Tag Archives: Singapore

Shifting Grounds, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Shifting Grounds takes a historical overview of the significant shifts in art practice in Singapore from the 1970s to 2000s. Alternative art practices exploded onto the Singapore art scene in the second half of the 1980s to counter the dominant systems of art at the time. Artists shifted away from…

New Languages, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

The exhibition “Siapa Nama Kamu?” opens with a meticulous exploration of those Western artistic influences that first informed Singapore’s contemporary art scene; gradually, through its graceful exposition of Singapore’s historical, social and artistic transformations, the show ultimately reveals the country’s subtle growth towards a unique aesthetic identity. New Languages: 1960s…

Real Concerns and Tradition Unfettered, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

The act of creating the inaugural long-term display for the DBS Singapore Gallery (Singapore Gallery) has entailed significant discussions with art historians, critics, artists and curators on the topic of “modernism” in Singapore, ranging from what definitions, terminologies and technologies one may adopt, to whether there is a specific story…

Tropical Tapestry and Nanyang Reverie, Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

The opening of the National Gallery Singapore comes at a time of great significance for Singapore, in her 50th year of independence. What is the relationship of art to a nation like Singapore and how can we understand its role in the last fifty years? These are some of the…

Authority and Anxiety, Between Declarations and Dreams, Art of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Authority and Anxiety (19th to early 20th century): The section examines the birth of modern art in Southeast Asia in the significant social changes of the 19th century. Greater cultural contact with the West, often through the colonial experience, influenced the kind of art produced. Local elites used art to…

Imagining Country and Self, Between Declarations and Dreams, Art of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Imagining Country and Self (1900s to 1940s): In the early 20th century, the growth of art schools and institutions led artists to develop a stronger sense of professional identity. Artists began to express a stronger sense of place in their works and actively strove to express their newfound identity through…

Manifesting the Nation, Between Declarations and Dreams, Art of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms (1950s to 1970s). One of the most significant developments in the history of modern art in Southeast Asia occurred during 1950s to 1970s. During and after World War II, artists documented political events and issues, and used the style of social realism to awaken…

Redefining Art, Between Declarations and Dreams, Art of Southeast Asia since the 19th Century, National Gallery Singapore

Re:Defining Art (post 1970s). Artists in this period became more concerned with political and cultural issues, not just the form or appearance of an artwork. Using a wider range of approaches and materials, they experimented with other genres such as installation, video, photography and performance. Re:Defining Art exhibition in the…