6 December the public will enjoy free admission to the exhibitions in the two permanent galleries, the DBS Singapore Gallery and the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery. An Art Carnival will also be held at the Padang from 27 to 29 November. In the evenings the Share the Hope Facade show, sponsored by Cartier, will make use of the facade of the National Gallery Singapore for a light and sound display.

A preview of the facade show, which will feature animated artworks from the collection.

The celebrations will include art forums and a panel discussion about the Gallery's contribution to promoting Southeast Asian art. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear more from curators, art critics and architects about the evolution of Southeast Asian art in the region, the changing roles of museums, as well as the architecture, design and conservation principles of the Gallery.

Theatre and film buffs can also look forward to plays inspired by artworks and the world premiere of Southeast Asian short films on the art in the Gallery’s exhibitions. Memora(film)ia: Random Acts of Remembering features three 10-minute films and is held in conjunction with the 26th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). With themes of memory and hope, one features an elderly lady reminescing about the Japanese occupation; another includes Zubir Said's Semoga Bahagia and explores loneliness and relationships, while the third stars people in MRT trains. SGIFF, a ticketed event, features the Gallery's auditorium in the City Hall Wing at B1 as a venue.

National Language Class, an interactive 30-minute performance for up to eight participants by Spell #7, is a short exploration of our national language recreating the National Language Class artwork by Chua Mia Tee. Chegu Utama, pictured, will explain key concepts like nama, ditinggal, and orang Singapura.

The new interpretations of artworks extend to dance and music that will be performed in surprising spaces and venues within the Gallery. In the Name of Red, a 10-minute dance performance by The Arts Fission Company, pays tribute to the shades of red in the Gallery's collection, for example. Resonates With, a 20-minute cross-genre musical performance, is curated by multidisciplinary artist Bani Haykal and inspired by Liu Kang's and Chen Wen Hsi's Balinese paintings, and Drummer by Yeh Chi Wei.

Exploration of the Gallery is complemented and enriched by the free Gallery Explorer app, created in collaboration with the Gallery's Innovation Partner Accenture. The app enables intelligent indoor navigation within the 64,000 sq m area, and is also integrated with social media capabilities.

“As the first museum in the world dedicated to Southeast Asian modern art, National Gallery Singapore aims to provide a differentiated art experience for visitors to fully explore and appreciate art and its history,” said Suenne Tan, Director, Education and Programmes, National Gallery Singapore. “We crafted activities to give the public many ways and reasons to connect with art, inspiring more to develop a deeper understanding of Singapore and Southeast Asian art and its links with art all around the world.”

National Gallery Singapore, in the restored and transformed former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings – two important heritage buildings of Singapore’s nationhood – is a new visual arts institution which oversees the largest public collection of modern art of Singapore and Southeast Asia. The Gallery is dedicated to collaborative research, education and exhibitions, highlighting the importance of modern art in Southeast Asia in a global context. The Gallery also provides a unique visitor experience through its art presentations and innovative programming, positioning Singapore as a regional and international hub for the visual arts.

Interested?

The opening celebrations are from 24 November to 6 December 2015. Admission is free, but registration is required for some of the activities. Visit www.nationalgallery.sg for more information:

• The exhibition will open from 10am to 7pm Mondays to Thursdays, and from 10am to 11pm from Fridays to Sundays. Approximately 800 Singapore Southeast Asian artworks will be on show. The DBS Singapore Gallery will showcase Siapa Nama Kamu?, while the UOB Southeast Asian Gallery will have the theme Between Declarations and Dreams. Entry into the Gallery building is free, but requires tickets that can be booked online from 5 November at 10am at https://tickets.nationalgallery.sg. 
• The Art Carnival runs from 5pm to midnight from 27 to 29 November. The 10-minute facade show will be performed at 8pm, 9pm and 10pm from 27 to 29 November
• Memora(film)ia: Random Acts of Remembering will be broadcast hourly from 10am to 10pm from 27 to 29 November, and 4 to 6 December, at the Supreme Court Wing, Level 5, Theatrette. The films will be available from 10am to 6pm from 30 November to 3 December.
• Resonates With, at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm from 27 to 29 November and 4 to 6 December, will be performed at the Padang Atrium
• National Language Class will take place at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm Fridays to Sundays (27 to 29 November and 4 to 6 December) and at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm Mondays to Thursdays (30 November to 3 December)
• Storybooths, from 1pm to 4pm on 28 and 29 November at the Supreme Court Wing, Level 4M, Supreme Court Terrace, lets participants take home an artwork based on their own thoughts, made by an artist from the Organisation of Illustrators Council
• In the Name of Red will be held at the Padang Atrium at 9pm from 4 December to 6 December

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about the free Gallery Explorer mobile app. The app will be available from the Apple App Store from 18 November and from the Google Play store shortly after.

posted from Bloggeroid

The Bridge Phnom Penh offers Cambodia's first SOHO properties

Singapore property developer Oxley Holdings has introduced a small-office-home-office (SOHO) property concept in Phnom Penh at the official launch of The Bridge in Cambodia. This is the company’s maiden project in Cambodia through a joint venture with local property developer Worldbridge Land Cambodia.

Source: Oxley. Oxley Holdings’ CEO Ching Chiat Kwong (first from left) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the showroom for The Bridge in Phnom Penh with Tan Teck Kee, Executive Director, Worldbridge Land, Guest of Honour H.E. Im Chhunlim, Senior Minister, Ministry of Land Management, Urban and Construction, H.E. General Sao Sokha, Deputy Commander in Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Commander of Royal Gendarmary of Cambodia, and Oknha Sear Rithy, Chairman, Worldbridge Land.

The Bridge will comprise residential apartments, retail units and 963 SOHO units, spanning 46 sq m to 78 sq m, with starting prices of US$100,000. When completed in 2018, The Bridge will be the largest and tallest mixed development in Cambodia at 45 storeys and a land area of 10,090 sq m.
In conjunction with the official launch of the development, the Company opened a showroom in Phnom Penh featuring the possible configurations of both residential and SOHO apartments. More than 100 SOHO units have been taken up since the company began accepting bookings in June. This figure had doubled by the day of the launch.

A sales gallery for The Bridge opened on 14 June in Singapore, at 390 Orchard Road, #16-01, Palais Renaissance. It is open from 12 to 6pm daily.